Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-13
CHANGING 1T.
The Popularity OF the Lotteries i'm tn,
Early Days OF " Washington.

PROMINENT CITIZENS As HACKERS, AGENTS. AND
BUYERs-LARGE PRIZES But SMALL cHANcEs-THE
MISFORTUNE OF WINNING PRIzE-MAKINa A SURE
THING BY FRAUD-How THE RING WORKED.
'"There was time," said an old washingtonian
to STAR reporter few days ago, "when lottery
or exchange offices were as plentiful on the Ave
nue. and 9TH and streets as dry good stores or
corner groceries 1t was a business looked on as
one OF the industries OF the city, and some OF our
best citizens were among the customers long after
the law Of 1s43 made the lottery business illegal
In the District. l have known OF some who car
ried as much as $500 worth OF tickets into the
grand jury room when they were members Of that
body. Some OF our city fathers were prominent In
the lottery business as hackers, agents. or buyers
In the olden times the city councils authorized
lotteries, but about the time Congress made q law
prohibiting the drawing of lotteries and the sale
OF tickets the councils followed suit by putting q
clause In the general gambling act"
Dld the drawings take place here?" queried the
reporter.
ing tickets was lively business: almost every
phase OF society was Interested in the scheme I
have seen the exchange offices crowded perhaps
not as much as at election times but still quite as
much OF q jam as we sometimes see at the bulletin
boards We had then the Delaware MarylanI
and Alexandria lotteries, and subsequently the
kentucky lottery became popular one. Some of
these would have capital prizes high az 500 600
at times but not often; $4,000 to $40 600 was
about The range. or course you understand the
Schemef There were sometimes as many as
eighteen drawn numbers, but the humber ran
down to eleven-thirteen to fifteen. The capital
prize went TO the ticket with the first three drawn
ngures. Take your pencil and calculate II you
choose, and you may form some idea as TO how
often prize was struck ticket with one ngure
would draw the amount paid, less the l5 per cent
discount; two figures would draw better, and three
ngures got large prize. In all my experience I
should Judge that one In hundred came out sare
ho M
trict, but not often.
HE WON THE PRIZE AND LOST HIS ALL.
II once knew one of our leading citizens, promi-
nent member OF church, local politician, and
member OF the city council, who had the misfor.
tune TO draw prize You need not laugh at the
ticket one followed In his case He had been deal
Ing IN the tickets for years, and this appeared to
one nne morning he learned On examining a ticket
that ne had drawn prize Of Sic, 600 The ticket
was cashed less the Is per cent discount, and the
consequence was his business 1rst, then his prop-
erty, including his brick houses went down his
throat and being too heavy for his stomach caused
his death. might say that this was the usual re-
suit with those drawing prizes, for do not know
to-day the representatives OF single MANAGER
agent, or backer Of the olden time, with but one
exception, VINO possesses one dollar.
BEATING THE LOTTERY
Do you remember z, who died at the Wash.
ington Asylum about ten years ago9 He once
operated extensively and came near breaking up
the Alexandria lottery. 1t was about the time the
morse Telegraph was put into use. In Alexandra
there were two drawings per day. about noon and
at or In the afternoon, the first being q minor
concern, but the latter had big prizes RANGING
from 10000 to 1000. X. put up lob orua nized
ring and the Offices here and In Baltimore, con-
tinuing to sell tickets for an hour after that set
for the drawing, offered the opportunity for carry.
Ing out the scheme. X. rode q flne horse and
every afternoon took ride TO Alexandria and was
ss
save the ouyers) he would mount his steed and,
from point near the town, would
SIGNAL BIZ A FEW ROCKETS
the ngures which were drawn. This would Be seen
BY one OF the ring stationed In high building op-
posite the city post-ofce, then on 9TH street. be-
tween and streets, and he In turn would signal
70 seesgraPn Operator over the post ONCE who
large proportions that It did take long for the
omces 70 get nd Of every ticket with one or more
OF the signalled figures, and soon the managers
certained that many OF the agents were informed
OF the ngures by the bell-ringer OF an auction
house. As would 60 along with his HOMOGENEOUS
neSe IL By striking Cd the numbers scmeshinS NE
the fire-alarm bells DO now. FinaIIy II Wa sais
pected. friend was assigned 70 watch him md
While drunk exposed himself Ne could not then
unlawful: have heard it SAID that while be
worked this scheme he received from the ring n n
per DAY. He, ike the others engaged, died poor"
"M NEW YoRK,
where was raised" said another OLD tfmar
''chancing on lottery was pretty general, ana the
business was looked upon a. most respectable
pastime. The ostery was licensed By the state
and the controller was regarded 6 an ex-oficioo
manager. There was one Of the agents. there vino
afterward served the city - mayor. When Il sme
:sss ne
u oun1no4 being done behind biz nroSn1 ~