The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-06
DECIDING A BET.
Difficulties That an Editor Is Occasion
ally Called Upon to Answer

Difficulties That an Editor Is Occasion
ally Called Upon to Answer.
"We've got little bet," said two ex-
cited callers, addressing an editor in the
sanctum, land we have have come here to
decide it. We want to know whether there
was ever a regular United States ship of
war that came up the Mississippi river"
Cruiser, you remember" put in the
other man. "Ocean vessel. Belonging to
the regular United States navy. That's
what we're betting on"
Certainly. Straight United States ma
val VESSEL. Ship Of war. That's the bet.
say there was"
"And say there wasn't. Regular Unit
ed States cruiser, now. That's the point
we want settled"
They had raised their voices to high
pitch already, and the man in the chair re-
ferred them to the files and said that if
they would consult the papers printed
about the middle of May, when the great
Memphis bridge was dedicated, they would
see that some kind of naval vessel had
gone up the Mississippi river as far as
Memphis anyhow.
ness of boy digging fishworms.
Here it is" exclaimed, after some
search, the one who had spoken first "It's
in the paper Of May s. Memphis Great
Bridge That's the headline. Um-let's
see Here it isl Iknew it! The Concord,
gayly bedecked with stars and stripes,
moved down the stream That's the name
of the ship. The Concordl remember it
perfectly. Satisfied now? I'll trouble you
for that five dollars"
Hold onl" exclaimed the other, begin
ming now an investigation on his own ac-
count. Let's look little further All!
Here's little more about it in the paper
of May 10. The United States steamship
Concord'-that doesn't say it was an ocean
cruiser, does it?-'may visit Cairo and St.
Louis Let's see-'draws seventeen feet
do you call that great war steamship?
This will be the first naval vessel of any
description that has visited the upper
Mississippi since the war; See9 Nothing
but an old tub. Do you suppose
"GOing to get out of it that way, are
you2"
Get out of whatS Didn't we agree to
abide by"-
"Do you mean to say haven't proved
that United States war vessel came up
the Mississippi? Hand over that"-
Hand 1t over yourself! Didn't l bet
that no regular ocean cruiser"-
isn't cruiser war vessel"
eyes, but war vessel isn't necessarily
a cruiser. Just you stick to the betr'
You bet that no regular United States
ship of war ever camel
"And it draws seventeen feet! Call that
regular United States ship of war?
tell you no great ocean cruiser could get
over the bar at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi. There's less than twenty-five feet Of
Water"-
"If I'd lost a bet I'd own it,"
$50 would /. If had bet that a govern
ment cruiser came up the river and it
turned out to be an old mud scow think
rd"-
"Well, I'll leave it to this man here"
$50 will /. Only want him to under.
stand that bet it was al
"And want him to remember that
Gentlemen" said the man in the chair.
~ think understand fully the term of
your wager. Will you abide by what /
have to say"
- "We will"
"Well, one of the rules of this office is
never to answer question in order to de-
eide bet"
And they left the room and went down
the elevator still wrangling- chicago
Tribune.