The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1895-04-23
ECCENTRIC WAGERS.
CURIOUS BETS MADE BY PROMINENT
MEN IN OLD LONDON.

MEN IN OLD IONDON.
A Contest In Masquerading Which Went
to the Wrong Man-Bets ON Eating and
Drinking-But Lord Lorne Won the Best
Of All These Wagers.
So far as we can go back into the
worlds history, we find the rage for
making wagers prevalent. The Romans
had great inclination for betting, and
they had conventional form Of ratify-
ing their contracts, which consisted in
taking from their finger the ring, which
the higher classes invariably wore. and
giving 1T to the keeping of some third
party. In the old days some very ex-
traordinary bets were made Thomas
Hodgson and Samuel Whitehead wager
ed in the castle yard, York, as to which
should assume the most original char
aoter. Umpires were selected, whose
duty 1t was to decide upon the compare
tive absurdity of the costumes in which
the two gentlemen appeared. On the
appointed day Hodgson came before the
umpires decorated with bank notes of
various value on his coat and waistooat,
a row of guinea notes and long net
ted purse of gold around his head, while
a piece Of paper bearing the words
'tJohn Bull" was attached to his back.
Whitehead was dressed like a woman
on one side; one half of his face was
painted, and he wore a silk stocking
and slipper on one leg. The other half
Of his face was blackened to resemble
that Of negro. On the corresponding
side Of his body he wore a gaudy long
tailed linen coat. and his leg was cased
with leather breeches, with boot and
spur. Much to the establishment Of the
crowd, the stakes were awarded to
"John Bull. f
The Duke of Queensbury laid sim
gular wager with Sir Charles Bunbury
about the end of the last century. The
former was to produce a man who was
to walk from his grace's house in Pic
cadilly, London, to the ten mile stone
beyond Hounslow in the space of three
hours, advancing four steps and at ev-
cry fourth step retiring one step back
ward. The bet was for 81, 900. Most
probably the Duke of Queensbury had
borrowed the hint from circumstance
recorded in the history of Catherine
Medicis. This celebrated and beautiful
queen made a VOW that if an enterprise
Of consequence In which she was en-
gagged should terminate. successfully she
would send a pilgrim to Jerusalem,
travelling on foot in the manner de-
scribed. Having succeeded in her first
point, 1t remained to discover a man
with vigor and patience enough to un-
dertake the journey. A citizen of YER
berris, Pioardy, presented himself and
promised most scrupulously to accom-
plish the vow. He fulfilled his engage
mentwith great precision, Of which the
queen was well assured by those whom
she had appointed to travel by his side
and watch his motions
There was a notorious gambler at the
end of the last century who ruined him
self finally by very extraordinary bet.
He had been playing with Lord Lorne.
Their stakes had been very high, and
luck had gone steadily against him. Elk
asperated at his losses. he jumped up
| from the card table, and seizing large
punch bowl said: For once I'll have a
bet when I've got q chance Of winning
Odd or even for 5000 guineas"
"Odd," replied the peer calmly. The
bowl was dashed against the wall, and
ion the pieces being counted there proved
to be an odd one as
The rash gambler paid his 10, 600
guineas; but, if tradition be correct. it
was only by selling the last of his es-
tates that he was enabled to do SO.
Here 10 record of another wager: A
member Of parliament bet gentleman
we'll known OF, the turf that man
should go from London to Edinburgh in
any mode he chose while another made
million of dots with pen and ink
upon writing paper.
Eating and drinking have at all times
been the subject of bets, and we hear of
a courier, by name Aristocratio Tom of
the Old Lion, London, for the trifing
bet of a shilling undertook to drink
three gills of lamp oil of the most ran
old and nauseous quality that could be
procured. which he performed with as
much gusto and relish as IL it had been
the most delicious cordial The money
he had won was Immediately converted
into strong beer. which, with a penny
loaf soaked in another portion Of oil, he
likewise swallowed. About two hours
after this repast for another wager he
swallowed 30 eggs with the shells in 90
minutes, but the last having young
chicken in 1.-THE complained IL spoiled
his stomach.
Feats of strength, too, have been a
/ fruitful source of wagering. In 1872 q
wager for ESQ was made between Mr..
Hopkins and Mr.. Dalton that the
latter could not carry 500 sacks Of -four
weighing 30 stone 20 yards in 10 hours.
Mr.. Dalton began the undertaking, but
there not being sufficient number Of
sacks In the town he used but one weigh
ing 90 stone pounds, which he carried
$50 times each way 81 yards, and, not
withstapding he carried above the
weight and che distance one yard more
than agreed upon. the feat was per-
formed with great ease in seven hours
and 25sminutes Chicago Tribune
y