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Description: He Took All Bets - Remarkable Jump by Grasshopper
Date: November 11 1880Newspaper published in: Athens, AL
Source: Madison Co. Library, Huntsville, AL
Page/Column: Page 4, Column 1
Miscellaneous
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HE TOOK ALL THE BETS
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Remarkable Jump Made By a Carson Valley Grasshopper
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The Carson (Nev.) Appeal, in a recent issue says: Some weeks ago Jno. Mackey was sitting in the Gould and Carrey office reading about the “Jumping Frog of Calaveras,” when an idea struck him that some sort of a trick like that would be a splendid thing to ring in on Maurice Hoeflich, the mining expert. Hoeflich is around the office a good deal, and whenever he takes a lunch with Mackey he is sure to get in some sort of a dispute, and offer a bet. Mackey don’t like betting and frowns it down, unless he thinks people are trying to bluff him. At last he determined to cure Hoeflich of his habit and find where the weak spot in his armor lay.
One day he saw Hoeflich on the stoop playing with an enormous grasshopper, which he was teaching to jump. Hoeflich’s grasshopper could jump twenty-three feet, and it wasn’t long before he remarked to Mackey:
“I’ll bet you $2 det you can’t find a hinsect to peet him.”
Mackey bet $10 that he could beat it, and Hoeflich raised him $20 at once. The bet was closed at those figures, and Mackey said he would have the hopper there in day or so. He then sent a trusted emissary down to Carson Valley to secure a contestant for the winged steed of Hoeflich.
The man spent nearly a week roaming in Carson Valley catching hoppers. He finally sent an official report to Mackey, stating he had caught over three thousand grasshoppers and put them through their paces. The best gait any of them had was seventeen and three-quarter feet. He doubted if a bigger jumper could be secured. On receipt of the letter the Bonanza Prince telegraphed to the man to bring him up any way.
The next day he arrived with about a dozen hoppers from Farmer Treadway’s, and Mr. Mackey gave them quarters in his room as Vanderbilt would stable his stud. Each hopper had a cigar-box to himself, and every morning they were taken out and put through their paces. It was impossible, however, to get one to jump over eighteen feet, although all sorts of invigorating food was given them.
Mr. Mackey was in despair, but one morning a hopper sniffed at a bottle of ammonia on the table, and immediately jumped thirty feet. After making a few experiments, it was found that one whiff of ammonia so enlivened the hoppers that they could make jumps almost incredible. Next day Mackey announced to Hoeflich that he was ready for the match. The expert was ready at nine o’clock, an hour before the time, with his pet hopper. Not finding Mr. Mackey, he sat down in his study, and there noticed the bottle of ammonia. While he was examining it, Bridget, the old and faithful domestic of the Gould & Curry firm, came in with:
“Don’t be techin’ that namonia, Mr. Hoeflich. It’s to make Mr. Mackey’s hoppers sprightly. Besiad, I belave by the robes of St. Patrick, he’s out o’ his senses since the pump broke at North ind.”
Hoeflich pumped the domestic and soon knew all about Mackey’s game.
A light broke upon Hoeflich; grabbing the bottle he rushed up the street to Perkin’s drug store, threw away the ammonia, and ordered it filled with chloroform. In ten minutes he was back and leaving the bottle where he found it, got out of the place as fast as he could.
Mackey soon arrived with a half a dozen mining superintendents he had invited up to see him have some fun with Hoeflich.
They were hardly seated when Hoeflich came in with the hopper in a cigar-box under his arm.
“I was a leetle late, Mr. Mackey; but I’m here wid der hopper and der coin.”
He laid down the money, which was covered promptly.
“Anyone else to paid.”
Joe Stewart laid down $100.
John Kelly put up $50.
Warren Sheridan stepped in for $200.
Hank Smith wanted a like amount.
Sam Jones had only $60, but put it up.
Then a few got in a corner of the room and concluded that it was a shame to rope in Hoeflich that way, and finally agreed to give the money back after they had won it. Mackey then bantered Hoeflich to raise the pot to one hundred shares of Union Consolidated. Hoeflich wrote a order on his banker, and remarked:
“Dar’s no limit to de bets, gentlemen, de coin speaks.”
Nearly every man doubled his bet, and then Mackey got behind Sam Jones and let the hopper get a sniff of the ammonia bottle which held Hoeflich’s chloroform.
Time being called, the hoppers were placed side by side on the piazza, and at the word “go” each insect was touched on the back with a straw. Hoeflich’s grasshopper described a semi-circle in ___ and scored twenty-four feet. Mackey’s gave a lazy lurch of some four inches, and, folding its legs across __ ___, fell fast asleep. Jones __ __ could hear it snore.
___ ___ back into the room, ___ ___ to a canvass __ and
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Mackey wrote out an order for stock. Hoeflich went up the street with his hopper under his arm, leaving the others too astonished to speak. Presently Sheridan put the ammonia bottle to his nose and called Mackey’s attention to the smell.
“Chloroform, by gracious!”
Then the Milesian woman, who was the cause of all the mischief, appearing with a broom, announced “swapin’ time,” and the crowd, each going in different directions.
As Mackey started for the Union shaft, he remarked:
“That fellow Hoeflich does it in d---d queer luck.”
And to this all hands inwardly agreed.

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