The age-herald., 1897-11-14
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
How Charles Rogers Got the Better of Thimble-
 Rig Bennett.

From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
 ''It was but few years ago." said Charles Rogers, of Charlestown, Ind, at the Planters yesterday, when 'Thimble- rig Bennett was one of the most noto- rdous gamblers in the country. He was an expert faro dealer, and could play poker with any of them. But his long suit was making odd bets. He would make wager on anything, from horse race to how many peas there were in a pod.
 q remember he was down at Washing ton, Ark, in the sos when @ number of travelling men, including myself, Were there. We were sitting in front of the hotel when he saw q country boy slouch- ing lazily along toward HIS. Directly .n front of him was 8 mud puddle in which a hog was walloWing.
 "'Ill bet, said Bennatt, that that boy Is asleep and either stumbles over that hog or falls into the mud puddle. These natives around here are so dog-goned lazy they'd rather fall down well than walk around it.
 Some one objected to the remark, and in a twinkle Bennett had bet S25 with half a dozen men that the boy would either fall over the hog or tumble into the mud puddle. Every one watched anxiously, and sure enough that boy walked deliberately toward the hog. The animal half rose and sent the boy flying into the mud, and Bennett collected about $50.
 That afternoon some one noticed that the boy had on a suit of store clothes and he said Bennett had given him $1 to fall into tho puddle, and as he did 1t so well he had bought him a new suit of clothes. We accused Bennett, and he laughingly admitted it was true.
 ''That night heard some one hammer ing on rock not far from the hotel got up, and there in the moonlight saw Bennett breaking a big piece from rock which lay near the middle of the street. It had fallen from quarry wagon and had never been moved. didn't know what was up, but I dressed and went out there after he had gone. Knowing he had some scheme on hand l determined to get even, and l broke off large piece, too. Then l went back to bed.
 Sure enough the next morning Ben nett began talking about that rock with that ininitable sarcasm of his and speaking of the enterpr.sing citizens who allowed it to lay there in the center of the main street. Then he cleyerly brought the subject of it's weight around, and the whole thing ended by his betting he could guess closer to the weight of the rock, and the boys took up his offer each putting $10, or $20 in the pool, which was to be taken by the man who guessed nearest it's weight.
 "rhen everybody walked over and looked at the rock. It was a great grall- ite powder hewn from the solid rock, and on 1t, painted in rough black figures, was it's weight, which had been put on at the quarry. Bennett seemed surprised at this, and the consequence was every ore guessed right around those figures. That Is, all save Bennett and l. He went sixty pounds under. and l went sixty pounds under him. Then we rolled the rock over to the cotton scaies ana of it's weight, and no one else was any where near it. Bennett was the most surprised man you eyer saw, but he took it as good-naturedly as the others when I told them the story of how l had done others as others had done me-