Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-03-13
ECCENTRIC WAGERS.
CURIOUS BETS MADE BY PROMINENT
MEN IN OLD LONDON.

CURIOUS BETS MADE BY PROMINENT
MEN IN OLD LONDON.
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 it 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
acter. Umpires were selected, whose
duty it was to decide upon the compara-
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 valne on his coat and wsistcoat,s
a row of guinea notes and a long net
ted purse of gold around his head, while
a piece of paper bearing the words
"John Bull was attached to his back.
Whitehead was dressed like woman
on one side; one half of his face was
painted, and he wore 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 gaudy long
tailed linen coat, and his leg was cased
with leather breeches, with boot and
spur. Much to the astonishment Of the
crowd, the stakes were awarded to
"John Bull.
The Duke of Queensbury laid sim
Qa;de wager with Sir Charles Bunbury
about the end Of the last century. The
former was to. produce 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 e1,000. 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 vow that if an enterprise
of consequence in which she was en-
gagged should terminate successfully she
would send pilgrim to Jerusalem,
travelling on foot in the manner de-
scribed. Having succeeded in her first
point, It remained to discover a man
with vigor and patience enough to I'M
dertake the journey. A citizen of YER
berris, Picardy, presented himself and
promised most scrupulously to accom-,
plish the vow. He fulfilled his engage
ment with 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.
Yksir stakes had been very high, and
luck had gone steadily against him. Ex-
asperated at his losses, he jumped up
from the card table. and seizing large
punch bowl said: For once I'll have
bet when I've got a chance of winningl
Odd or even for $4,000 guineas?"
"Odd," replied the peer calmly. The
bowl was dashed against the wall, and
on the pieces being counted there proved
to be an odd one
The rash gambler paid his 10, 900
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 is record of another wager: A
member Of parliament bet gentleman
we'll known on the turf that a man
should go from London to Edinburgh in
any mode he chose while another made
a million of dots with a 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 Aristocratic Tom of
the Old Lion, London. for the trifling
bet of shilling undertook to drink
three gills of lamp oil of the most ran
cid and nauseous quality that could be
procured, which he performed with as
much gusto and relish as if 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