The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-01-03
TWO LESSONS
IN HISTORY.



IOriginall
/ / was sitting in the smoking room Of
an Atlantic liner when fell into con-
versation with an English cockney.
He boosted great deal about the de-
STABILITY OF a royal family, q nobility,
and above all, decried America foI
having SO little history behind her. lie
talked SO extensively that became ir-
ritated.
I'VE have something Of history l
said. "At least what we have is Of
interest. The discovery and settlement
Of the country, the colonial period, ali
teach lesson Of mans prowess and
hardihood. or course to an English
man our Revolution could not be inter-
esting."
"That was no fight" he said. lyon
couldn't expect England to send troops
across the ocean Id those days. when
there wasn't nothin' but sailin ships.
| know all abort your Revolution.
| There wasn't but one O the generals
that was alf decent-that fellow Burr
that turned over West Point to it's
rightful owners"
Burr didn't turn over West Point to
the British. Arnold did that-Benedict
Arnold"
well, now, fancy / know some
thin about that as well as you. DO
r. suppose I 'aven't the education to
take In a little bit Of story that don't
take up a page o. the worlds history?
General Aaron Burr sent Major An
Dire with the papers
''You mean General Arnold sent Ma
jor Andre with the papers"
no, don't. ] mean General Aaron
Burr"
A man sitting beside me turned and
said to me-
There's only one way to cure these
Britshers Of their conceit and that is
to give them a chance to back their
opinions with their money. II YOUR
offer to bet him ten dollar bin that
he's wrong, be must either take you or
acknowledge that he's got the thing
mixed"
"a pretty fool I'd be-" said the cock
ney, ito bet and you the only one here
to hold the stakes or leave the decision
to. amt 20 bloody stoopid as that"
"You don't need to leave it to me-
said my partisan. "Any man aboard
this ship who knows anything knows
that Benedict Arnold was the traitor
Traitor the cockney cried.
"oh, shut upl The gentleman bets
you SO you're wrong. DO you take
himT
Yes, III take him, and I don't OBJ
teet to your holdin' the stakes, but do
object to your decidIn the bet"
Ny defender looked at me. with
wink, and handed him $40, which
the cockney covered.
'TH go you another ten," said the
stake holder.
mo" replied the cockney, apparent
~ somewhat shaken by the mans con-
fdence. Two pound il enough to
take out OF a pair Of greenhorns on
small thing like that"
Every man who came into the smok-
ing room was asked who surrendered
West Pointer tried to surrender it,
to the British, and every man named
Benedict Arnold. After four persons
had thus decided the bet the eoekney
permitted the stake holder to turn over
the money to me, which he did, to the
cockney's apparent discontinue. He
was surly about it and vowed he'd get
even with me before the end OF the
voyage / was dissatisfied with my
self for being led into taking the fell
lows money, but the man who sug-
gested the bet said It served him right
and would teach him that there was
American history. after all
The evening before we reached port
the eockney came to me with novel
bet on English history. He offered to
bet me $50 that / couldn't name the
kings and queens OF England from
Henry VIII. to Charles H., | to for
felt 500 for every error made. or
course the forfeits were to my dlsad.
vantage, but there should be big odds
In my opponents favor. couldn't
very well decline to give the man his
revenge, especially as he seemed very
anxious for it, he offering to leave both
the stakes and the decision to the man
who had served as stake holder before.
This person came up while we were
talking, and could hardly refuse. We
each deposited 500 and an additional
$500 for two possible errors, which
were to be the limit paid for. / was to
write out my statement and hand 1t to
the stake holder. This did from men,
DRY, since had no books for reference.
l named Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth, |
James l., James H., Charles l., Charles
II. and Cromwell as de facto king.
The decision Of the referee was de. I
layed till late at night; then it was
handed me, written out on paper 1t |
ran thus:
Lady Jane Grey, proclaimed queen.
omitted. Cromwell, never proclaimed king /
and not SO styled put IN. You lose the |
bet. $50, and pay forfeit for the two above |
errors. In all $50
saw no more Of the cociney nor
the friend who had so sympathetlcally /
seconded me in my first bet till the |
next morning, when noticed them go
ing down the gangplank arm in arm,
laughing and chatting together. doubt
less over the clever manner In which |
they had done me out of a balance OF
$40.
A year after saw an account Of the I
arrest Of two Connecticut Yankees who /
made 1t their business to travel on |
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