The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-24
THE OPERA HOUSE DRAWING.

THE OPERA HOUSE ORA WING.
This has bean the prevailing topic for days
past in home and social circle and chance
meetings on the street. The agony is over.
There was one that did get the Opera House
and upwards Of two hundred thousand tbat
didn't The reader can take these notas,
gathered from the Chicago 7ribase, as to
how the thing ras done, and then let the
Opera House excitement give way to other
engrossing and still unsettled subjects:
A committee Of responsible gentlemen was
appoipted to make the arrangements for the
drawing, and three hours we're pledged to it,
faithful and honorable execution. The tick.
cts we're divided into two equal portions, one
half being kept here, and the other sent to
New York. At first the sale of tickets pro-
ceeded but slowly, and many fears were en-
tertained and expressed that the scheme WAS
of too great magnitude to be carried out to
any other contamination than that of failure.
But the committee stood firm, and as the time
approached for the drawing, there was per-
feet rush for tickets from all over the coun-
try. The mails fairly groaned under the
weight Of orders, and the magic tubes which
contained the engrayings filed the mail bagr
to a fearful plethora. The force of clerks
was several times augmented, and it was only
BY instituting relays that the vast mass of cor
respondence was kept up with. The last few
DAYS of last week saw great crowds at the
| Opera House, filling the halls and stairwsys,
| ali eager for tickets. all intent on one thing
buying the Opera House for FIVE dollars.
The sale of tickets was not accomplis lied
by Individual risk alone, though this wis q
| large item-seversl gentlemen taking from FIVE
to fifteen hundred dollars worth, and many
taking one hundred dollars. The big flea
ture Of the sale was, however, the clubs.
| One club Of five thousand was formed, aach
member taking one ticket, and his engraving,
but agreeing to share with the other the
gains, il any, accruing in the drawing. rom
these large clubs, down to associations in
which the members paid twenty FIVE cents
each, the graduation contained many steps.
Indeed the latter was the favorite plan with a
great number. We heard of one man who
laid out no less than fifty dollars in fifty
| cent shares, Joining in as many different
clubs. The Board of Trade was great place
for clubs. Every day. when the luli of bust
ness allowed diversion of thought dozens
| of operators would cluster round in what came
to be called the Opera Ring, and chances
| were sold by the hundred, new clubs being
| formed in the twinkling of an eye.
Then came the day for the drawing, and the
| drawing in its time. The committe TO con-
duct the drawing embraced we'll known names
and was eminently satisfactory.
AT halfpa eight in the morning thesegen
tlemen assembled il one of the large rooms
Of kinsleys restaurant, under the upers
House, and commenced counting the tickets
| Two hundred and ten thousand pieces o
hard, polished paste board, about an incl
long and third of an inch wide, were print.
ed with consecutive numbers, in red ink
from one upward, and arranged in package,
of one hundred each. The Numbering wa.
done by the machine of the Northwestern
Bank Engraving Company, in the same WAY
that bank notes are numbered, so that il wa,
impossible that the numbers could be dupli-
Gated. The packages were counted three
times before being delivered to the committee
and they spent the forenoon in again counts
ing and examining them, to prevent the pos.
sibility of error. The tickets made q solic
package seven inches deep, twentytw inch
es long, and twenty>eight inches high. On
heavy cards about two and a half inches
long by one inch wide, were plainly writer
the three hundred and two prizes in the sams
/ order and with the same numbers rs the print
ed catalogue with which all holders of ticket,
were furnished, the Opera House being mum
Der one. The tickets were carefully exam
ined by the committee. compared with thu
catalogue. and found correct.
Soon after | / o clock the counting was fin.
ished, and each member of the committe,
felt satisfied that no possibility Of fraud ex
listed. The tickets were then placed in small
confectionery boxes, and, each member tax
ing under MS arm what he could convenient
| al -.
into the basement and through labarynths oil
passage ways into the rear Of the stage. Her,
an elegant lunch was spread, where the com
mit.ee might refresh themselves, as there wa
no expectation Of concluding their labors uu
Ill long after dinner time.
Meantime an immense crowd Of spectator
had gathered.
II Attweaiy minutes before twelve o. clocl
the scenes behind opened, and the two wheel
were brought IN and placed on the front Of tn
stage, about Two yards and half apart.
faint burst nf applause greeted the sppari
ton, and then the gas was turned on to allo,
the assembly to inspect the wheels at thei
leisure. Five minutes more passed, and the
the stationery was brought in by solitary in
dividua who looked very much embarrasse,
under the load. Save and except the tw
/ tDtteSuiFu INV NtilSsf ittUlux UfDEe wa
visible for time so long that the throng be
came impatient at the delay.
At about 1--WE minutes before twelve tn
, members Of the committee came in, India
file, each bearing couple of the boxes con
tanning the tickets. Ira Y. Mum then ad
, vanced TO the front, aud said:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN The committe
: will now deposit the nnmbers-each TICKLE,
! numbering from one TO two hundred aid te
/, taousand-in the wheel. They have receive
the tickets from the hands of the engravers
and they have not been out of their posses
3 sion. They have examined and counted then
and believe them to be al correct. Thes
boxes contain FIVE thousand tickets each wit
the exception of two, which contain tie
: thousand
Mr.. Mum then took the box contsinin
: the irst FIVE thousand, and attempted to pot
the tickets into the wheel. Several of theI
fell to the ground, and we're carefully gail
cred up by the committee. After that fe
9 others were spilled at Intervals. but witho,
,fl exciting dissatisfaction.
:. This process occupied till about TWEEN,
minutes past twelve, and then Mr.. Mum Al
nounced that there was in that wheel 21O, 0(
Is tickets--one number for every certificate sol
# The lid was closed, and then Mr. Mum toe
!. smaller box, containing the 302 prizes, n
:, emptied them into the lesser box, which VI
- then closed, and Mr.. Mum explained tn
n the wheels had wires placed inside of thet
Il 30 that at each turn the tickets must be tho
II oughly mixed.
otl Two men then advanced to the wheel .,
commenced turning. The wheels were !
70 volved slowly for some time, till everybo
10 vas satisfied that the q shutting, was cor
p piete. The two beings on whose movement
\. hung the destnies of thousands were nam
Peter Peterson and Emil Reiske.
At thirty two minutes PAST noon W.
g Ccclbansh, ESQ.,, took the word.,' !
its said
ri The Committee had authorized him. in !
-. half Of Mr.. Crosby, 70 state that there VI
remaining unsold somewhere about TWEEN
OF i've or thirty thonnnd tickets, and that /
. 10000 tickets then in that boz represeu,
6n. from rs COO to $4,000 tickets which belone
: to Mr.. Crosby. That gentleman stated 10
committee that it was impossible for him
~ g.ve TIE exact number sold Ia eonseuuer
he Of the absence of official returns from aer
A. in New York, Boston, and Philadeiph
!, whose books were kept epso till midnight
Saturday. He had given this q the appro
he mate number Of those unsold, and he had
90, doubt that the audience would believe Z
M Nh C1osby had done I'll 8 ka uover 10 =
m exact statement Of the fac1e. "a -
"> Or was authorised on behalf 81 Tia comr
Al ~ to stAte that in consultation among th1