The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-22 00:00:00

OLD LOTTERIES.

At the popular festivals of the German and the
Swiss, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a
lottery invariably formed one of the chief attractions.
A Swiss antiquarian tells us that the people always
found their way to the so-called " Gliickstopf " (Pot of
Good Luck) or " Gliickshaven " (Haven of Happiness);
which was set up in a central spot, and was sure to
draw an eager crowd around it. He thinks that in
this modest "Lucky Pot" we may discern the
parent of the modern lottery. We read of one in
Basel in 1471, and in Zurich in 1472, after
which it was repeated each year at the famous
&inch shooting festival. It was known in Ztirich as
the "Breitopf " (Baby's Pap Pot). More than a
century later, in 1876, the Ztirichers carried their own
" Breitopf " to Strasburg, and issued some thousands
of jots. The drawing is said to have lasted for four-
teen days. In 1467 we find a " Gliickstopf " at
Munich, and another in 1470 at Augsburg.
At Zurich in 1472 the price of a lot was 25
centimes of modern Swiss coinage. The prizes were
cups, clothes, woollen stuffs, girdles, weapons, and
money. The first and the last whose names
were drawn from the pot always received a he-goat,
whether he drew a prize or a blank. At the Ziirich
festival in 1504, the highest prize was drawn by a
visitor frills Basel, and consisted of 45 gulden in
money. This particular festival of 1504 is known as
"the great shooting," because it was visited by
shooting companies from no less than 54 of the
great German cities. In 1471 the Burgomaster of
Bssel, the Knight Hans von BS,renfels, who repre-
sented the city in the Reichstag at Ratisbon, ac-
quired from the Emperor a concession to institute
two annual fairs one for fourteen days before
Whit-Sunday, and the other for fourteen days before
St. Martin—at each of which a lottery and a horse-
race were established. The "adventures.' so called,
at the lottery consisted of sums of 1,2, 3,5, 10, 20,
and 25 gulden. The " adventure " was the prize, not
the sum staked. The legal institution of the " Gliick-
shafen "became so mischievous in its effects that it was
abolished by law in the year 1585. "The people from
all parts," observes Wurstisen, in his chronicle for
that year, "gave themselves up with too much de-
votion to this game, and it was therefore prohibited
for all future time." It appears that the first hint of
these primitive German lotteries was given by the
Italian merchants, who used to set up lotteries of their
wares at the annual fairs and markets in central and
northern Europe.— Globe.

The four 100-ton guns purchased of Sir William
Armstrong and Co. by the British Government are to be
appropriated to the defence of Malta and Gibraltar, two
at each station. They will be mounted behind earthworks,
en barbette, ai.d a plan has been devised by the Elswicli firm
whereby the loading of these monster guns can be effected
under cover, by manual power. The guns will be brought
to Woolwich, and duly subjected to proof, before being sent
to their final destination. The price to be paid for each gun
is, we believe, £l6,2oo.—Standard.


A "JIHAD" DESCRIBED.

The /May News of Wednesday publishes a letter from one
of their Correspondents as Jellaitsbaa, from which we make
the following extract :

"Within the la:it week we have had an event, the
account of which not only illugtrates what is possible
in war—when carried on in a Mohammedan country,
but at the same time gives a little information on some
of the ideas connected with the faith of the 'Prophet
of God,' as Mohammed is called. A fanatic was
shot here the other day, who took noon himself
the mission of being a Ghazi.' He assumes
this character by invoking the name of God, and
with sword, knife, or other deadly weapon, he attacks
the first Kaffir or Infidel he meets, his idea being that
by destroying such a person he earns an instant
entrance into Heaven. As death and the joys of
ParadiQe are what be desires, the ordinary punish-
ments for such crimes fail to meet the case. A 'Jibed'
is a word which may not be familiar to every reader in
England, but it means a war carried on either for
the defence or the propagation of the faith
of Islam. In such wars large bodies of the
soldiers employed have often declared themselves
Ghazis, and such troops have at at all times been most
formidable, for their desire is to find death fighting and
destroying the enemies of their religion. It would
seem that Shere Ali, in the unhappy state of mind he
got into about his relations with our Governmens, tried
to get up a jihad to achieve his purposes, but it appears
to have failed. The Akhoond of Swat, who was living
at the time, I think, as well as other high religious
authorities in matters Mohammedan, went against
the Ameer. The getting up of a jihad is entrusted
to men wearing a saintly character, and the phrase is
that a jihad is • preached,' that is the Mollahs are en-
trusted with this duty of firing up the minds of the
people, and they perform what Peter the Hermit did
for the Crusades. Holy men are especially elected
for such work, as they are looked up to as partly in-
spired, and the Holy men themselves generally take
willingly to such tasks, for they are usually firnatics
in their religion, and they derive importance at the
time, as well as influence of a more permanent charac-
ter by coming prominently forward in this way,". . .

. .