The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-15
ODD BETS OF HISTORY.
Money Staked on Queer Tssues-Cfes
patra's Wager With Antony.

told of Egypts queen, the beautiful
Cleopatra, with Mark Antony The
queen invites her Roman lover to sup
per and bets him that she will eat at
one meal a sum equal to s4O3 64s so.
Antony accepts the invitation, but upon
coming to the table and observing moth
ing extraordinary upon it begins to
rally the queen upon the frugality of
her repast. She makes no reply but
detaches from her ears two pearls of
great value, one of which she throws
into liquor prepared for the purpose.
by which it is speedily dissolved, and
swallows it in the presence of Munatius
Plaucus, the chosen arbiter of the
wager. AS she is about to do the same
with the other pearl Plaucus snatches
it away from her and declares that she
has already won.
The celebrated wager of Asclepiades,
the physician, was not less extrava-
CANT He wagered against great for
tune that he never would be sick in his
life. Besides the money he had bet, his
reputation of being the most famous
physician Of his time was at stake. He
won his wager, for in fact, it is re-
corded that he never suffered single
hour from illness while he lived, having
died from a fall he received in extreme
old age.
A certain French count made wager
with duke for 10000 crowns that he
would go twice and back again from the
Porte St Denis to Chantilly in certain
time He had his whole body tightly
bandaged round and a leaden bullet in
his mouth TO refresh him by keeping up
a supply of moisture. Relays of horses
were disposed from space to space, and
every embarrassment prevented that
might in the least retard his progress.
The swiftest horses were chosen. A
clock was attached to the Porte st.
Denis to mark the time.
He set out with the speed OF an ar
row, and in a moment was out of sight
Never did man cleave the air with
such rapidity. On arriving at each re-
lay, without alighting he sprang from
one horse on to the other, and con-
tinued his flight. He arrived at the
Porte St Denis, having performed his
four courses eighteen minutes before
the appointed time. He said he was
still able to go to Versailles to bring
the king tidings of his success. All
bathed in perspiration, he was put in a
warm bed, and afterwards died from
the effects of his effort This noble
man. remarks the narrator of the ex-
plot, deserves no praise for having run
such race. All that can be said of
h.,,, &c bot ha 4,
best post-boy in the world.
One of the widest wagers ever made
was in Paris in 1926, and caused the
greatest excitement, eventually getting
into the courts. That year it was 80
rainy that it seemed the flood gates OF
heaven were really opened. All the
rivers overlooked their banks and com
merce was terribly affected. Some su-
pcrstitious persons predicted second
dcluge, and many were greatly
alarmed. A Partisan banker named
Bulliott, having remarked that it had
rained excessively on St Gervais day,
June 10, persuaded himself that il
would rain for forty days continuously
thereafter, basing his opinion on the
truth of the old proverb chat IL il
rained st. Gervais' day it will rain forty
days after"
Infatuated by his faith in this saying
and being on that day in the Cafe de In
Rcgence, near the Palais Royal, he en-
tered into conversation with some per-
sons on the subject of the incessant in
undations which were destroying the
hopes of n good harvest Bulliot OBJ
served that there would be more cause
for alarm il the rains continued for
forty days longer, and that he was
ready to wager that this msfor tune
was inevitable His evil progn osis
was received with bad grace by those
present and he was asked upon
what authority he based his predic-
ton. 81 am sure of it,, he confidently
replied. Let anyone bet against me;
am ready TO put down my stake" He
then threw some louis on the table to
excite the curious and defy the incredu-
lous. His wild talk was not considered
at all by many present, who refused to
enter the lists against him. but others,
more Interested, and fattered by the
hope of winning, put down stakes for
the same amount that he did. The
money was deposited in the hands of
the coffee-house keeper and the wager
registered thus: II it rain, little or
much, during forty days from ST.
Gervais day, Bulliot has won; IL it dis
continues raining even for one single
day during the forty days, Bulliot has
| lost
This wager irritatcd the cupidity of
the whole cafe, who were eager to APP
| propriatc the louis in which Bulliot so
abounded, so that after having staked
against all who would bet against him,
and after having emptied every purse,
he demanded with sort OF insult il
there were any others ready to oppose
him Believing himself sure of victory,
he proposed to those who had no money
TO stake their gold-headed canes gold
snuff boxes and other valuable jewelry,
which were duly appraised and placed
in the hands of the same depository. He
even consented that those who had
neither money nor jewels should de
posit their Holland shirt against which
he had also consigned their value in
money.
The contagion of this folly having