The state herald., 1893-06-02
SOME CURIOUS wAGERs.
MEN RISK MONEY ON ALL !.
SORTS OF PROPOSITIONS. :
The MLlet Seed Bet and the ChevalleP
d'Eou-The Dramatic Exploit OF
Manager John sioman-
Man or Woman.

A practice was for long time
prevalent In Genoa, and from It, In
all probability, the old system Of lot
terles originated. Tho five senators
who, with the doge, governed the
republic. were chosen by lot from
those mobiles who were qualified, to
the number Of ITO. On the result OF
the selection great variety OF bets
was based. The sums risked wero
enormous, for the populace wagered
upon the chance OF It's governors
with the same avidity as the wealthy.
In the year 1884 the parliament Of
Dole, in France. was called upon to
decide an extraordinary wager be-
tween two inhabitants Of Pasmes.
One of the two had agreed that II the
other would pay him twenty -four
francs in hand he would furnish him
with certain number OF grains Of
millet in proportion to the number Of
children who should be born within
certain extent Of country and DO
baptized during one year.
For the first child he was to fur
nish one grain, two for the secor'--
doubling tho number Of r.
each successive birth. Tn
Of children born was sixty-n
the proportion OF grains to be 81.
piled was so enormous that tho party
bound by the bot demanded the can
ccling Of the contract rs being
founded upon an impracticable condi
tion. Tho court decided, after hay
ing made the necessary calculation,
that the wager was naturally impossi.
BILE to be fulfilled, and 1t consequently
decreed that the party who had re-.
ceived the 24f on condition Of an
event which he declared himself
unable to meet, should return that,
sum to his opponent and should pay
an additional sum Of 24f, which was
tho only chance Of loss incurred By;
the winner II the millet had been:
furnished.
Previous to the passing OF tho bet
ting acts, actions used to be allowed
in this country. says tho London;
Standard, and Lord Mansfield tried,
several. One was where two spend
thrift, young noblemen wagered;
which Of their two fathers
would die first, and tho verdict
was given for Lord March.
Another famous case was that OF tho
Chevalier DION. the point at issue.
being whether the chevaiier, who,
though military officer. was OF Of
Terminate appearance, was q man or a
woman. The case was heard before
Lord Mansfield. and the verdict given
that he was woman. Although the
verdict was nfterward set aside on
legal grounds. il was allowed to set
tie many other bets laid on the Same
question. According to contem-
porary authority, this decision was
instrumental In retaining in this
country no less a sum than E75,O1O,
which would otherwise have been
transmitted to Paris. The chevalicr,
after declaring that she Tor he) had
no interest whatever In these bets
upon the question Of sex. left Eng
land for France. and assuming female
attire. enjoyed pension from the
French government for having been
long a spy Of Louis XIV. till the
breaking out OF the revolution in
1900. lie then came TO England,
and being In great distress lived with
lady Of reputation as her compan-
ion. but on his death In 1910 hc was
found. on post-mortem examination,
TO BIO man.
Some fifty years ago John Sloman.
the actor. who was then manager Of
the ivc theatres comprised In what
was called the Kent circuit, made a
bot OF sfl00 that he would net tho
part Of Tom In the intcrlude Of "In.
trigue" and sing comic song ut
three OF his theatcrs on tho same
night between the hours OF Z and II.
The thcatcrs selected were those OF
Canterbury. Rochester and Maidstone,
between which places there was ut
that time no railway communication.
On tho appointed evening the eur
tain rose at the Canterbury house OK
sctiy at u sioman went through his
part and sang comic song, then
jumped into postchaisc. and made
for Rochester Ms fast rs four good
horses could take him. covering tho
distance -twcnty.six miles In mn
hour and forty minutes. changing
horses ut Sittingbournc. Part Ct tho
company Ind been sent on In advance,
and they were ready TO commence d..
rectly the manager arrived. Tho In
tcrlude was played. the song sung.
and sloman posted to Maidstone. a
distance OF eight miles. In foriy-four
minutes Here he was welcomed by
house crammed from pit to gallery,
md accomplished his task with Gf.
teen minutHSto spsrc.
An Opo.sum's suicide.
Ono Of the Onnssnns nj tho Cnnirnl