Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-04-07
A SISGULAH DREAM
A Negro Dream of a Lottery and
What Resulted
From the Chicago Tribune

FROM ihe OnlcagO Tribune.
A singular occurrence, Indicating
the curious characters of dreams, and
how they sometimes come true, Is re-
ported In the case of John White, q
| colored white washer, residing on
Fourth avenue. Like many of his
race. he is an inveterate purchaser of
| lottery tickets, and speculates in pol
| icy. And, like all gamblers, is most
superst1tlous in regard to dreams of
numbers and omens of luck. At the
recent drawing of the New Orleans
lottery, White, like most of his fellows,
was in ecstasy of excitement over the
lottery, and contemplated an invest
ment. The thing pervaded his
sleeping as well ss his walking
Thoughts, so that it is not surprising
that he dreamed of the lottery. One
night he dreamed that he was present
at the drawing. and that two cap
ltal prizes, aggregating $l5G, coo.
fell to two numbers that he
distinctly saw--12, $50 aud T. He was
naturally impressed by his dream;
still more impressed when for the next
two nights 1t was repeated without
modification in form. This, as any
Psychologist or student of cerebral
phenomena knows, was less remark
able than 1t seems, but a singular
coincidence, or rather series of coinc;-
cldences. followed. That moring as
he went to his work, passing by the
Lake Shore depot, he noticed the
rumbers of the engine and baggage
Cal on the Eikhart accommodation,
and they were 258 and 64l, the num-
bers of his dream, though in a differ
eat circle, ard the two houses where
he was employed for the day hap
pened to be l15 North Sangamou and
864 West Harrington streets. There
Is perhaps nothing really re-
markabie or unaccountable about
this, as rational explanation
would make the dream the conse-
quence Of previous knowledge of and !
reflection upon these numbers. He |
saw the same train every morning on |
his way to work, and had probably
noticed the coincidence of the mum
bers of The houses where he was en- |
gagged to work. This coincidenca,
through the process of unconscious
cerebration, undoubtedly begat the
dream, with all its harmony of detail
so possessed was he with the idea of
those numbers proving the fortu-
nate ones that he collected ali the
money he could scrape together,
raised more on a chattel mortgage
upon his scanty furniture, and bought
two full tickets. costing 800, in
the lottery, securing, to his great JOY,
tn numbers of his dream. The news
speedily circulated. and there was in
tense excitement in Africa. Every
body went to the policy shops aud
played as his numbers, II. SO, 64 The
evening of the drawing came at last;
not an eye was closed in Ethiopia, and
next morning by daybreak the whole
population had secured copies of this
paper containing the official report.
Head it out. Brudder Washing
on" exclaimed one anxious gam
oier. ''Spit it out What's 12.-
1876? What's done become OBJ
E?' "Whah's they!' replied the pa
riarch with a groan, dey's not hyatt
Wy chlIIen, dis is wuss dan de Freed
netRs Bank 1t was, alas too true.
The sun that had risen on a popuIa-
!on flushed with hope set on busted !,
community. Such scene has been
Unknown since on the 18th of April
asst 4-1t-44 was drawn when there ..
wasn't u penny played on it. The :
"a 'awnbrOkers' shops are cramm ed, aud
here is hardly one pair of laveuders ,
@ be seen on Clark street IN an after :
loou's walk, and, when last Sunday ;
everend exhorter rose and announced ,
IS his text, Dem that makes haste fo'
o GET rich slall not be Innocent, the
he effect was electrical