The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-06
RAGE FOR MAKING WAGERS.
of Absurd Bets Made In
Former Times.

So far as we can go back into the
worlds history, we find the rage for
making wagers prevalent. The Romans
had a great ~nclination for betting, and
they had a conventional form of rati-
flying 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
Hodgso and Samuel Whitehead wagered
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 com
parative 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 waist
coat. a row of five guinea notes and a
long nettea purse of gold around his
head. while a piece of paper bearing
the words John BUR was attac1ed 70
his back. Whitehead was dressed like
a woman on one side: one-half OF MS
face was painted, and he wore a SILK
stocking and slipper on one leg. me
other half of his face was ~blackSned to
resemble that of a negro On the corre-
spending sid of his body he Wore a
gaudy long-tailed coat, and ms leg was
Cased with leather breeches, with a boot
and spur. Much to the astonish1nent OF
the crowd, the stakes We're awarded to
John Bull
The Duke Of Queensberry laid a singu-
Lar wager with Sir Charles Bunbury
about the end of the last century. The
former was to proouee a man W Wn9 was
dilly. london, to the ten-mIle stone De-
You'd H~ounslow in the space of three
hours, advancing four steps ana at
ward. The bet was for fl,000. MOST
borrowed the, hint from q eireumstanee
recorded in the history of Catherine de
Medicis. This celebrated and beautiful
Queen made a vow that if an enterprise
of CONSCIENCE in which she was engaged
should terminate successfully she would
send, a pilgrim to Jerusalem, travelling
on foot. in the manner described. Having
succeeded in her first point, It remained
ence enough to undertake the tourney;
A citizen of Verberris, Picardy, presented
himself and promised most s ruAR,ual99uss Iyy
engagement 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 q very e aSitp Tdrd ,oT net,
Their stakes had been very high, and
luck had gone steadily against him. Elk
from the card table, and. selling q large
punch bowl, sasd:-"For once III have a
odd or even for 5000 guineas?"" odd"
replied the peer calmly. TIL bowl was
dashed against the wall. and on the
uieeesb eing counted there proved to be
| an odd one. -
The rash gambler paid his 5000
guineas; but, If tradition be correct, It
was only by selling the last Of his
| estates thai he was enabled to do so.
Here is a record of another wager;-A
| member of Parliament bet a gentleman
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 tines
| been the subject Of bets, and we near
Of a courier by name Aristocratle Iotn,
trihing bet of d shilling. undertook 70