The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-29

10,
are held at the house of the former or at the
place he appoints He is at the expense of
fc asst for the members of the club the first time
they meet 1t being the time when he receives
the sum of 100000 cash, including the sum
which he is supposed also to pay in, though
really he does not provide IT, but only receives
90, 900 from the other members At this first
meeting no dice are thrown, it being we'll under
stood that the sum Is to be taken by the head
man.
At the next meeting each member brings his
1000 cnsh, which is given to the one who, on
casting the dice, gets the highest number OF
spots, the head man and his assistant not engag-
ing in the casting OF dice, the latter, accordlng
to the rules generally adopted taking his lO0 OOO
cash at the third meeting OF the CLUB, wltnout
any appeal to the dice. ... |..r-s
At the fourth and every subsequent meeting
those who have not drawn the sum throw the
dice, according to the rules OF the ciuD, 10
decide who shall take the 100000 cash. All Wao
have previously drawn the sum, excepting the
head man and his assistant, at any meetlng OF
the club are expected to contribute small
sum for the incidental expenses, as paper ana
refreshments. II anything is lett uneXpended,
at the close OF the tenth meeting, it Is consi.
dered as belonging TO the man who has waited
until thus time, when he receives his lOO cash
In this manner, provided each man iuinls MS
pledges, each man will have paid into the club
loo. 600 cash, and each have received back the
same amount. While his payments will have
been small and at intervals, the sum received
back Will have been at one time -.-
The principal drawback against this method OF
raising money is the great uncertainty OF every
mans fulfilling his part according to the bylaws
OF the club. These are fixed upon by the head
man, as regards times of payment, number OF
members and amount of each instalment, at the
time he gets it up. Sickness, misfortune, or
death may prevent the payments OF some OF the
members at the stipulated time. Such cases
cause much trouble to the head man and Others
who have received Their allotted money, who
are held responsible by the other members.
When the club breaks down in consequence of
the inability of some members to pay in the
sums agreed upon, those who have received
money must return in small sums and at inter-
walls, if they cannot pay at once, the amount
received oUer and dboUe the sum they have paid
into the club. In case of positive dishonesty on
the part of one of its members, the head man is
considered bound to make up the sum he ought
to have paid. Each man. on receiving the sum
paid in at one meeting, must give document
with the names of two men as his security, one
a member of the club and one not member
pledging himself to the proper ful6lment of his
responsibilities in the case. Probably few cases
of downright, dishonesty occur in connection
with these clubs, because the members are gene
rally mutual and firm friends of each other, and
especially of the head man.
Sometimes a club is cot up among friends for
comparatively very small sums, as in shares of
two, four, or six dollars. Poor men who cannot
raise the sum desired at once, but who can save
enough to make a payment every quarter, or
oftener, sometimes engage in such clubs. In all
cases, whether for large or small sums, whether
the NUMBER OF members Oe leW OF many, OF
whether the intervals between payments be
monthly or quarterly, the same principle is kept
in view, the obtaining of a round sum of
money for use without the payment OF interest,
to be refunded in instalments at intervals.
The Snake casting -its-Skin CMb.-This union or
club is so called from the circumstance that the
head man, the one for whose benefit the money
is subscribed, pays it back to the members by
regular instalments, as may be agreed on when
formed Just as it is said, the snake sheds or casts
Tp1lJIOfp1 There
is no need of an assistant in the working OF this
club. The members subscribe and pay money
but once. There is no division OF this money
among them the head man takes 1t all Tor his
own use when it is paid in, which is done at its
first and only meeting. At this time he prepares
feast for its members. The money he then
receives he agrees to refund to the subscribers
of it at regular intervals, by uniform install
ments, in the order decided on by the drawing
of lots or by the throwing OF dice, at the time
of its being paid in. Each member must wait
until his turn arrives for receiving back the
money he subscribed.
The Drdqon-hedded Chb.-This club is named
dragon-headedn because the first payments
made by its members are much larger than
subsequent payments resembling, It Is said, the
Chinese dragon, in the circumstance that ats
lead is mach larger than its body The number
of shares, times OF payment, etc., are arranged
by the head man at the time he sollclts the
names OF his friends as members.
Suppose the number of members is twenty, in
cluding the head man, and the first payment Is
10000 cash on the part OF all but the head nan,
who advances nothing, but receives all that Is
paid in, the amount is 100000 cash. In case
the meetings are held quarterly, every three
months after the first meeting the head man
pays into the club 10, 600 cash, and each one of
the other members pays in 1000 cash, making,
in all, 20, 600 cash. 1t is decided by the throwing
of dice to whom this shall be paid. In this
manner, in five years from the commencement,
he head man will have paid into the club 100, 900
cash, the amount he received at its first meeting,
and each of the other members Will have paid
| in 30 600 cash, and have received back the same
! amount. The proportion between the first and
| succeeding payments agreed upon by the parties
| concerned, of course, will be the rule Tor any
| club.
The whole work abounds in these brief, telling
| incidents. From the extract made, the exceed
ing proixity of the style will be perceived, yet
| with this defect, and it is a most serious one,
we must give the writer credit for having sue
! ceeded in giving us a most original and enter
tanning work on new and heretofore obscure
| topic.
| HALF A NJ ILLIoN OF MONEY. Novel, by Anne
/ liza b. Edwards. Harper & Brother j. B.
Lippincott q Co., Nos 7l5 and III Market
! street, Agents.
OF all the semtsensational novelists of our
| day, Miss Edwards has won the least dubious
reputation Mrs. Wood is simply ridiculous in
her portrayal of character and although of deep
| interest to the lovers of the horrible, to the
| seekers after blood-stans, and the admirers o.
double-mated women, yet viewed in the light OF
discriminate criticism, can be only termed 'ridi.
| culousn Miss BraddOn is step higher, de-
scriblng persons who, if one should live few
centuries, and be on intimate terms with hal
mankind, he could probably discover some Of
| the traits of her heroines. But Mss Edwards is