Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-04-24
Local..
OLD LOTTERY TINES IN VIRGINIA.

OIID uU1 En- L IlMCO IN lnulNIh
HISTORY OF T. II. A. IN OLD VIRGINIA
THE FIRST LOTTERY FOR THE BENEFIT
OF PUBLIC IMPRovEMENT-H II
WAS DRAWN A HALF CENTURY AG(
THE MANAGERs-W SOLD TIKI
TICKETs-How THEY WERE SoLD-AN
EXCITIN DRAwING-A LIVELY
NORTH CAROLINA EXCURsION-THE
PROFITS AND LOSSES OF LOTTERIES.
&C., &C.. &c.
The recent general experience in the lot-
terry business given the people of Virginia
by the Louisville scheme, and the PROPOSE
ton now before the legislature at Rlch-
mond to incorporate q lottery company Tor
the purpose of building granite State
capitol to cost 81 100000, give the ques-
ton an interest, which it has not had
in this State for half century,
About forty-seven years ago the first lot
terry for the benefit of any public improve
ment was chartered by the legislature in
1927 OF % under the title of
3. ''THE VIRGINIA FREE ROAD LOTTERY"
It was intended to aid in the construction
of the ssVirginia Free Road" a dirt turn
pike running from Staunton to ParkerS-
burg, and now known as the Parkersburg
turnpike, and the managers OF the lottery
bound themselves opay to the building of
the road 81 900 per annum, whether their
drawings were profitable OF not. The
<,f tl,o himhacf ctand-
ing, in order that public confidence in the
fairness of the scheme might be secured,
and were the late Capt. Levi L. Stevenson
and the late Jos. Points, Jr. Capt. S. is
better known to this generation, as hay
inc been one of the most distinguished
members of the masonic fraternity in Viz
ginia. and the father of Brig. Gen. Stev-
enson, q. S. A., and the father-in-law of
Gen. Getty, U. S. A. and Col. M. &. Har-
man. Mr.. Points WaSa well know cop
persmith, a brother of our estimable fel-
low-citizens, Frank Points, and Of the late
James Points, U. S. Marshall of this dis
trict. The office was in those days in the
little frame building on Beverly ST., West
of the store of Loeb Bros, and on its front
was sign on which was inscribed
s'FoRTUNE's HoME''
with the usual painting of that worthy
female, lightly clad, ON financial ben
der, pouring gold dollars out OF a cor
nucopia, with a bandage over her eyes,
but whether to conceal black eye, or to
cover her agitation at the sinful exhibi-
ton of her legs, has never yet been set
tied. Staunton being the headquarters of
the managers, the tickets of the lottery
were all printed here by the late Gen Kenton
Harper, who was also Captain in Viz
ginia regiment in the Mexican war, who
then owned the s'Spectator'' newspaper
office and had a special hand press for doing
the work on. The highest number OF tickets
was &C, 900, though the number was smaller
when the capital prizes were smaller. The
clerks in the Office were Rev. W. g. Nor
rison, a Methodist local preacher, who
signed all the tickets, and MI. Abraham
Lynn, the father Of one of the VINDICA-
TOR editors, then a boy. Maj. ]. B. Watts,
one Of our best known citizens, was also a
clerk in the establishment, and on one oc-
casion had the good fortune to draw 81,
1856 as his half of quarter ticket. The
capital prizes ranged from $4,000 down
to 5000, and the price of whole tickets
from S. down to So with halves and quar-
tiers in proportion. This much for what
WAS done inside of Madame Fortunes
Home and now for the outside.
DISTRIBUTING THE TICKETS.
In the old stage days lotteries were not
such lightning operation as they are now.
The agents were selected often by the
managers themselves, after personal inter
views in their far off homes, and were al
ways men of standing sher-
ifs. constables and often members OF the
legislature, who were very effective sales
saen from their general acquaintance with
the people. Among them was the late Ed.
t. Saunders, member Of the legislature
from the district of Highland and Pendle-
ton Harvey Gray, Professor Of a school
at Woodstock; Irwin u Carson, OF w IN
chester Chas. Palmer, of Danville Col.
Thos. Bigger. of Richmond, afterwards
postmaster there; and Stratton, Of the
same city, who also did the business for
Petersburg; MI. Thorn, of Fredericksburg
VIM. Anderson, at Leesburg; Geo. A.
Baker, at Lexington; Col Hall of Frank
lin, the member of the legislature from
that county; and there were agencies at
Lewisburg, Charleston, and many other
of what are now West Virginia towns
These agents were all required to deposit
the tickets, remaining in their hands I'M
sold, in the post Office the day before the
drawing was to take place.
THE DRAwINGs-AN EXCITING ONE.
The drawings took place at first six
times in year, and then~with smaller
prizes twelve times, and were held at
Danville, Richmond, Clarksburg, Vim
chester. Charlestown, Harper's Ferry,
Martinsburg, Woodstock, New Market.
Rarrisonburg, Romney, Mooreteld, and
Huntersyille in PocahOntas CO., but none
east Of Richmond, the lottery OF Yates <
Mcintyre filling up that field. There WERE
no railroads and one Of the managers, &C
companied by Mr.. Lynn, the confidential
clerk would leave Staunton in private con
veyance, while the glass wheels containing
the tickets would be sent by the stage to
the destined points. In all the towns
where the drawings took place there was
a large crowd gathered, and nearly all be-
ing ticket holders, the interest was intense
On one occasion when the drawing took
place at Winchester, the town was crowded
and the streets around the market house:
where the wheels were placed, were blocked
with the people The capital prize was
$1,000, and the prizes were drawn out OF
the wheel until but three remained. One
of them must be the capital prize, and the