SOME CURIOUS WAGERS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1515, 15 January 1886, Page 3

SOME CURIOUS WAGERS.

A waueb is related to have decided in 18UU in the Castleyard, York, between Tuouias Hodgsou and Samuel "Wmtehead, as to which should succeed in assuming the most singular and original character, llodgeon appeared decorated with ten-guiner, liveguinea and guinea notes on his coat and waistcoat, a row of five-guinea notes and a purse of gold round his hat, whilst to his back a pap r was attached with the words,' John Bull.' Whitehead appeared like a wouian on one side, with a silk stocking and slipper, and one half of Ins face painted. The other half of his body resembled a negro in a man's dress with a boot and spur. oie would have thought that, so far as presenting a ridiculous spectacle and making a fool of himself, he ought to nave won the but it was decided in favour of his companion. How far the latter owed his success to the prevailing weakness of humanity, towards wealth is a question which' we think might fairly be mooted.

Somewhat similar to this bet was one made in relation to Heidegger, Master oft.ie Revels to George ll,whose it was alleged, it was impossible to surpass. The slums of Loudon were ransacked from one end to the other, and at last, in St. Giles's, an old woman was found who it was thought would bear away the palm. On being confronted with Heidegger the judges maintained that the latter, who made himself a party to the dispute with the greatest good humour, had nnv fairly met with his mate, when it was suggested that he 1 put on the old woman's bonu ! t. The additional ugliness then imparted was such that Heidegger was unani'noualy declared as the uudoubted holder of the championship of ugliness. The subjpet matter of wafers has sometimes taken rather a giiin form. A svell-knowa story is told of a member of a party of reveliers who engaged, in a fit of bravado, to enter the vault at midnight, and in proof of his haying done so, to stick a fork in a cofiin wlrch had been recently deposited there H i accomplished his object, and was returning triumphantly when he felt himself suddenly caught, and was so overcome by tenor that be fell into a swoon and was i'onnd in this condition afterwards on the floor of the vault by his companion, who a'armed at his long absence, had come out to look for him. The fork which he had stuck into the coffin had caught hold of his long cloak, and thus occasioned a fit of terror which had nearly proved fatal. An incident of this kind is credibly recorded t > have taken place in London in the last century.