The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-27
The Great French Lottery.

II is upward Of a century and a half since
all Paris cOngregated in the Rue do Quln-
quempoix. in the Place Nend0me. and around
the Hotel de scissors, 10 dabble in Missis-
sippi stock. Since that bubble burst France
has never been so generally stirred as now
by any speculative mania; although, 10 be
sure, the risk in the Exposition lottery is
only franc share, whereas In JOHN LAWS
Company OF the Indies, it was often thou
sands OF livrcs. Across the Channel they
frown ON this now French frenzy. English
men liking better to lose their money in
some chartered South Sea Scheme or Asso-
citation Qimitcdl for extracting sunbeams out
OF cucumbers and we Americans also look
askance at IL.
The French lottery is national institu-
ton, under charge Of n central committee.
presided over by the Minister Of Agriculture
and Commerce, and aided by Chief Of Police
ANsARr and high officers in the French Treas
ury Department; while NJ. MARrEAU. Judge
OF the Commercial Court, Is the custodian Of
the lots. The lottery was devised for the
purpose Of meeting the cost Of bringing
working people from all parts Of France
free TO the Exposition, partly for their
amusement, but chiefly ON the same theory
Of popular instruction that prompted
the sending OF French workingmen TO
our Centennial Exhibition in 1876. The
scheme, however, soon got beyond that, and
found its way into every artery and vein Of
French life furnishing premiums in trade,
brides in politics, rewards in schools, and,
above all, supplying the sanction Of law and
patriotism TO the popular passion for gaming
The tickets, at first a million only soon in
creased to two, three, four, five. until. on
Nov. 10, they were definitely stopped nj
twelve millions. Up to that point the in
crease was in manner compulsory, be-
cause each time the Committee met to con-
slider the last placing Of tickets, the de-
mands for more showed that refusal would
be popular disappointment, and would be
regarded as an arbitrary act.
Meanwhile the prizes, or lots, had been rs
| steadily augmented. They numbered at first
five thousand, including great number Of
art exhibits bought by the committee; for
to encourage artists in this form was the
second original feature Of the scheme. But,
as the end Of the Exposition drew nigh, the
resources OF the Commission were swol-
len by vast quantities Of gifts. Foreign
Commissioners contributed public exhibits,
| WHICH Nltl uld llob Ndit ~ fdll Hbllt, lol
eign and French private exhibitors followed
suit-in fact, the lottery became the RESIDUE
airy legatee of tho Parts Exposition, as the
Permanent Exhibition in Philadelphia was OF
our American show of 1876. Soon. giving to
the lottery became a rage among the French
| exhibitors, In fact, such an advertising de-
vice In the business world and among pub
| lie men eager for popularity. that the Com
mittee Disseminated carefully rs to what
was valuable and portable before accepting
Beside these gifts. the Committee set apart
a liberal portion ~ tho receipts on each new
issue of tickets, as a purchasing fund.
Some curious gifts have been offered to
the lottery-among them, as recorded In the
0Nciel are package of violin cords, half
n dozen pots OF hair pomado. a fire alarm.
| two baskets of Roquefort cheese, cOllec-
| lions Of specimen insects, orders on soup
house, sundry boxes Of corn salve, and so on.
But the prizes I'm general are enough to
tempt tho franc of the most cautious OF
mortals. The lrst prize. or GrOs lot Is worth
S25 0O0; the second and third, $4,000 each
| the fourth and fifth, $4,000 oach--a total of
$3.50 cash in these five OrOs i0ts for al
though the prizes are iowelry exhibits yet
the valuation Is the sum which the owners
agree to give in cash, instead. The Com
mittce bought many fine and valuable cx-
hibts, and when they found how popular the
scheme was, they wont beyond the fine art
section of the Exposition, to which it was at
first resolved to coniine their purchases
Thus, in the record OF the meeting of Oct, %
we find the Committee authorizing expendi
lures for prizes to tho amount OF 1885, 0OC
francs, thus distributed Art works. $4,000
musical instruments, books, &c, 100000; fur
niture, bronzes, silyerwNre, 100000; gar
ments, cloths laces, 100000; raw mate
rial, useful articles, 100000; machines
carriages, 10000; foods. wines, liquors