Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 227, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1919 — Wager on Earth’s Shape Is Lost by Decision of Three Prominent Judges [ARTICLE]

Wager on Earth’s Shape Is Lost by Decision of Three Prominent Judges

It will scarcely be believed, says an exchange, that the question of the shape of the earth could ever have disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of the law courts. Yet in 1579 the question, indirectly, indeed, did come before IIH-t>t>jettrile<ljtitiges,andthecaseex-cited a good deal of interest and amazement. The circumstances were as follows: The plaintiff, one Hampden, entertained the opinion that the world was not round and caused an advertisement in a paper, called Scientific Opinion, challenging philosophers, divines and scientific professors to prove the contrary from scripture, reason or fact. He deposited $2,500 in a bank, to be forfeited to anyone who could prove to the satisfaction of any intelligent refbree that there was such a thing as a convex railway, canal or lake. The challenge was taken up by no less a person than the late Prof. Alfred Russell Wallace, who proved to the satisfaction of the referee the curvature to and fro of the Bedford level canal between and Welsh’s dam (six miles) to the extent of five feet more or less, and the ■52,500 was paid over to him. But he did not keep it. The plaintiff apparently began to see that he was making a fool of himself, and brought an action, and recovered back his dei posit, on the ground that the whole affair was a wager, and therefore i illegal!