Evening star., 1900-09-29
LOCAL ELECTION BETS

The Election Bet Editor groaned dismal
ly. Then he bit on the end OF his stub OF
a pencil for while fattened with paper
weight an impertinent cockroach that
staggered over his desk, and jotted down
the following:
1.-TWO Anacostia men, both strong parti-
sans OIL their respective political parties,
have made peculiar election bet. II Bry-
an wins, the Mckinley man is to have his
alternate teeth, both in his upper and lower
jaws, removed. He is noted for the excel
lence of his molars but he swears that he
will stick to his end Of the bet. II McKin-
ley Is elected, the Bryan man promises to
sleep with his eight-year-old brother. who
eats crackers in bed, every night for a
year. Much comment has been aroused in
Anacostia over the uneven terms of this
bet. The Mckinley man, of course, is ad-
mitted to have very much the best OF 1t.
We'll, that's starter, anyhow, NUT
tered the Election Bet Editor, humorousiy
emptying the burnt-out ashes in the bowl
of his pipe into the paste pot of his desk
mate. Let's see, l haven't located any
bets in Falls Church yet, have L? Um."
Clutching his pencil firmly again, he In
dited the following:
"A well-known citizen of Falls Church,
who believes that " illiam Jennings Bryan
has particular mission to save the ma
ton, was having a political argument at
dinner the other evening with his wife,
who. having been born and bred amid re-
publican surroundings and influences in the
state of Maine. Is. of course, ardently hop
ing for republican success at the coming
presidential election. When the discussion
waxed warm. the husband offered to make
any old kind of a bet earth that Bryan
would win in a canter. a proposition over
which his wife enthused.
If you are positive said she, finally,
I'll tell you what We'll do: If Mckinley
10 n1n tod how 20 hItvs
every day for year with curling irons,
and wear your hair that way until the
year is up. If Bryan Is elected, I will let
you shave my head as close as you can
with a horse clipper, and I'll wear it that
way for year.
1.-The husband quickly acceded to the
proposition. so that the bet is to stand. 1t
is whispered that many of the wifes Falls
and her long, waving locks. are earnestly
hoping that Bryan will be elected, but this
report is naturally difficult to verify
"um-well. that's pretty wabbly but it
the Election Bet Editor to himself. Lets s
see. what kind of a game can 1 put up for
Hyattsville?"
"A pair of Hyattsvile citizens" he wrote
after a while, recently made extraor-
dinary election bet. The man who loses
will have to spend three days hand-running
In Baltimore. The friends of both men
have fruitlessly endeavored to induce them
born men, and they declare that they will
stick to the terms of the reckless wager, no
matter what happens. When men will
pledge themselves to commit such awful
foilieS as this simply for the purpose of
giving evidence of their belief in a political
candidate 1t is high time that the aurnori-
les should stretch out restraining hand
in the matter of election BETS
'Oh, We'll, not SO worse that" unused the
Election Bet Editor. reading his copy over
approVingly. Let's see, now-how about
Alexandra?'
After ten or fifteen minutes reflection the
Election Bet Editor again grasped his trusty
stylus and scrawled off the following:
"A most extraordinary bet was made in
Alexandra the other evening between two
Well-known citizens of opposite political be-
neIS. Ihe loser binds himself to visit any
one of the Washington variety theaters
until the knockabout comedian gets off the
inevitable fancy crack about Alexandria
Whereupon the loser is to rise in his seat
ana hurl Twelve passe eggs at the person
of the funny man"
Having thus slapped up little one with
Alexandria as the scene it's about up to
Georgetown,' reflected the Election Bet Ed
ltor. whereupon he munched some more
upon his sawed-off carpenters pencil and
scattered the following upon copy paper:
"A couple of well-known GEORGETOWN
sports have made unusual bet on the
outcome of the approaching presidential
election. The loser of the bet binds himself
10 feed the elephant at the Rock Creek Park
Zoo on pound plug of navy plug chewing
tobacco for three days in succession. In
case the elephant objects to the navy brand
of tobacco on the first day, other arrange
ments may be made"
well. seeing that I've gone so far. 1
might as we'll wind up todays batch with
Whopperino.' unused the Election Bet Ed
itor' and then he set down the following to
top on his daily batch of copy:
"A wealthy and well-known newspaper
reporter of Washington. who favors the re-
election of Mr.. Mckinley, yesterday made a
plunge bet with another affluent Washing
ton newspaper reporter on his candidate 8
chances. The McKinleyite bet 60 cents to
the Bryan MAJ 30 cents that the present
presidential tnadnbent will be reelected.
Intimate friends 4 the two men endeavored
TO dissuade then from making the reckless
wager. and the two bettors' better halves
besought them .-arfully to call the bet off
after 1t had b, @1.@made. all without avail.
Both men have sny friends, chiefly among
those person W. Ike to see their names in
hatnI sne paper; I'D ssh sympathy is already
oelns expressed =? she families of the two
scribes. both wNeh will necessarily labor
unaer a grea S2ip until the result OF the