Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-05-06
LOTTERIES.

LSetS4 y "iN = y
thousand tickets at $50 each-ma
king S500,000. Then if a man wert
to buy all the tickets and draw al
the prizes, he would lose just $780,,
600, that is, be would pay the lotte.
ry man just that much for the fun ol
the game, and that is the principle Of
the whole of them.
Now, the doctrine of chance is
just as certain as any thing else
/ That is, if one man should buy tickets
in that lottery until he had spent
100000, he would lose just $780,
600. He might draw 100000 The
first time; but in the end be would
come out loser just two-ffths of all
the money he put in. The misfor-
tune is, that not having the money
TO keep it up, he is liable to lose all
bis money before he draws anything,
and perhaps still greater misfortune
is, that if in the early part Of bis Ca
.Teer he draws the prize, be will come
10 the conclusion that he is lucky
man, and viii not only spend what
he has drawn, but all that he can get
for the balance Of bis life.
tt 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 a lottery
to be drawn in a month. There is
one prize of fifty, sixty, or a hun
dred thousand dollars, and others Of
smaller size. If you will examine
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 90 more
than about three. flths Of the money.
Bat the tickets are never sold; yet
the drawing goes on. Then how
arc the prizes to be raid2 Why, out
OF your money of course. Take the
scheme which is now before US: There
are twenty-five thousand tickets at
$50 each; this makes $500,O0O; the
prizes amount to 100000. Now,
suppose half the tickets are sold
that is $3.50, 900; but the whole $780,
GOO is to be drawn. Well you have
half the tickets-the lottery man has
the other half. His half Of the tick
cts viii draw one -halfthe prizes; yours
viii draw the other half, But you
have put in S25O,000; be has put in
You draw Sl50,o00; and
so does he. lie pays you and has
100000 Of your money left to pay
towards the Sl5O,00O which he drew.
Now whether he sells the whole OF
The tickets or hall, fourth, or a
tenth of them, is a matter of very
little consequence to him. He is just
as certain Of two-ffths Of all the
money he receives as if you were just
to hand him SO and tell him to.
give you back Sc Of it and keep the
other four,
Ii is this which makes lotteries as
at present conducted so fatal. If
they could not draw until all the
tickets were sold, it would be a long
tine between them; but they can draw
every month, and they can make big
prizes Just as well as little ones.
There is only one thing to be guar
ded against. We. have said that bis
half Of the tickets viii draw bali OF the
prizes. If you could have access to
the books of these lottery men, you
would find that in a series OF draw
iags he has drawn prizes, both in.
number and amount, precisely in pro-
nol4ion to his unsold tickets; but just
Tor one lottery it may happen that
the lgrge prize will fall on your SIDE.
Thef. if be has no funds on hand he
must be careful not to draw until ne
has sold tickets enough to pay the
large prize.
evil Of lettericsg The evil IS this
a nan advertises lottery to be drawn
Ia i month. with a prize Of 500, QUO;
fiekets SO each. 10000 tickets at
$40 each make S3O0.0O0; the prizes
aII amount to $500, 1000 Men who
want to get rich, or who are hard
prassed for money, think there Is a
SIIlaaoe, and they spend SO, Or fifty
IS 4 hundred; it is the $o0, ,0O9 prlze
That seduces' them. II cut OF the
& coo tickets the lottery man can
Ell l1) 000shc IS safe, and be will