San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-06
CURIOSITIES OF THE L0TTERYE


strange" in fiction, although they are all the
time occurring in real life, 1t has happened
that while Monsieur Lesseps has been agitat-
ing the idea of lottery In France 10 carry
through his new Panama canal project the
old Union Canal, the very oldest canal IN this
country, aud which was originally and materi-
ally aided inits construction by lottery, has
Outlived its usefulness and has been ADAM
doned
The Union canal of Pennsylvania was the
first projected ON the American continent. IL
was suggested by William Penn in 1880, years
before a canal was in operation even In Eng
land. The route was surveyed by David nit
tenhouse, the astronomer, and DIR. william
Smith, provost Of the University OF Penn
sylvania.
Union Canal took place in the old Arcade IN
Philadelphia, on Chestnut stree, near Seventh,
and were regarded as occasions OF public in-
terest. The work was interrupted by the
Revolutionary war; but later on Robert Nor
ris, Robert Fulton and Jacob Francis became
interested In IL.
The canal was eighty-nine miles long, and
necessitated In its construction some of the
greatest engineering work of the day. The
first tunnel in the United States WAS bored for
this canal, and @ lossal pumping apparatus
was used to raise the water to the necessary
height
tin es at sum at the present time), was worth
to tue country every dollar il cost, and would
never have beeI completed had 1t not been for
the lottery.
A rival to the Union Canal was afterwards
started by the BostOnese to enable the Hub TO
compete with New York; but although this
canal was completed, through the agency also
of public lottery formed to aid its eonstruc-
ton, IL failed to render Boston equal TO New
York. though ii did much good, nevertheless:
Various public works beside canals resorted
TO the lottery for aid. When New England
patriotism fell short of finishing the Bunker
Hill monument, "a large lottery was suggested
TO continue the good work, and rattle was
gotten up at a ladies fair" TO which Fannie
Essler, the danssuse, contr buted, and which
supplied the funds required.
Even the phegmatic Germans took kindly
TO the lotteries aud drawings of interesting
magnitude took place in Vienna and Berlin.
The lottery then found its way, on the general
principles of human nature, into Great Brit
ain, where II took root and tlOurished. TIE
first English lottery was for the repairing OF
harbOrs and fOrtiticatiOns along the coast. The
first public drawing in England took place at
the door of old st. Paul's cathedral, In the
presence of vast crowd.
Queen Elizabeth, the most sensible and sue
cessfu of English sovereigns, established the
lottery by royal edict and placed II under the
control of the prime minister and the chan
cellOr of the EXchequer. So successful we're
its results that IL was continued as an accept
ed institution for raising revenues down to
the close of the eighteenth century. IL was
during this brilliant period that the banking
system, insurance, exchange and paper
money were first introduced, and all, If not
born of, were undoubtedly Graded in, the lot
terry system.
The greatest pllDllC institution IN LONDON, OF
perhaps in the world, the British Museum,
was materially aided in its inception by lot
terry. Nearly 100000 were thus contributed to
this magnificent object one hundred and thir-
ty-five years ago.
Meanwhile the lottery had gained firm
fOOthod in France. The mercurial Parisians
took kindly.to it, They dearly loved the ex-
element of the drawings, while at the same
time the government took care to devote the
major portions of the funds thus raised to
public purposes.
At present, lotteries in France are in full IA
vor for charitable and art purposes and are
regulated by government, public oftcal be-
ing present at all drawings. Over forty lot
teres have obtained the sanction of the
French government during the last decade.
The lottery known as 1.-The Central Union of
Decorative Arts" had a capital of IA, 100000
francs NEARLY S3,0C0,0O0) One lottery disposed
of six hundred thousand tickets in twenty
DAYS. The Algerian National Lottery sold
over million of tickets per month for hve
months, and the lottery for the SOcete des
Gems de LOttOjes sold over half that number
at higher price.
In this country. as has been previously
stated, lotteries have always been popular,
and until late years have been sanctioned
while regulated by law Religion has even in
America, awaited Itself largely Of human ma
lures tendency to the lottery.
Churches, from Maine TO Louisiana, have
been aided by lotteries. The Philadelphia
Steeple Lottery was managed by no less
man, atesman and philanthropst, than Ben
jamin Franklin, and through its agency the
steeple of old Christ Church. Philadelphia, was
raised and its peal of bells secured,
These Christ Church bells are almost as well
known and historical in the Quacker City as
are Bow bells" in London: the whole peal
weigh over nine thousand pounds, and are
very harmonious - literally music by the
pound They were cast in London and
brought over with great care and large eX-
pense to Philadelphia. The lottery the funds
of which procured these bells was regarded by
the good men and women at the time as pub
lie benefit
In new England a lottery was originated for
the purpose of raising funds to supply sailors
and strangers with Bibles, and succeeded
largely in accomplishing its object. Thus
lottery became bible society. Various Epis-
copal and Congregational churches at New
port and elsewhere have been built with funds
raised by lotteries.
Two of the most noted preachers in this
country, Increase and Cotton Mather, lived
and died in houses built by lotteries and the
Rev. DR.. Eiphalet Mott, of Union College, has
written the best, because most truthful, de-
Tense Of the lottery system. Rev. DIR. Mott
was historical character, the grandfather of
the present Bishop Henry Goldman Potter OF
New York, and the inventor of the celebrated
Mott stove. The defense ofthe lottery system
was before the New York legislature.
The first Episcopal church in Brooklyn, st.
AIMS on the Heights, was erected largely by
means of lottery, under the personal direc-
ton of the Rev. DR.. Page.
The famous charity hospital of New Orleans,
one of the historic institutions of the coun-
try, has Tor many years been partly supported
by over quarter OF Il mllllOn OF collars TeCelV-
ed for it during that period from the Louisiana
State Lottery.
Christ church. in Louisiana, the first Pro-
testant church in that state, was erected on
site purchased by lottery funds, and various
similar incidents could be cited.
Colleges and schools in America almost
without number, have from time to time been
Indebted TO lotteries for their erection or COM
pletiOn. Dartmouth College, Harvard College,
Leicester Academy, Rhode Island College,
WiliamstOwn Free School, some dozen of edu-
catiOnal institutions in New York state and
Pennsylvania, and scores of institutions
through the south and west might be emu
merated. Roads have been constructed by lot
terry funds, also bridges, canals, and manufa--
tories. In addition to the Union Canal, al
ready mentioned, the Amoskeag Canal, and
the Wilton Canal may be cited, while Hatfield
bridge, River Park bridge, Kennebec bridge
the Milton paper mill, the Connecticut manu-
factory, al owe their very existence to the
lottery system.
To this system Rhode Island owes today its
free schools, Connecticut its orphan and in
sane asylums. Even that once proud boast of
New York state. in its days the greatest
water way in the world" the Erie canal, was
indebted for its early progress to the lottery.
Delaware owes to it its schools and Masonic
Institute, Marylsnd numberless public chari-
ties, Virginia its university and public roads,
the father of our country personally manag-
ing lottery for the latter purpose. The Car
olinas and other southern states have been
signally aided aud largely benefited by this
means, as have nearly all the western states
the public library of Louisville, the fire de-
partment and Charity hospital of st. Louis
being prominent cases in point.
1t may, in fact, be stated without exaggera-
ton, that the original settlement of large
portion of the United States was due to the
liberal lottery grant given TO 'the Virginia
company" by James the First, while no less a
patriot than Thomas Jefferson was strongly in
favor of raising funds TO carry out the IDEAS
of the first continental congress" in I776, by
means of u public lottery, under the manage,
ment of the infant government.
One thing is certain-during what are now
called the good old times," and are regarded
as THE best days of the republic" lotteries