The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-12-03
Won Half a Million.

~fhe oldest betting ever heard off,
said one oil broker to another in the Hof-
man House, the other day, saYs the New
York Horld, was between Henry Har-
ley, who first conceived the idea ofs tide
water pipe line from the oil regions, and
the oil operators who used to make their
headquarters early in the seventies in
Hsriey's Offices. The gambling spirit
pervaded the wholesale business in those
days. Henry Harley and his Brunswick
crowd used to get together about 10 in
the morning, and Henry often opened
the ball By Offering to buy or sell 5O0-
600 barrels Of oil at given figure at
certain hour that day. He migzt gain or
lose as much SIS $4,000 on one Of thee
offers, and that sort Of gambling seemed
to satisfy him. He fought shy Of side
issues. Bot not 80 the gang.
Niger up or Niger down heavenue
was their fAvozite gambling game. Il was
their own invention Two of them would
cit at side window and the other three
alta window frontingon Fiith avenue. The
two one the side would bet each other
$40, so. $50 or 500 clip. ssthey felt in
clined, tha. the first colored person pass
ing would 20 Up or down the avenue
The three in fnont would be judges and
referee Day after day and week after
week the gang taxed their ingenuity to
get Harley into their game
~Phillips-not one Of the br)thers, bat
an oil man also-aad lost SIS, 900 to West
ton one morning in an oil deal before
Harley got 70 the Office PhiIlips felt
little sharp set, and be bet Weston $50
more that be would get Harley into the
niger up or niger game before night.
Weston took the wager
-"0n his way down town Harley, who
was a pretty close observer, had read in
his morning paper that the colored people
Of New York were going to celebrate
Emancipation Day that day by grsnd
parade which would form on Uuion
Square and march to Central Park He
attached no particular importance al the
time TO the announcement, hut when he
ges 20 his Office and Phillips began bad.
gsring him te niger up, Niger down at
so a head his eyes flashed and, to the
astonishment Of all the oil men within
hearing, and the gang in particular, he
broke out with
I've stood this this thing long enough /
now. and I'm tired Of Il III bet yon an
even hundred each that more negroes
60 up than down to-day.
80 the Judges and the referee went to
their windows and Harley went about
bis business as if nothing out Of the way
bad happened or could happen
"By II o'clock SO colored people-men
women and children had gone down
FRS avenue in plain sight ofthe judges /
and not single one had gone mp. Phil /
lips naturally felt little SGT up' since he /
was sS7. 600 to the good, and be ordered !
In basket OF vine Harley kept Cd an
imperturbable front. He was secretly (
assonishei. inasmueh as the matter had /
goae just the opposite Of what be believ-
ed he hsda right to expect they would 1
60 It didn't occur to him that the SO 4
people were going down to where the /
parade was to form.
AL O'Clock he returned He had |
hardly got his head inside the door when
slid bsrharic strain Was heard pealing /
up the avenue. and in moment gOF-
geous sable drum major broke into view, /
Al the head Of a splendid negro band. /
Every neck was crsned out to see what
had broke loose, but Harley, who felt
that his time was coming at last. kept
his OWE eJunsel Before o'clock that
day 5000 colored people marched passed |
the Office windows in the brunswick /
Hotel and Harley was $4,000 ahead Of /
the game Of 'nigger up or Niger down
I don't believe i was played there much |
sfier that. Harley accepted = dinner TO
the gang in lieu of bis stakes