The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-09
ODD WAGERS OF HISTORY.
SOME REMARKABLE BETS AND THE
PEOPLE WHO MADE THEM.

History relates some curious wagers,
one Of the most unique OF which Is that
told Of Egypt's Queen, the beautiful Gle
opatra, with Mark Antony. The Queen
invites her Roman lover to supper and
bets him that she will eat at one meal q
sum equal to $403, ,643.50.
Antony accepts the invitation but upon
coming to the table and observing nothing
extraordinary upon it, begins to rally
the Queen upon the frugality OF her re-
past. She makes no reply, but detaches
from her ears two pearls OF great value,
one OF which she throws into a liquid
prepared for the purpose, by which it is
speedily dissolved, and swallows IL 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 1t away
from her and declares that she has already
won.
The celebrated wager Of Asclepiades,
the physician, was not less extravagant.
He wagersd against a great fortune that
he never would be sick in his life. Be-
sides the money he had bet hisreputation
of being the most famous physician OF
his time was ut stake. He won his wager,
for, in fact, 1t Is recorded that he never
suffered a single hour from illness while
he lived, having died from a fall he re-
ceived in extreme old age.
A certain French Count made a wager
with Duke for 10000 crowns that he
would GO twice and back again from the
Porte st. Denis to Chantilly in a certain
time. He had his whole body tightly
bandaged round and a leaden bullet in
his month to refresh him by keeping upa
II .<fa t.~A Al ~ hnrGao
were disposed from space to space, and
every embarrassment prevented that
might in the least retard his progress.
The swiftest horses only were chosen. A
clock was attached to the Porte st. Denis
to mark the time.
He shot out with the speed of an arrow
and in a moment was out of sight. Never
did man cleave the air with such rapidity.
On arriving at each relay, without alight-
ing, he sprang from one horse to the
other, and continued his fight.
He arrived at the Porte st. Denis, hav-
ing performed his four courses eig ghteen
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 nobleman, remarks the narrator
OF the exploit, deserves no praise for hav-
ing run such a race. All that can be said
of him is that he would have made the
best post boy in the world.
One of the widest wagers ever made
was in Paris in 1928, and caused the
greatest excitement, eventually getting
into the courts. That year ii was so
rainy that il seemed the floodgates OF
heaven were really opened. All the rivers
overflowed their banks and commerce
was terribly Affected. Some superstitious
persons predicted q second deluge, and
many were greatly alarmed.
A Partisan banker named Bulliot, hav-
ing remarked that it had rained Excess
sively on st. Gervais's Day, June 10, per-
suaded himself that it would rain for
forty days continuously thereafter, bas-
ing his opinion upon the truth of the old
proverb, "that II IL rained st. Gervais's
Day it will rain forty days after"
Infatuated by his faith in this saying,
and being on that day in the Cafe de Ia
Regence, 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 a 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 misfortune was inevita-
BILE. His evil prognosis was received with
bad grace by those present, and he was
asked upon what authority he based his
prediction.
81 am sure OF it," he confidently re-
piled. "Let any one 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 incred-
ulous. His wild talk was not considered
at all by many present, who refused to
enter the lists against him; but others,
more interested, and flattered by the
hope OF winning put down the 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: "If 1t rains little or
much during the forty days from st.
Gervais's Day, BHlliet has wen; IL it dis
continues raining even for one single
day during the forty days, Bulliot has
lost"
This wager irritated the cupidity OF
the whole cafe, who were eager TO appro-
pirate the louis in which Bulliot so
hbOuhueu 81 thut,
against all who would bet against him,
he demanded, with sort of insult, il
there were others ready to oppose him.
Believing himself sure OF victory, he pro-
posed 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 shirts, against which
he also consigned their value in money.
The contagion of this folly having
pread abroad, the next day brought re-
inforcements, who put down their stakes
against Bulliot. But his money at last
becoming exhausted, he offered these
newcomers bills payable to the bearer,
or letters OF exchange. As he stood high
in the commercial world, and had never
failed to honor his engagements, his
proposition was accepted, the amount OF
this last wager amounting to $1,000
crowns.
In spite OF the proverb, the rain ceased
before the forty days; Buliot lost, and