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Evening Star, Issue 6480, 22 December 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

It appears (says the ' Pall Mall Gazette') that cricket, after all, is not so profitable a profession as many people fancy. Take the case of Mr W. R. Gilbert, for instance. He has just been declared bankrupt, with liabilities amounting to LBOO. The assets consist of four cricket bats. With some irony one of his friends declares that he has been "extremely unfortunate in his affairs." It appears that in 1882 he arranged twentyone matches for the United Eleven, and expected to clear L6OO. Fickle fortune, alas, would have none of him, and he realised but L7O. Black care not only sat behind him, but accompanied him to the wicket. Many a time, we are told, an acute sheriff's officer, in the middle of a fine innings, stepped up to his wicket, and, laying his hands on his shoulders, said: " Stop, Mr Gilbert. Pay me my money, please, or follow me." This was a really cruel proceeding, worthy of any Hebrew brain. But it succeeded, for he had "repeatedly, while playing cricket, to appeal to his friends to release him." He received, it seems, about L 5 or L 6 for each match he played, and k said to have cleared Ll4O last season, out of which ho had to pay travelling expenses. Half-a-crown in the pound was offered to bo paid out of future earnings, but refused. It Las been suggested that the assets, the four cricket bats, which have, by the way, all seen good service, should be purchased by the county as four trophies of Gloucestershire cricket.

A traveller, relating his adventures, told the company that he and his servants had made fifty wild Arabs run; which startling them, he observed there was no great matter n it, " for we ran and they ran after us,"