Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-12-17
THE TICKLE GODDESS.
A Postoalce Clerk Picks mp ess, 900 in
One VentCre.
How the Louisville LNbrary Lottery
Served Mr. John II. Durf.

Yesterday the drawing of the great
prizes in the Louisville lottery took place
in thEt city. Thousands of psople stood
on tip-toe, with porcupine hair and witch.
ing fingers, in many parts Of the country,
awaiting, In anxious OK pectaticn 10 heal
the result Of the great drawing. Thou.
sands were doomed to disappointment,
but there were q few extremely lucky
| ones who were doomed to go into q de.
lirium of ecstscy On the receipt Of the glad
tidings which made them the possessors Of
thousands.
THE LOTTERY SCHEME
was known Is the STATED ibrary association.
Five hundred Thousand dollars In prizes
were to be drawn and one hundred thou
sand tickets were to be sold, or, the draw
ing was 70 be graded down according Ia
the number of tickets disposed OF. Thus,
II only half the tickets were sold, only
half the money would be distributed II
prizes, each prize being cut down one
half. The capital prizs was fixed at 500,
600, provided all the tickets were sold. Ii
Rppears that only seven-twentieths OF
the tickets were disposed of, consequently
the capital prize only represented seven.
twentieths of the above igure-thst Is to
say SIS, 900. The managers of the lottery
had determined to have their drawing on
fhe 10th of December no matter what
NUMBER Of tickets might be sold. John
r. Durff, clerk in the postofice here, was
of the managers Of the scheme, and on tie
9th Of the present month inclosed ten
dollars in 8 registered letter to Louisville
for the purchase of a ticket which he
got by return mail-8278 was the
number of it. When he had the
ticket in his possession q short time,
he felt an inclination to sell half his in
5000 - "a o-I ~oala aa-1-aI r-o,o.Fk1o-o
to q fellow.cleTk in the office to purchase,
but the wary brother professor, being
wise, said that he could not afford to en-
gage in any such scheme as that; he could
not think of risking Eve dollars upon 30
slim q chance OF winning money. Mi.
Duff, therefore, reconeiled himself to his
misfortune, and philosophicslly settled
himself to run the risk of losing the whole
ten dollars.
At an early hour yesterday, between
eleven and twelve, Nj. Duff was in the
postoffice attending diligently to his
business, as was his wont, when he was
handed a dispatch by the telegraph mes
senger, which read as follows:
LOUISVILLE, December 10, 1871.
John R. Durf:
Your number, S27s, has drawn the capital
prize, $4,000. A. 7. MESSER, Clerk.
Our lightning reporter was at the office
a few minutes afterwards, and had a
slight interview with the man OF luck.
He was as busy as ever among his piles Of
letters and packages, and IS quiet and
collected in manner as If he had heard
that his grandmother had caught a severe
cold. He went to slittle CLOSET where his
coat was hanging on a peg. aud pulled out
the dispatch from one Of the pockets, and
left it with oEr reporter to copy while he
attended to the pressing business OF his
situation He merely remarked, when
the dispatch was handed back to him: 81
hope 1t will turn put all right"
Mr.. Durf is a young man on b hope
ful side of thirty, fair hair and light COM
plexion, with a w~ell-shsped face, express
sive OF hrmness and practical purpose,
rather intelligent and sprightly-looking,
under five fest six, perhaps, and fairly
built. He was married to an Indiana
lady two years ago. He has been clerking
In the postofice for three or four years.
To become al at once the possessor of
SIS, 000 is a stroke of fortune which few
people could take with such philosophic
GOODNESS as characterized the conduct Of
Mr.. Duff yesterday.