University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-04-28

many from making Use of those pubno
cOnveyances.
There is another point. too. in which
the modern era may possibly comparo
favorably with the past. and that is 10
regards gambling. 1t is not for a mo-
ment to be thought that the vice -
killed. the utmost that can he said bo-
ing that it is merely scotched. and
some thoughtful people assert that the
decline of gambling has been counter
balanced by the increase in bettino
not be discussed here: but most peon,s
will remember that in the DAYS when
gaming was i'm fashion princes and no.
bles lost or gained fortunes between
themselves at such clubs as Walters
Brookes's and CrOckford'S Innumera.
Bile instances might. of course. be given
but mention of one or two will amplv
suffice. Bill Hughes. that dandy of the
regency, who was nicknamed from bis
fortune The Golden Ball" was so adj.
dicted to play that he would rather
am,ise himself at pitch and toss than
be without his favorite excitement. and
he told Captain Gronow that at one
time he had lost considerable sums at
battledOre and shuttlecOck On one Oe-
casiOn. Immediately after dinner. he and
the eccentric Lord Petersham commen.
ced playing with these toys. and con-
tinued hard at work during the whole
of the night. Next morning he was
found by his valet lying on the ground
fast asleep. but ready for any other
species of speculation. while Lord Tha-
net. whose income is said to have been
not less than $4,000 pounds year.
lost every farthing at play. As might
be expected, in very many instances a
pistol shot cleared off all accounts.
Eccentric Not so Common.
The eccentric, of course, is still among
us; but even he is not so common
type as he once was. and one NAV have
to wait possibly for some Years before
finding gentleman ready to initiate
MIR. Jerusalem" Whalley. who earned
his sobriquet in consequence of a hea-
w bet that he would walk Except
where a sea passage was unavOidablel
to Jerusalem and back within twelve
months. and he won his wager. starting
IN September %. l7ss. and returning on
Iune |. 1889. Now and again even to-
lay the world is electrified at the story
If some spendthrift who has dissipated
IN ample fortune in foolish ways: but
no modern lunatic of this class
las ever equaled John Mytton of Halls
on. of whom it was said that If Myt-
on had had an income of | million dol
ars. he would have been in debt i'm five
ears 1t is stated that within the
asst fifteen years of his life he suuan-
lered full half million sterling. and
old timber to the amount of $IOO. 900.
he unfortunate man dying in the
<ing's Bench prison in the year 1884.
It the comparatively early age Of IS.
1t will be seen. therefore. from the
bove mentioned instances that life to-
lay does not compare quite so unfavor-
bly, with the past as some people rath-
r too readily assume. and those who
ave read the memoirs diaries and rem
nIscenceS relating to the beginning.
ay, of the nineteenth ~~-.,,ry. will
ave no difficulty in coming to the con-
lus'on that. in spite of the above men
Toned thin veneer of polish the manners
I the highest in the land were dccid-
lily coarse. and that things were often
one then by acknowledged gentlemen
hat would nowadays he at once de-
Jared an outrage on good breeding No
ne. OF course. denies that there is to-
ny amongst many people sad lack of
oii,eness and courtesy. and that soci-
~. or at least certain classes of il.
ould be all the better for rigid OBJ
'rvance of these gracrS. but it is not
he thought for one moment that orr
and grandmothers were
bove suspicion in this respect. and to
lis extent the present generation NAV
Ike eomfort.-The Queen. London.