The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-31
5he Gossip.
Costly Bets,

Sometimes II Is cheaper to lose bet
than TO win IL. says a contemporary.
Some time ago the British eunboat Sea
cat was patroling among the fishing feet
OF the Cornish coast One evening she
passed so close 10 Lands End that the
officers on deck could see plainly the
Logan or rocking stone. which bal
ances on one OF the most southern crags.
From n discussion as to its weight the
conversa ton passed TO the question OF
the possibility of tipping II over j. w.
Anstruther. young midshtpman on
board was like all other midshipmen.
and Immediately wanted to bet SIS that
with the help Of six sailors ne could topple
IL over. His bet WAS taken. and the
Seacat anchored of the point until morn
ing, when Anstruther went ashore with
his six men and pried the rock from it's
resting place. although the granite mass
weighed over ninety tons.
The Inhabitants of Lands End were
furious and reported the matter to the
Admiralty. with the result that the
fresh" Mr.. Anstruther was ordered 10
put the rock back where he found IT, He
did so. although IL cost him just $1,000
TO do N.
Henry d. Fielding bet on the Grand Ma
tional race last year ana won $4,000.
He was happy for just thrty-six minutes.
As soon as he saw by the evening papers
that he had won he sat down and wrote
a letter to a friend To whom he owed
money, telling him of the good fortune.
saying that he was now able TO pay hom
and inviting him 10 be best man at his
wedding He had been engaged for six
years, but lack of funds had kept him
from the altar. The foolish man left the
letter open on his desk while he went TO
get a stamp. While he was gone his ''in-
tended" came into the room, saw the
open letter and read IL. She concluded
that she could not marry man who
risked his money on horse races and de-
pended upon his winnings TO pay his bills,
and broke off the engagement. Now Mr..
Fielding is disconsolate, with his money
turned to dross.
Winning a bet of $50 ruined Henry X.
Downing. formerly a cotton king of
Manchester. While dining with a rival
cotton broker one evening his host di-
lated upon the slowness and uncertainty
OF English railway travel, saying that no
one could leave London for. say, Scot
land on any one of the express trains
with the certainty OF arriving on schedule
time Being interested In railroads, Mr..
Downing offered to bet $50 that he could
leave that evening by a certain train for
London. catch the first train back and
arrive in Manchester on schedule time.
The bet was taken. and Mr.. Downing
made the trip az specified. arriving back
i'm Manchester on schedule time at noon
OF the next day. But while he was gone
his rival took advantage of his absence to
clinch a corner I'm the cotton market
which, before IL broke, ruined Downing.
But for his unlucky bet Downing now
probably would be one of the richest men
in the cotton trade i'm England, instead
OF having died, as he did. broken man
feE years ago.
MANY people will recall the death of Ar
mold Forester on the slopes OF the Mat
terhorn. IL was jesting bet which
caused his death. He was travelling I'm
Switzerland with the young woman whom
he was 10 marry, and the conversation
turned upon the subject of mountain
guides Forester said that he had little
confidence I'm guides, and believed that
any man could do as well alone as with
one The girl said I'm Jest II bet you
don't care to climb the Mstterhorn with
out a guide" The next morning, before
any OF the party were up, Forester took
"A train for the nearest point 10 the
mountain. and five days later his body
was found by search party In a deep
creVaSse.