ECCENTRIC WAGER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9190, 18 September 1891, Page 4

ECCENTRIC WAGER.

For an eooentrio wager, the strangest was one laid at the baginning of the present century.'. The sum staked .was only five shillings, bat the interest was very' great when the terms of the bot were, made public, i It was a' contest between two men as to which, should succeed in adopting the most Bin« gular and original costume* . The rivals 'ap- | peared in: the Castle Yard in Yook and sub j mitted themsely.ejai.to the jury who were; to decide the question. One had hid float \ trimmed with bank-notes. Ten-guinea notes I formed the lapels and pooket flaps, and five- j guinea notes the waistcoat and oollar band. His hat was trimmed with notes; he wore' a parse fuU of 'gold coins as an ornament ; on the brim of it, while a paper was pinned to his back, with the words, " John Bull." jßis irival teems to have shown less wealth but ' more ingenuity. One half of his,' body was dressed like a woman, with petticoat, a silk stocking, and. a slipper, his ondek rouged and heightened with patches ;, the , other half was that of a negro, woolly-headed, blaok- j .cheeked, booted,. with spurs. There could "bo little doubt which ought to have \ gained the victory, and yet the five shillings were won by the wearer of .the bank-notes. , j