The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-01-19
A Temneat in a Tea Pot.

Tempest in Tea Pot.
Our city was yesterday in terrible state Of!
excitement. Animmense number of the good
people had drawn brass instead of gold at the
''Gift Concert" and consequently an immense
number of good people were highly indignant
at the "swindling operation" The "Gift Con-
cert came off Thursday evening. Crescent
Hall was crowded to oyerhowing, and fully
half of the assembly were ladies. The audience
appointed committee to distribute the gifts
according to the drawings The committee
went to- work, and for some time distributed
the gifts according to this manner. But as
the crowd was large, and they inconyeniently
crowded around the stand, and were very i'm
patient the distribution Of gifts was left till
the drawings should have been completed,
secretary keeping an account of the same.
After the drawings, the distribution of gifts
commenced and continued till late hour at
night. Yesterday morning, large crowd as
sembled at the Hall, and considerable confusion
ensued. Some did not get what their tickets
entitled them to, and others undoubtedly got
handsome gifts to which they no claims.
The disappointed naturally imagined them
selves swindled, and threats Of violence were
made against Mr.. Tyler, the manager. There
was another disappointment too, in the fact
that the gifts were not Of so valuable a charac-
ter as the public had been made to believe
and consequently there was no doubt some
very pardonable indignation against us, for
having assisted in recommending the whole
affair. But of that more anon.
| In the morning Mr.. Tyler was arrested for
violating the law against lotteries, on the affi-
davit of an individual who had bought tick
ct, and didn't get the worth of his money
Mr.. Tyler was brought up before Squire
Walker, and tried mid a great deal of excite
ment. At the time we write, the trial had
not concluded. 1t is little singular that no
objection was made to all the preparations for
the concert, and it was permitted to go on
without official interterence-and nothing was
done till indignation got at the boiling point
by individual disappointments Lotteries Of
pretty much all kinds have been advertised
and conducted in this city with impurity,
either directly through principals here OF
agents. "Gift Concerts have been repeatedly
held in other parts the State, and unpunish-
lment followed. But in this case man was
to be punished. And what for? Why really
because committee appointed by the audience
of the concert, were actually unable to distribute
the gifts as they should have been, and be-
cause it was charged the gifts themselves did
not come. up to expectations. And yet these
gifts had been on public exhibition for many
days, and their quality and quantity were
fairly open to inspection We are not defend
ing Mr.. Tyler, but we think some of our fell
low citizens have permitted little boyish dis
appointment to overcome their manhood. They
went into the matter with open eyes, and WE
think even the worst disappointed got about {
dollars worth of experience, while a-nulnbel
} drew much more than their tickets cost them
Now, zoe have no apologies to made 10 those
gentlemen who have seen fit to criminate us
in this matter because we choose to speak in
good terms of the gifts. We care precisely as
little for their Indignation as they most proba-
bly, would for our apologies, if we should de-
scend to make any. But we have an expla-
nation to make in justice to ourself We were
honest in what are did. The first day when
the Gifts were opened to exhibition, we called
to see them before we would write line. We
saw large number of handsome gifts, and
many of them valuable, and yet We were as
sured that many more were to be added. We
then wrote just such notice as we thought
they deserved, and no more. What changes
? if any were afterward made in these Gifts, we
do not know, but having seen them, and being
almost daily assured more had been added, we
f thus spoke of them. We honestly believed,
never having examined the goods but once,
J that about 500 worth would be offered to the
, purchasers of tickets, leaving margin of $500
for profits and expenses With this explana-
} ton, we leave the subject. Thus much is due
ourself as we'll as the public We believe Mr..