New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
EMBARRASSING LOTTERIES.

Among the things now having run IN pop
Mar favor in England are prize word COMPETE
tons. Every morning that old-tash0ned
organ of London Toryism, The Morning Post
publishes a column or two of advertisements oil
what may be termed "word guessing lotteries"
Cash prizes are offered by public institutions,
benevolent associations and individual specula-
TORS fol the greatest number OF English words
to be formed from q given text. Hundreus OF
these competitions are now III progress, anu
every issue of that journal contains new pro-
nosals as well as official declarations OF the
award of prizes in pending contests. Every
competitor is required to pay an entrance fee
before he can be eligible for a premium The
sum total of the gate money, after expenses OF
advertising are deducted and a percentage is
reserved for charitable objects or private
profit, is divided among four or five success full
contestants. The magnitude OF the operations
of these ord-spelling lotteries will be apprecl-
ated when the statement is made that the
prizes offered in single weeks advertisements
aggregate 100000.
The scope of these Curious guessing t0urna-
ments can be readily illustrated from single
issue of this London journal. One hundred
guineas are offered for the greatest number OF
words fIom Dental Hospital" the institution
receiving one-ffth of the entrance fees. The
London Hospital obtains e-thrd OF the net
nroceeds of similar competition based upon
ira title. Various public charities will profit
from contests over such words as "Valedic-
torv.u diocesan Lodge" Lay on. Macduff,"
aTanestry.r @Patent,n @Christmas Tree"
aElv Cathedral Boobies Baby " Patriotic"
and a hundred other titles. Most of the COM
ne,itions are conducted, like church lotteries,
ostensibly for benevolent purposes, bit there
are many which are obviously private specula-
tions. The same advertiser proposes word
after word from day to day, and since the prizes
ore small and the number of entries Is unknown,
his brokerage fees must be considerable.
Some of the competitions are restricted TO
children under fourteen years and others are
for women or men only. In one way or another
the patronage of the guessing public is ingen-
;ouslv solicited and the popularity OF the word
contests grows apacc.
For the benefit of guessers who have no
snecial talent for forming combinations OF let
fora similar prizes are offered for the longest
Ests of British names of men who have risen,
the most popular military stations In the Brit
;sb E,npjre. the best known female characters
in the Old Testament twenty greatest women
in history six most popular characters in Eng
land. and six greatest characters in Shake
speare. The prizes are awarded either by
authorized judges or by the competitors them
selves by aggregate vote on what may be de-
scribed az the mutual plan. Prizes are also ad-
yertlsed for the best definition OF Frenchman
in the fewest words the best English sentence
of twelve words containing the fewest letters
the best original "Kyrie v; the most sensible
dozen receipts for nutritious dishes and SD on.
The nearest guess to the total Official number
of visitors to the Colonial and Indian Exhib-
ton will yield $50 in cash for small entrance
fee. Ten shlllngs can DO had for three postage
stamps for correct guess OF an advertiser 3
name, each competitor being allowed four
guesses for his stamps.
This Curious list might be greatly extended,
il il we're desirable to illustrate further the
varied character of these popular guessing
| bouts which are now attracting public favor IN