The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-23
TOPPING, THE TAILOR.
A Lucky and PIueky Investor 5n
Lottery Tickets.

Gebhardt Topping, a cutter employed in
IL tailoring establishment on Market
street, was comparatively unknown out
side of the circle of his few acquaintance.
Himself and family had been oppressed
by comparative poverty, and the widest
dream of the obscure tailor hardly
equaled the good fortune that was in
store for him. About fortnight before
the date mentioned man peddling
lottery tickets approached Tailor Tep-
ping and negotiated the sale of one
coupon of five that had comprised
chance No. 77,0Sl in the drawing of the
Louisiana Lottery, to occur August 18th.
Topping thought little of the value of his
purchase at the time. He placed the
coupon in an envelope and carelessly
tossed it into the office safe
On Wednesday, the day succeeding
the drawing, the peddler of whom Tep-
ping had purchased the coupon rushed
into the store and informed the cutter
that his coupon had drawn So, 900. The
breath was fairly knocked out of Topping
SO suddenly acquired could scarcely be
realized by the poverty-stricken cloth
cutter, who had toiIed hard for a living
for years with little prospect of lettering
his condition.
But the old saying that wealth brings
tribulatiOn" proved at least temporarily
true in Tepping's case. Upon looking
for the prize coupon he was astounded
when his employer announced that he
had sold the coupon to his father-in-law.
Topping was frantic and consulted
friends, who advised him to get ''gun"
and either recover the coupon or shoot
whoever held it. Topping resolved to
not allow his fortune to slip from
him before he had fairly touched it and
acted accordingly. A new bulldog pistol
in his hand, the tailor traced the coupon
to an Office where one Rosenblum was
negotiating to have the coupon cashed.
Rosenblum and Tepping's employer
hankered for a share of the tailor's lucky
venture They worked upon his feelings
so successfully that Topping agreed to
take 800 for the coupon. Topping
| slowed his $4,000 away securely and
then proceeded to make it lively for his
ex-employer and Rosenblum.
When the ticket was cashed, Topping
with the magnifcence and condescension
of a suddenly created millionaire, made
his late employer present of $500. Such
was the act of Topping, the enriched
tailor Then with his newly acquired
fortune, he proceeded to enjoy himself.
| The dreams of a lifetime could now be
realized. He would eat, drink and be
merry. The wife should have a new
! sealskin to replace the old faded cloak.
The children appeared in bright new
! frocks, and Topping himself shone with
! the splendor of nabob.
Such is the story of Topping, the tailor
| who was poor and is rich; who bought
lottery ticket coupon and won fortune
last month. 1t is said that Topping has
forsaken the scenes that he formerly
haunted; that the paths he trod now
know him no more. Where is Topping?
Has he returned to the land where
Prince Bismarck rules and where the
American hog is unknown? 1t is limited
that Topping has gone to visit his Father
land and to there astonish the natives
with graphic accounts of howfortunesh have
been made by CalifOrnians investing in
Louisiana lottery tickets.-ISan Fran
cisco Cali Chronicle, Sept. 18th.