The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-03-14
The Drawing of the South Carolina Land
and Immigration Association.

1t was to be expected that the drawing of the
South Carolina Land and Immigration Associ-
alton should cause far more disappointment
than qualification. The number of prizes was
large, and the public did not pause to reflect
that the number of tickets was very much
larger There is hardly village in the State
Were some sanguine ticket-holder had not
counted on Winning the Academy of Music or
the one hundred thousand dollar prize. There
we're legions who were ready to assume the role
of injured innocence if they did not secure
prize of thousand dollars. For all this we
were prepared, but, knowing the integrity OF
the managers and the care with which the
drawing was conducted, We did not anticipate
the conclusion at which some of the ticket
holders have arrived, viz, that no prizes OF any
consequence were drawn, and that the Associa-
ton made a fortune by the operation. We
should have taken no notice of this feeling, had
it not found expression in courteous demand
that the Charleston NeWs, which had spoken
favorably of the scheme from the beginning,
should inquire into the condition of the Asso-
citation and publish the result of its investiga-
ton. We did not feel at liberty to slight this
request, and as soon as the books of the Asso-
citation were substantially closed, we called for
statement of the result. The books were
thrown open to our scrutiny, and we have OBJ
tanned certified exhibit of the whole receipts
and expenditures of the Association, which
exhibitmust set at rest the doubts Of the friends,
and the suspicious of the opponents, of the
South Carolina Land and immigration Asso-
citation.
The Association had determined to make
their enterprise successful, if work and llber-
al expenditure of money could insure it. They
advertised the scheme thoroughly by means OF
opd o;roularS while resident
agents canvassed their respective sections. But
the stringent laws against lotteries in many
States, the want of sympathy, in the North and
Northwest, with the objects of the Association,
the fact that several similar enterprises were
before the public, and the lack of money IN the
South, threw insurmountable difficulties IN the
way, and, long before the day of drawing, it
was manifest that the bulk of the tickets would
remain unsold. AS the drawing had been once
postponed, it could not in good faith, be again
deferred. II rested with the Association, there
fore, to decide whether the amount of prizes
should be reduced in proportion to the number
of tickets disposed Of or whether the full list
of premiums should be drawn, the Association
taking the benefit of the unsold tickets Expe-
rience showed that pro rata drawings always
gave dissatisfaction, and the Association de-
ccidcd. wisely we think, to take the risk of
complete drawing They hoped that this course
would disarm hostile criticism.
Having stated the main reasons why so few
tickets we're sold, and having explained the
motives which led the Association to carry out
the entire scheme as published, we submit a
brief statement of the result:
The whole number of tickets disposed
OF WaS.. @O,1ot
The number of unsold tickets held by
the Association on the day of the
drawing was. lZl,ooo
Total number of tickets....."....~. 10000
The proceeds of 2S,467 tickets, sold at
50,
Deduct expenses, already paid........... lO5,SSS
Cash balance, availablef orprizes drawn
and miscellaneous disbursements. S36, AT