The Placer herald., 1858-05-22
Lotteries.

1t is strange thing that men will buy
lottery tickets. We have before us the
scheme of the celebrated Havana Lottery
There are 10000 tickets at $40 eacll-mak-
ing 100000. All the prizes amount TO
*300,OoO Then if a man were to buy all
the tickets and draw all the prizes, he would
lose ins' s20O,00O; that is, he would pay the
lottery man just that much for the fun of
the game, and that is the principle Of the
whole of item.
Now, the doctrine of chance is lust as
certain as anything else. That is, if one
man should buy tickets in that lottery until
he had spent 100000, lie would lose Just
$2oO,0OO lie might draw 100000 the
first time; but he would in the end come out
loser just ffths of all the money he put
in. The misfortune is, that not having any
money to keep it up, he is liable to lose all
his money before he draws anything, and
perhaps still greater misfortune is, that if
in the early part Of his career he draws the
prize, he will come to the conclusion that
he is lucky man, and will not only spend
all he has drawn, but all that he can get for
the balance of bis life.
1t is on account of the certainty of the
operation of the doctrine of chances, that
they are able to draw these lotteries so often,
Swan or Don Rodriguez advertises lottery
to he drawn in month. There is one prize
of fifty, sixty, or hundred thousand dollars,
and others of smaller size. If you will ex-
anime the number of tickets to be sold, and
the amount of the prizes, you will find that
If the tickets are all sold, the prizes do not
amount to more than about three-ffths of
the money. But the tickets are never sold;
yet the drawing goes on. Then how are the
prizes to be paid! Why, out of your money
of course. Take the scheme which is now
before us:-There are 25, 5000 tickets at 500
each; this makes $500, 900; the prizes amount
to 100000. Now suppose half the tickets
are sod-that is $25O,OOO; but the whole
100000 is to be drawn. Well, you have
half the tickets-the lottery man has the
other half His half Of the tickets will draw
one-half Of the prizes, and yours will draw
the other half. But you have put in $780,
600; he has put IN nothing You draw
$l5O,OOO, and so does he. He pays you
and has 100000 of your money left to pay
towards the $l5O,O0O which he drew.
Now whether he sells the whole of the
tickets or half, fourth, or a tenth of them,
is a matter of little consequence to him. He
is Just as certain Of two-fifths of all the
money he receives as if you were just to
hand him a $40 and tell him to give you
back $6 Of it and keep the other four
I. 1t is this which makes the lotteries as at
present conducted so fatal If they could
not draw until all the tickets were sold, il
would be long time between them; but
they can draw every month, and they can
make big prizes just as we'll as little ones.
There is only one thing to be guarded
against. We have said that his half of the
tickets will draw half of the prizes. If you
could have access to the book of these lot
terry men, you would find that in series of
drawings be has drawn prizes, both in num-
Der and amount, precisely in proportion to
his unsod tickets; but just for one lottery it
may happen that the large prize may fall on
your side. Then if he has no funds on hand
be must be careful not to draw until he has
sold tickets enough to pay the large prize.
Columbus Corner Stone.