Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-10-24
THE CANNON CA IoTIERY SWIM

| THE GAMMoNo ~ 81 IOTTERY sS5iI7Sz
4 DIN Css
The following details OF the manner Il
(which lottery tickets are drawn, may sui.
fee to put some unWary people upon theil
Eguafd against an imposition which onl
authorities seem unwilling to Suppress:
The ballots for the modern. lottery arr
printed on small slips Of paper, number
ing from [say one to sixty y.six (being
sixty-six numbered lottery. These mum
bers are placed IN like number OF III
tubes, Zone number in each tube. whict
tubes with the numbers in them, are cas-
into lottery wheel, ready to be drawn
The lottery wheel is made of tin, and
about two feet in diameter. The periph'
cry or rim is, about ten inohes wide, the
side being of glass. In the rim is 9
small door to permit the. introdu duction o.
the hand. When the ballots are all pla-
ced in the wheel. it is then closed, end
made to rovolve on its axis. with the os.
tensible view of maising fairly the ballots
Now suppose there are some persons in.
terested in not having the ballots proper
ly mixed-is there any way to turn the
wheel so as not to disturb their relative
position in the wheel The lower num-
bers, one, two, three and so on, being
first put in the wheel, remain at the bot
tom, while the succeeding higher num-
bers will be found, as matter of course,
above them, or more towards the top of
the wheel. ALI know that conjuror is
able to place glass of water on the in
side of hoop and twirl the hoop rapidly
round without spilling drop of the water.
So with the turning Of the lottery wheel.
Do not forget that the highest numbers are
on the top, and that the first three num-
bers dr0Un from the wheel are entitled to
the capital prize? Suppose it is sixty>
six number lottery that is being drawn.
There are. of course, sixty-six numbers
placed in the wheel, and ten or twelve
as the case may be) of these numbers
are to be drawn out to complete the draw.
ing. Suppose that all the aOhole tickets
that were drawn or offered for sale, have,
as a general rule the first number below
twenty>three. The whole tickets have in
varibly on them, and must and should
have on them, by virtue of the combina-
ton, number of lower denomination
than twenty>three. Now suppose that
the first three numbers drawn from the
twelve are above twenty three, what
chance would there be of any of those
tickets bearing on them the numbers of a
less denomination than twenty three. to
draw the capital prize ? None whatever.
The thing is a moral ,impossibiltty. Gers
tainly that lottery cannot be fairly drawn
in which all the whole tickets that are
printed have the first number of the cons
bination 6eloO twenty three, whilst the
first three numbers drGtOn are invariably
above that numberl Ifa number is taken
from the wheel of a less denomination than
twenty-three, it is the result OF accident or
chance over which the manager could have
had no control, however expert his Jug
glery of drawing, and contrary to his in
tention that such number should have
been untortuitously drawn out.
We say, then, that the high numbers
only are drawn from the wheel. How is
such trickery effected? Mark The
clerk sets the wheel in motion, and drives
it round with might and main, now this
way, and then that-reversing the order
of its motion with great regularity. OI
course, like the coniuror with the glass
of water, the faster the clcrk turns the
wheel, the more quiet lag khe bottles and
herein consists the advantage of having
large ballots and small wheel, there be-
ing but little space for them to move in,
and nothing inside of the wheel to dis
turb the uniformity Of the flow. After
the wheel is turned in this rapid and
Systematic manner few times, the per-
son appointed for that purpose, puts in
his hand and draws out number. What
will that number probably. be-? There are
at least two chances to one that it will be
above twenty two; and, now that the
ballot is opened, it really proves to be
forty-fve While this number is being
recorded, the clerk gives his wheel few
more turns when the second number is
drawn, and declared to be ffty.four
The wheel is again closed, whirIing round,
and third number drawn, which proves
to be fOrty-seven And so the operation
goes on, till the ten or twelve ballots las
the case may be, are drawn out (; aud
thus, in fifteen minutes time, the fate Of
million Of money may be decided. But
how decided ? Let US see. The capital
prize IS not drdo0D, could not be drawn, Tor
the self>evident and astonishing reason
that the combination which drew 1t. OF
should have drawn it, ne5sr Das printed
This is the actoal case with the majority
of the lotteries that are drawn. Ikers 4
positively no such thing as drawing lie eapi-
tai prize! If the trickery Of the wheel
does not prevent their being drawn, the
tickets drawing prize combinations are
not printed, and, of course, not sold.
lKrxDNEss.-Would not it please you to
pick up strings of pearls. drops of gold.
diamonds and precious stones as you pass
along the street 1t would make you
feel happy for month to come. Such
hanniness Won can pira 10 othars. Hon.