WON THE WAGER

Evening Star, Issue 21880, 17 November 1934, Page 14

WON THE WAGER

BUCOLIC CHALLENGE ACCEPTED CHRISTCHURCH UNDER FIVE HOURS Professional motorists are njen hard to surprise—even when they look round at the wrong moment; but one may surmise? that a Dunedin driver suffered at least a minor shock yesterday when, in conversation with a middle-aged country cousin whose appearance did nothing to suggest that this age of speed appealed to him, the talk turned on speed and distance, and the driver, rather proud of his new car, was drawing the long bow a little. “ I’ll wager you’ll not go through to Christchurch in ten minutes under five hours,” said the country cousin. “ Make'it worth my while and it’s on,” said the motorist, thinking the reply would be a refusal. Imagine his surprise when the farmer pulled out a wad of notes, and wagering a sum, of “ several times double figures,” _ as the wireless announcers have it, indicated that the wager was on. Tim professional went to it, and, breaking all records, left for Christchurch inside ten minutes, the terminus agreed on being the Christchurch Hospital. Wasting no time, as can he imagined, he had seventeen minutes to spare on arrival at the destination named, cutting the railway time for the journey by nearly,so per cent.