A FAMOUS ELECTION BET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2054, 4 February 1889, Page 3

A FAMOUS ELECTION BET

Probably the moat noted election bet was that mad-? by Roel Gridley, of Austin, Nevada, io 1865?. He was the Democratic candidate, and bet that he would beat his B pabllcan opponent. The terms of the wager demanded that the loser should carry a seek of fl ur from Lower to Upper Austiu. Gridley lost, and on the day after tho eleation started on tho trip, accompanied by tbe entire population of Austin, The question arose as to what dispoaitiou should be m*da • f the fl >ur, and so mo Ingenious Individual suggested that It be sold for the bonefit of the Western

a itary Cjmm eslon. Gridley w^b the auctioneer, and the bag was knocked down for 250 dollars The purohaser then declined to receive It, and aag^esied that It be sold again. Tho Idea took like wild* fire, and the bag who sold again and again, and before night. the sum of 8000 dols, had been realised.' Gridley, patriot as he was, saw fame for himself and gold for sick soldiers. He entered heart and soul into the Idea, and started with bis now famous b»g of flour on an expedition which immortalised him, t»nd brought comfort and joy to thousands of suffering soldier i. Bis reception everywhere was like a Roman triumph, and the people, iufooted by the noble wok, vied and struggled with eaoh other In their generous rivalry. Gridley sold his flour all over the West, aud finally exhibited ft at the Sanitary Fair m St. Louie. Afterwards theflwr was baked into email oakes and sold at a high price. When the grand total was added up It was fonnd that Grldley's bet had been the means of adding more than 160 OOOdols. to the funds' of the Western 1 Sanitary Com mission.