Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-13
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
A Few Fool Election Bets In the Metrop-
oils high Priced Football-Two
Zig Bicycle Shows.
rspcciai Correspondence

~
few OF the usual fool bets made, bet 1t
seems that this was mistake. In fact,
there has been a larger crop than usual,
and numbers Of men arc now in the
country awaiting the growing out Of the
half Of the mustache which was shaved
off as a trib@to 70 party. The idiots who
wagered wheelbarrow rides on the re-
suit Of the election are too numerous to
mention, and several Of these journeys
occur each day on Broadway. Then
there is the donkey who has been obliged
TO sacrifice circle Of hair of the exact
size Of silver dollar from the crown of
his head. Naturally no bald men were
included in this list The most foolish
Of all the bets so far reported, however,
because il was SO dangerous, was one in
which the loser agreed to slide head
foremost down 30 foot ladder to the
ground. Tho unfortunate pluckily at
tempted to live up to the letter Of his
contract, but as he happened to weigh
in the neighborhood Of 200 pounds the
effort was attended with disaster. He
slid beautifully for about five feet, when
he lost his grip on the ladder, and the
balance OF the descent was made in
record breaking time. Tho stopping was
the worst phase of the whole affair,
though. 1t was so sudden that the VIC
tim will nurse badly bruised skull and
shoulder for several weeks to come.
These are but few Of the many fool
bets. The returns arc not all in yet, and
probably will not bo for some time to
come. Meanwhile the foolkiller is hold
ing back complacently in tho happy
consciousness that his labors have, for
the time being at least, been taken off
his hands.
Football Charges.
There has been for several years q
good deal Of quiet kicking over the enor-
nous admission fees charged by the col
lege football teams at their games in
this city. This is bad enough of itself,
but when it is taken into consideration
that owing to the petty chickering's and
jealousies of tho leading universities,
the team which has proved by it's play
in the earlier portion of the season to be
the strongest is debarred from compet-
ing, and that, as a result, we do not get
the best that might be provided even for
tho large prices we pay, the situation is
particularly irritating So long as the
public only complained it made very lit
tie difference to the gay oollegians, be-
cause the alumni and the newspapers
were either on their side or maintained
o discreet silence. But now that these
two elements are arrayed against them,
the abuse bids fair to be corrected by
next season, if not even before then.
Exorbitant prices of admission to per-
formances of grand opera, where the art
lists receive princely salaries for their
services, may be all right, but for a
game Of football between supposed anna
tours it is rather rubbing it in q trifle
too hard.
The Luclless Elevator Boy.
He was boy who worked in prom
inent hotel when he wasn't reading
1.-THE Boy Train Wrecker; or. Oak Ties
Tumbled, on the bench in front of the
clerk. Somebody told him that Satur-
day was legal holiday, and that toll
was not part of it.
1.-THE boss can't make you work, =
said the sneaky other boy, who wanted
this boys job; SO the latter approached
the proprietor.
"You can t make me work Saturday,
he said. TITS holiday.
II can't make you work any time, 7"
responded the boniface; $50 you can
have holiday from now until you get
strong"
A Bicycle Show War.
Bicycle circles i'll this city are much
agitated over the certain clash which is
approaching with reference to the ma
tional annual show. 1t will be remem-
bered that this has hitherto been held in
the Madison Square Garden, and as it
has usually proved source of revenue
for that not overremunerative structure
it was but natural that Manager Sanger
should have wanted it again. Some
trouble arose, however, and the powers
that be decided that the show should be
held at tho Grand Central palace, a large
building which has so fan never justified
the hopes of its projectors in a pecuniary
way if their hopes were Of anything
but the most modest character. Sanger
cannot be blamed for not becoming hi
larious when this determination was an
nounced TO him, for it deprived him not
only Of the revenue, but also of the pres
tige attendent upon the national cycle
exhibition. He didn't even smile. He
became very, very angry and promptly
decided to hold show all by himself in
the big Garden. As there is one of the
largest manufacturers who never exhi-
bits at the other, he had at least start,
and there were many accessions from
makers who were dissatisfied with the
management of the previous ANIMALS. "
Thus it soon became apparent that San
ger had not been making an idle threat,
and that he was really serious Compel
itor We are therefore likely to have
two first class shows instead of one, as
heretofore. And as there is no longer a
monopoly in this particular line, there is
probability that the spirit of liberality
which has up TO the present time been
conspiouously absent will once more
come to the front. In any event, the
dear public, about the welfare of which
all bicycle manufacturers are so solicit
/ Aous yyill ha likplv m ha henpitad