Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-07-09
THE ILsRARY ID AWING TESTER-
DAY.

The pubic mind being somewhat
excited touching the subject of the
PUBLIC LIBRARY Building drawing
or lottery had n Louisville yesterday, q
word about lotte. .Vies in general may not
be ill-timed. Lottery, from the Italian
IOtterid, is defined . gaming contract,
by which one may, by favor Of the lot,
obtain a prize Of greater value than the
amount which he risks. 1t is not, as.
many worthy people suppose, modern
institution. The congierid Of the Ro-
mans was, to all intents and purposes, a
lottery. Tickets were issued OF
sold 10 the citizens which entitled
tlle holders to shares in the corn,
wine snd oil which were otherwise dis
tributed by direct donation to thepeople.
During the reign Of Emperor Angus
tus the custom was instituted by that
"merrie monarch" Of distributing, st his
ieasts, sealed packets (sOrtes c0griUjo5eS)
similar in appearance, but containing
orders for articles Of very different val
ue.n Our feudal ancestors and the Ital-
ian merchants Of the middle ages had a
weakness. for this doctrine of chance.
We are told that at Florence in 1880,
only thirty-eight years after the discoy-
cry Of America, a money lottery called
the lotto was instituted for the benefit
IF the State, while some years after
wand lotteties existed in Venice
uuder the laws of that once fa-
IuOEs and still beautiful city.
Ii is an interesting historical fact that
the members Of the grand council Of
Genoa were elected by lot, and at each
election the sprigbtly GehOese had a
good time betting on the result Of the
election. The council consisted of Eve
members, and the names of ss many as
ninety candidates were put into q wheel
Of fortune, and bets were made on the
result the city directing the game.
Doubtless the wide-awake Christopher
Columbus tried his luck many time
before he sought northwest passage TO
India BY the Yankee zine. The Genoese
represented by numbers rs called the nu- |
Llerical lottery. In Austria and Bavaria |
Il. is sort Of lottery Is still, or was within /
a hort time since, used. France estab- 1
lish ed her first lottery in 1888, the king /
levy. ing a tax upon each lot. Since that
time they have engaged the attention Of
our T1olite and fashionable neighbOTs
on the banks of the Seine and through
out la bsile France. Between the years
1916 and 1928, the French government
derived al annual revenue Of fourteen
million francs from lotteries alone. A
nice sugar-plum to neutTaliZe the moral
acidity OF the exciting amusement.
The doctrine OF probabilities, the super
,stition Of chance, grips the solemn soul
Cf the TeutOn as well as the more mer-
c,1rial spirit OF his neigbbOr over the
X hine. for We find the premium lottery
th,, "peculiar institution of old Ger
many. The christian lover Of the Ger
mallic race may be little startled to
learn that the German governments, up
10 the late war with France, and, for
augnt we know, since the establishment
of peace, issued proposals for loans,
s'Offefing TO capitalists a small per cent
age ulDOn the amount furnished by
way Of interest" and like amount
in premiums TO be awarded by
lot. The first lottery established in Eng
land was fu 1860. The drawing took place
under the very shadow of the church.
AT the west door of st. Paul's cathedral.
0ILN AuDlst-nu phaACo Wv ooANi - -
shillings each. The passion for gaming
became in after years so strong that ID
Queen Anue's TINE lotteries were ue-
nouReed as a " public nuisance" They
we've revived under the J07leses, and
continued until 1873, when they were
Suppressed by law. Since the establish
ment OK the first colonies in our own
country lotteries have been among the
means resofSed TO by our people Tor : rsis-
inc the wind" Some Of the more tight
laced States prohibited their use as De
srructive of public morals, and Win
some show of reason, judging fhO11 the
the frauds praetised by knaves upon
people. Under a bet
ter and puTer system, however,
fotteries are growing in favor, and have
---,sn naade instrumental In building up
- fostering schools, libraries and even
ehNrches. The lottery Of yesterday, Tor
H-stonce. recommended itself In occupy
inc solid and useful ground. Its object
s. flNa establishment in Louis
gili. ~ a public library. with
vnusayn, and chemical laboratory
.ttached II was the third drawing OF
the kind. an 3 already large and hand
some hui;ainQ has been erected, library
of forty thOuni9s gol9hnes nas yeen
purchased, fine nstute[ history seise. eoalec.
ton secured, q seieItlne Al3saaLstns ~ 81
up, and the nucleus OF s mnsepEe lcona-
ed. All Of this Is pahlie properly seen
to the people, free as air 70 Ene n9lisse
student or thirsty traveller seeking re
pure and healing waters cf selentihe N
formation.