CURIOUS WAGERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2477, 26 May 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

CURIOUS WAGERS.

Remarkable Befcs of Men of Prominence. Men are frequently accused of not having pluck enough to back their opinions, and to show pluck, as well as to support these opinions, will make wagers that seemingly have a very moderate chance of success. Others agaiu are actuated by a spirit of devilry and make wagers that apparently are impossibilities, and attempt to win tlieni either by dash or readiness. Others again have had the scheme fully made up in their minds before the wager was made. Some wagers stand out from the general run very distinctly.

Lord Charles Bercsford, c f Condor fame was once dining with some friends in London, and the conversation turned on Rotten Row. Now Rotten Row is confined to equestrians only, and such a thing as driving down the row never occurred to anyone until the reckless Irishman offered to wager £100 he would drive down the row at 12 o'clock the following day and at that hour punctually would speak to his friends from the boxseat and claim the wager. At the given place and hour the friends were all assemled. Hundreds of riders passed by but not a sign of Lord Charles. At a few minutes before mid-day the watering-cart which was sprinkling the row turned around, and as it passed the group of friends the driver turned the water on with such force that it splashed all over them. A volley of objurgations was fired at him, and he meekly responded : "I'll take 100'sovs,' please." Lord Charles had given the waterman a "fiver" to change places and clothes, and thus won his bet.

A certain captain in the English army, by name Kay, was noted for his extraordinary wagers and from the fact that the more improbable the wager the more certain he was of winning it. When in India a brother officer watched him counting a row of posts outside the mess bungalow, and thinking some wager was intended, sallied out and dug up one of the posts. That night at mess Kay got the coversation on those posts and wagered that there were seventeen. The wager was made and an adjournment showed that sixteen was the number. Kay yearned to retrieve his loss and get even with his opponents. He wagered the officer who had beaten 011 post 3 that he could not run to a certain spot in tho mountains distant two miles and back in an hour. The only way to reach this spot was by a narrow, precipitous path, only wide enough for one person. The wager was made, and at the given time the man started. When he got to the path a-herd of goats were being driven up it, and after great trouble, having succeeded 111 passing, lie came up with a flock of sheep. Seeing that he could not win his bet-, lie returned and paid. Not satisfied, he made a wager with Captain Kay to carry him 100 yards in fifteen seconds at a given hour and a given place. Tho wager was accepted, and invitations were sent to all the ladies and officers of the regiments around. At tho hour named the runner appeared, and Kay was plso on hand. Mr M recjueited Kay to remove his clothus, as he bad contrasted to carry him, and not the clother. lviy could not undress before the ladies, and had lo pay, but he did it with a very bad grace.

One of tlio wildest wagers ever made was i bat of a notorious tram ester of the lust, century, who, in playing with L»rd Lime, had lost all his money. Jumping up from the table lie (■c-izjd a larjjo punch bowl and dashing it against the wall, cried; "Now, for once I'll have a hot where I'll have an evon chance of winning. Now," ho cried, "are the pieces odd or even

" Odd," said Lord Lorne ; and odd they were. The gamester lost £30,000, though it cost him his estate to pay it. A still more extraordinary bet is recorded ; A French banker named Bulliott, being a firm believer in the saying that if St. Switlien's day is wet, it will contiuue to rain more or leas for forty days after, oifered to back his opinion to any amount. So many persons were ready to take up his challange that the terms were reduced to writing as follows ;

"If, dating from the 15th of July, it rains more or little during forty days successively Uulliott will bo considered to have gained."

So confident was he that every cent, he had in the world was wagered, and he mortgaged every piece of property and article of value he possessed. For twentyone days rain fell, but on tho twentysecond the weather played him false, and not a drop of rain foil. So utterly was ho ruined that his creditors sued, and he ended his days iu a debtor's prison.

Lard Hustings iu his palmy days made some wild waters, but the largest wagers made in late years were those of tho late Lord Dudley, who only made three be!s in his life—one of £10,000, another of £'20,000, and a third of £2*>,000.