The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-26
RATE OF SUBSCRIPTIONS.
RATEs or ADVERTISING.
THE OPERA HOUSE DRAwINa.


The Great Event DecIded---XO. 5S, 500
the Winning Number---A. H. Lee, of
Prairie Du ROcher, Randolph Coun-
~, Illinois, Probably the WInner.--
Nearly All the Tickets SOId.--Prepa-
ratIOnS for ihe DrawinE---The Pro.
eeSs---FreRks OF Fortune and Fan
tastes OF Dame Rumor.
The great excitement is over. The
problem which has vexed the world of
chance-operatorS for months past is
solved. The Opera House is drawn,
and all the two hundred thousand
losers now breathe freely; a thing which
the majority of them have been unable
to do for some time past. The excite
ment which had been gathering steadi-
ly for more than seven months culmi-
mated yesterday. The drawing came
off according to promise in the Opera
House, and the magnificent structure
was drawn by ticket numbered 5S, 600.
At ten O'Clock on Saturday night the
Chicago half of the tickets had been
sold, and about ten Thousand of those
originally allotted to New York. In
that city the sales were large, but not
equal to those of the office in this city.
At noon on Sunday they had about
thirty thousand tickets unsold, which
was subsequently diminished to, per-
haps, fifteen thousand, by sales here
and in that city. However, the draw
ing was announced without postpone
ment, and it came off accordingly.
PREPARING FOR THE DRAWING.
Early on Monday morning the ap-
pointed committee commenced their
arduous and important labors Owing
to the storm of Sunday and to other
causes, some of the gentlemen from a
distance previously announced to be-
long to it were not present. The follow
ing is list ofthose present and super
rf,tN, 4 t,a
that it comprises some of the most
wealthy and influential men of this and
other cities, whose names are sufficient
guarantee that the affair was conducted
with the most perfect fairness and care.
Ira Y. Mum, Esq, OF Mum Il Scott,
chairman.
Amos T. Hall, ESQ, Treasurer of
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail-
road. --..a
Z. G. Hall, Esq, of Hall, Kimbark &
Co. .-Eil
Chauncey T. Bowen, of Bowen Broth
Ex-Governor, F. A. Hoffman.
]. A. Ellis, Esq, Cashier Second Ma.
tional Bank.
Clinton Briggs, of Ewing, Briggs s.
j. G. DOre, Esq, President Board of
Trade. Lz.
tne SHAOH NatlOhaA LihA VI Shl-
cago. -z--
Brighton National Bank Boston,
D. Pulcifer, Esq, of E. PuIcifer & Co.,
r. L. Demon, Esq, President of
Howard National Bank, Boston.
E. S. Rowse, Esq, of Cavender Il
Rowse, bankers, st. Louis.
Richard Smith, Esq, of L. johnson
& Co., type founders. Philadelphia.
E. n. Needles, Esq, Pharmacien,
Philadelphia.
S: G. Wright, Esq, ]. H., a. & S. G.
Wright, Detroit.
Ralph Cheney, of Cheney Brothers,
Hartford, Conn.
At halr-past eight in the morning,
these gentlemen assembled in one of the
large rooms of Kinsley's restaurant,
under the Opera House, and com
menced counting the tickets. Two
hundred and ten thousand pieces of
hard, polished pasteboard, about an
inch long and u third of an inch wide,
were printed with consecutive numbers
in red ink, from one upwards, and ar
ranged in packages of one hundred
each. The mum nbering was done by the
machine of the Northwestern Bank
Engraving Company, in the same way
that bank notes are numbered, so that
it was impossible that the numbers
could be duplicated. The packages
delivered to the committee, and they
spent the forenoon in again counting
and examining them, to prevent the
possibility of error. The tickets made
solid package seven inches deep,
twenty-five inches long, and twenty
eight inches high. On heavy cards,
about two and half inches long by
one inch wide, were plainly written the
three hundred and two prizes in the
same order and with the same num-
bers as in the printed catalogues with
which all holders of tickets were fur
nished, the Opera House being number
one. These tickets were carefully ex-
amined by the committee, compared
with thescatalogue, and found correct
Soon after IL o'clock the counting
was finished, and each member of the
committee felt satisfied that no possi-
bility of fraud existed. The tickets
were then placed in small confectiona-
ry boxes, and, each member taking
under his arm what he could convent
emily carry, the august body was pilot
ed down into the basement and through
labyrinths of passage ways into the
lunch was spreaf where the committee
might refresh themselves, as there was
no expectation of concluding their
labors until long after dinner time.
A strong force of-policemen, under
Sergeant Jennings, was on hand to pre-
y
doorway, front and rear, on the stairs
and in the building, the stars OF peace
glittered ominously for intending peace
breakers. Long before eleven O'Clock
the entrance to the Opera House began
to swarm with the eager multitude, old
and Young, male and female, rich and
poor, all holding one or more certiti-
Gates, the numbers of which were firm
| " impressed on their memories or
written down, on notebooks OF. papers.
many previous days, the wheels by
which were TO be decided the fate of so
many hopes and prayers were on e1-
hibition in Kinsley's, and were the sub
| iect of eager curiosity and interest,"
! They are both of wood, octagonal, sup
ported on high pedestals so as to be
plainly visible to the spectators. The
| largest, which Contained the numbers,
| is about four feet in diameter by one
foot thick; the other, containing the
| list of prizes, about twenty. inches in
diameter by six inches thick Both
were fancifnlly painted in colors, which
in turning blended together like the
hues of q Kaleidoscope. ma,
/ Promptly at the appointed hour the
great doors were thrown open, and the
crowd surged in, filling at once the
lower floor and the first gallery. Many
had come from a long distance to wit
ness the affair so unparalleled IN inter
est and the amount at stake by any
thing of the Kind which the world has
( ever witnessed. Probably two-thirds
of the crowd were from outside of the
city. Who shall say what various
\ IL -, L.