Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-11-15
UNIQUE WAGERS
ON The ELECTION.
Some Of the Strange Bets That We're
Made BY Political Enthusiasts
Of BOtn Parties.

Although the air is full Of rumors |
concerning heavy election bets, 1t is
about certain that up to date the wa
gers of Mr.. Richard Croker on Bryan
were by far the largest genuine ones
that we're made during the campaign.
Col. Dewey, a cousin of the Admiral,
ha over 500, 900 of real money up on
Bryan, against which $4,000 on Nc
Kinley was quickly placed, and other
heavy transactions have been recorded.
Mr.. Croker lost $4,000 which he bet
in 1898 on the election of Van Wyck
for Governor of New York, and was
determined to get his money back
this year if possible. Mr.. Wormser,
who took some of Mr.. Wagers,
has made many other bets on Mck1n-
lev, the total so far reported being IN
the neighborhood of a quarter of a mil
lion dollars. He ave odds Of 5 to z,
and there were plenty OF democrats with
money to take him up.
Aside from the money transactions,
the usual number Of crank WaSefs were
offered up. One bet is reported from
st. Louis between two residents Of that
city. the terms of which We're that the
loser was to eat a live cockroacn.
Another one is reported from New
Mexico, in which the stake was a bride.
If Bryan was elected, james Howard was
to marry Mary Johnson; if Mckinley
wasalected the terms of the wager
Which L VI Ill 4StN44C - - 3d.
called for tie cessation of the young
mans courtship.
In the early days Of the Republic it
is recorded that in a campaign be-
tween Federalists and Democrats, a
cask Of ale was Wagered on the result
by two prominent men or Philadelphia.
The terms were that the ale was to be
drunk at the Blue Anchor Tavern in
Dock street, then a wideIX patronized
inn. A fortnight after the election was
held enough returns had come in to
show the result. and the bet was paid.
There was a good, old fashioned jam
boree at the ale drinking, and before
the night was ended the whole party
was in the hands of the night watch.
The newspapers Of the day got hold Of
the story and printed it, but, after the
fashion Of those days, no names were
given. And, also after the fashion of
the day, the little affair referred to as
"a brawl and ARRAY" when in these
days it would be called a case OF
drunk and disorderly."
A bet which was watched with in
terest has been put up in one Of the
Middle West states. Two men, one
named Ware and the other Terbot,
We're boys together and aspirants for
the hand and heart of the present Mrs.
Terbot. Ware bet Terbot his farm
against Mrs. Terbot on Bryan. At-first
Terbot hesitated to take up the wager,
but after a few moments considera-
ton of the offer t~elegraphed the news
to his wife who was in a neighboring
city. Mrs. Terbot, who is an enthusi-
astic mckinley woman" was delight
ed. go ahead" she wired in reply to
her husbands telegram, you have a
cinch." The election sh ows whether
or not Ware agrees with Mrs. Terbot,
Following the course of time and the
election bet, it is found hat about
twenty years ago Jay Gould put up a
as a take on an election.
Whether the other party to the wager
put up another steamboat, or an equiv
-aIent in cash, real estate or railroad
stocks, is not recorded; but at any rate
MI. Gould won. Later he sold the
he had wagered to an actor
who converted it into ar excursion boat
and got rich.
When George Francis Train, the &c
centric, lived in Omaha some years ago
at the time when he was prominent II
the building of the Union Pacific Rail
road, it came to pass than an election
was scheduled. Mr.. Train thought b
knew how the election was going, AM
to prove his courage made a wager tina
if his man was defeated he would Wea
a duck suit all the year round. MI
Trains guess was bad, and he lost.
He lived up to the letter of the bet
however, and for a whole Wlnter-on
of those Omaha Winters, too, in whicl
the thermometer takes sudden and I'm
expected dips to far below zero, an
billiards. come along over night an
freeze everything that is not actual
on hre-he wore white duck. Their
were those who said he violated tn
spirit of the bet by wearing half a doz
en- suits of underclothes under hi
white duck. But Mr.. Train could stan
criticism better than he could stand a
attack of pneumonia, and refused {
abandon his warm underclothlnG.
They tell another story of an electio
bet in the blizzard country. It is to tn
effect that in 1888 Ezekiel Timrock, {
HunneWell, Kan, made a bet in thes
terms: If Cleveland was defeated /
would join the church. Timrock was
gentleman with a reputation as a toug
and a bad man generally. He had lon
scorned religion, and cursed religion
lists. So his bet was a heavy one. We
he lost.
There were many who thought ]
would back out and compromise /
giving the winner a big farm, or som
thing of that kind. But he didn't. T
made application for membership
the church. It so happened, howeve
that the deacons knew the terms of t.
bet, and his application was !
balled.
A TRAGIC END.
Timrock thought this released hi
but the man who held the other end
the wager insisted that he had not pa
up. Timrock considered that he W
insu1ted. and promptly there was
shooting match. Both were equa
quick shots, and the result was t
death of both parties.
The coroner non a jury, a
when the inquest was over a vera
holding the church responsible, becal