New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-12-02
BARNUM ON LOTTERIES.


BARNUM ON LOTTERIES
In the course Of his forthcoming life, Barnum
gives an interesting and instructive sketch of
his lottery experience. It ought to open the
eyes of the g green ones.' With another party,
Mr.. B. determined to go into the lottery bust
ness. Preparatory to this, he visited NewYcrk
for the purpose Of getting information on the
subject He says:
ssOur visit to the New York lottery managers
greatly enlightened me in regard to the profits
of that line of business. 1 had been in the habit
of selling tickets for Washington Yale, the edi-
tor and printer in Dsnbury, and also for O. w.
Sherwood and his cousin Samuel of Bridgeport,
for a commission of 10 to 15 per cent; but in my
interviews with Mr.. Gregory, learned that the
managers, taking to themselves the 10 per cent.
deducted on all prizes, furnished tickets to their
agents at what was called So scheme price,,
which SLOWED the agents from 25 to 30 per cent
profit. The lotteries being drawn by combina-
tion numbers, the public generally had no
knowledge whatever of the number of tickets in
a lottery. The managers, therefore, made the
prizes amount to less than the retail price Of
tickets by rs or 30 per cent. This extra per
centsge WAS shave additional to the fifteen per
cent allowed in old fashioned lotteries. | also
learned that the process of arriving at the num-
ber of tickets In a lottery is this: Multiply the
three highest combination numbers and divide
by six; the quotient is the number Of tickets.
| am continually annoyed, even at this late
date, by lottery schemes sent by various agents
at the South, where lotteries are still legal l
received one yesterday from lottery firm
in Baltimore. One of their schemes is as fol-
lows. My object in inserting it will, trust, be
appreciated: fWe leave out the scheme re-
ferred to.)
1t will be observed that there are seventy
eight combination numbers in this lottery
The number of tickets, as have remarked, is
determined by multiplying together the three
highest combination numbers. T6, II and rs,
and dividing by 6, which gives 49, ,076 tickets.
| This number of tickets at $40 each, amounts
Whereas the prizes amount to no than 57o5o ot
Leaving PROFIT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Of. s19o,19o oG
| Add Is per cent deducted from $570,570 90.
the aggregate of prizes. $3.50 90
Making the entire profits single lottery s25775 81
In the above lottery the agent prooures his
| tickets at W 80 each. The whole number OF
tickets, multiplied by this price, amounts ex-
actly to the sum set apart for prizes, 1870, $40
and the manager gets Is per cent. draw back, OF
SS5 ,5S5 So
Thousands of persons are at this day squan-
dering in lottery tickets and lottery policies
the money which their families need If this
expose shall have the effect of curing their
ruinous infatuation, !. for one. shall not be
sorry.
After learning the profitable basis of the fore
going facts, | went to our Connecticut lottery
managers, and from that time obtained my tick
cts directly from them at sc the scheme price. -
In my turn / established agents all through the
country, and my profits were immense. l sold
/ from five hundred to two thousand dollars worth
of tickets per day.
| On one occasion | sold package Of tickets tc
my aunt Laura Nicholas and q neighbor Of hers
for $25. Before the lottery was drawn tht
neighbor siekened of her bargain and begged
me to take the tickets back and my aunt con
sented. When the mail brought the drawn
numbers from Hartford / had the package O.
tickets on hand. Not desiring to risk tha
amount of money, induced eight Of my Gus
toners to join me in the purchase Of the pack
/ age. We then opened the letter containing tn
drawn numbers, and found that we had draw
quarter of the highest prize of $4,000. Thi
result gave myself and eight others profit 9
$3.50 each
The fact was duly announced and my aun
never ceased to blame her tinid neighbor, no
to lament her own ill fortune. The great luc
of drawing the highest prize spread like wild
fire, as usual in such cases, and the country fo
miles around was lottery crazy. Our sales in
creased immensely.
Fully appreciating the power of the press &
: which more than to any other one cause al
indebted for my success in life,) did not fail
invoke the aid of sprinters' ink l issue
handbills, circulars, etc., by tens of thousands
! with striking prefxes, afixes, staring capital
: marks of wonder, pictures. etc. The newspa
pers throughout the region teemed with uniqu
advertisements. Immense gold signs and pls
y cards in inks and papers of all colors, covere
nv lottery office As the curious letters /,
Joe Strickland y were highly popular at tn,
y time, advertised my Office as being under IL
!; special favor and protection of q DR.. Pets
= Strickland own blood cousin to the renowne
I Joe Strickland, etc. In bills and advertis
ments rung all possible changes upon the r
J, nownsd name. 'sThe ever lucky Dr. Stric
q land" s'Fiye more capital prizes sold by D
J. Strickland!. ssA fortune for dollar app
IS to fortunes fayorite, Dr. Strickland Anoth
!. mammoth prize !-hurra for DR.. Stricklan
. ETC., etc. Homemade poetry was also #
't quently brought into requisition to set forth t
e inducements for patronizing my Office. CustoI
ers who brought their tickets and found the
y blanks, were told that their only wise plan W
to ss look for their money where they lost it
1t Sc it was long lane that never turned = s. su
re bad luck could not continue long etc, etc.
ID The lucky drawers of the high prize befc
to mentioned gave an oyster supper at my mothe
10 tavern to about sixty persons (whom l invlt
knowing them to be good ticket customers1 a
III after the supper was finished, counted out I
prize money the elated holders of the fortuns
Id ticket This SO excited our gueats, that q pas
er age of tickets amounting to $1,000, was fort
eh with sealed up and bought by fifty subserib'
IN on the spot at 800 each
at Selling so many tickets as did, prize
ng $1,000 or $1,000, and numerous smaller on