The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-05-05

e", ~ any, W pront p5 the warning OF the
gamblers misfortunes.
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From, The Columbus tGa.) Corner Stone
LOTTERIES.
IL is a strange thing that men will buy lot
terry tickets. We have before us the scheme
OF the celebrated Havana Lottery. There
are twenty-five thousand tickets at $40 each
making S500,000. Then if man were TO
buy all the tickets and draw all the prizes, he
would loose just 5000. 900 that is, he would
pay the lottery men just that much for the
iun Of the game, and that is the principle Of
the whole Of them.
Now, the doctrine Of chances is just as cer-
tain as anything else. That is, il one man
should buy tickets IN that lottery until he
had spent 100000, he would loose Just 5000,
QUO. lie might draw 500, 900 the first time
but he would IN the END come out lo0ser Just
two flths of all the money he put in. The
misfortune is. that not having the money to
keep up, he is liable to loose all his money
before he draws anything; and perhaps still
greater misfortune is, that II ia the early part
oi his career he draws prize, he will come
to The conclusion that he is a lucky man, and
will not only spend what he has drawn, but
all that he can get Tor the balance of his life.
II Is on account Of the certainty Of the ope-
ration OF the doctrine 0f chances, that tbey
are able to draw these lotteries so often.
Swan or Don Rodriguez advertises lottery
to be drawn IN month. There is one prize
OF fifty, sixty, or d hundred thousand dullars,
and others of smaller size. IL YOU will ex-
anime the number of tickets to be sold and
the amount oi the prizes, you vii! find that ii
the tickets are all sold the prizes do not
amount to more than three -fiths OF the money.
But the tickets are never aold; yet the draw
ing goes on. Then how are the prizes TO be
paid Why, out of your money of course.
Take the scheme which is before us: There
are twenty Ave thousand tickets al so each;
this makes $500 900; the prizes amount 10
s3OO,O0O. Now, suppose half the tickets are
so!d-that is S25O, 900; but the whole $500,
600 is to be drawn. Well, you have half the
tickets-the lottery man has the other half.
But you have put in $3.50, 900; he has put IN
nothing. You draw sl5O, 900, and 50 does he.
lie pays you and has sl0O 900 of your money
lett to pay towards the sl5O.0OO which he
drew.
Now whether he sells the whole OF the
tickets or half, a fourth or a tenth Of them, is
matter Of very little Consequence to him.
lie Is just as certain Of two fifths Of Ill the
money he receives as il you were just to hand
him $40 aud tell him to give you back SO
Of il aud keep the other four.
A II is this which makes lotteries as at pre-
sent conducted, so iatal. If they could not
draw until all the tickets we're sold, il would
be long time between them; but they can
draw every month. and they eau make big
prizes as well as little ones.
There is only one thing TO be guarded
against We have said that his half Of the
tickets will draw half the prizes. If yon
could have access TO the bOoks Of these lotte-
~ men. you will find that in series Of draw
ings he has drawn prizes, both in number and
amount, precisely IN proportion to his unsod
, tickets but just for nne lottery u NAV hap
, pen that the large prize NAV fall on your side.
Then II he has no lunds on hand he must be
careful not TO draw until he has sold tickets
enough to pay the large prize.
Now what is the remedy for the evil Of
/ lotteries! The evil is this: A man adyer-
tises lottery to be drawn IN month, with a
i prize &c 900; tickets sfO each; so, 900
4 tickets at $40 each make $500 900 the pri,
4 zes all amount TO ss00,0g0. Men who want
70 get rich, or are hard pressed for money.
think there j. chance, and they spend ten
dollars or fifty or hundred il is the $50
600 prize that seduces them. II out Of the
!. $4,000 tickets the lottery man can sell 10,
600. he j. safe, anl he will clear so 900 by
I the operation. Now what is the remedy
/ Why. torepeal the laws g,inst lotteries. Mea
will gamble. until they gethctter than they are
now. Bu; how is The repral Of the laws Ia
4 remedy the evil. Bs removing the tempta-
/. ton, al lcsst By diminishing ii. A hundred
!. men will buy ticketi in lottery where there
> Is $50 900 prize. 60 one Wh0 will buy lot.
| terry with $4,000 prize. Now, men make
!. lotteries, aud they retain two ifths of al the
J. money. Repeal the laws and others will en-.
/. gage IN it, and competition will reduce tie
profits. They cannot make The prizes %
/, large or draw 50 often. The profits will Be 50
!. reduced that they cannot afford 10 advertise
!. and the thing will die Out.
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