The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-01-31

and fashioned after the form in use by the Post
Office Department For instance: A letter of en-
quiry to a remittance sent by John Jones, of
Omaha Neb, is made and placed in the hands of
the tracers. 1t is found that such letter was re-
ceiyed, the several records examined and traced
finally to the mailing department where, on such
a date, acknowledgment and ticket mailed.
This is recorded and the enquirer notified and then
the matter is traced through the Post Office Depart
ment Should the record prove, after tracing, that
no such letter was originally received, the same
result is entered in the enquiry book and the sender
askedfor more specific information. Very often it
occurs that the letter of enquiry stated, refers
to some letter that has neither signature nor ad-
dress. Then after exhausting all known methods
of tracing it through the regular books of record,
a visit is made to the "old horse vault and per
haps 1t is then, by special and prolonged examina-
ton, and comparison of chrogrRphy, that the
company is enabled to determine the writer of the
original letter containing the remittance. The
question solved to their own satisfaction, they
advise the writer, and ali his order for the coming
drawing, if requested, return his money.
But the company do not wait for letters Of en-
quiry from their careless correspondents. For
instance, if they can decipher the name of the
party and town-while there may be nothing to
indicate the State-thsy CLEAN from the Postal
Guide every State and Territory in which Is To-
Gated town of that name, and send postal card
to each one, advising the party named that they
are in possession of package of value, and if his
hers, to write giving description of it's contents,
when sent, name of town and State etc. Thus,
very often they anticipate letter Of enquiry and
fill order with but little delay Your CORE
spondent was told of one particular case in which
patron failed to give any legible address, and all
enquiries the part of the company failed to dis
cover him. But at about the same time il was
receiving letters from some one who was calling
it hard names because it failed TO send him ticket
as ordered. This party was requested to give, if
possible, the date of his original letter of remit
lance, the nature of it. whether bills silver money
order, if by express otherwise. But the COM
psny got no definite answer from him, only an
additional abusive complaint
Finally" said the manager "a man came into
the Office one day and declared he was going to
know why the company had robbed him Of his
money without giving him any satisfaction. Learn
ing his name the general manager took him aside
and by clever questioning got out of him in a few
minutes more definite information than a series of
letters had extracted. Taking him into the old
horse" vault, II the boxes was opened, and
very soon the original letter was discovered. I'm
mediateIy recognizing it, the man exclaimed:
Why, that's the very old bill that sent with
it that you got pinned there"
Yes" was the reply; you see we did not steal
your money or put it in our pockets but you notice
there are no directions In any part Of your letter
whereby could learn where to send you proper
returns"
Then the man was full of apologies.
No doubt he is regular patron now, but more
careful in giving proper address. But the com
pany is not always fortunate enough TO reduce the
"old horse " account as in this case, and thus
large amount of money necessarily remains 10 its
credit.
President Dauphin DEGREES that as it does not
belong 10 the company, the company must not
touch it. A concern that sets up such standard
of honesty in its dealings with its patrons cannot
help compelling confidence in all It's methods.
All the correspondence appertaining to each
drawing is bound in alphabetical form and fled
away according to date in appropriate pigeon
holes that in an instant almost the letter of q
| fortunate winner, showing name aud location
may be- ascertained. This verified later on
when after the drawing l called Dr. Dauphin
10 learn, If possible, the localities and names Of
the lucky who had secured tie capital prizes
Happening to be III the presidents private office
| about 10 O'Clock on the morning of the drawing,
/ your correspondent had the pleasure of meeting
that old veteran of the COufsderaey, General Jabl
| y. Early, one OF the commissioners who comes
/ down once a month from his home in Virginia
| 10 superintend the drawing. The old gentleman,
although somewhat bent under the weight Of years
1 yet looks rugged, ana Is active his feet as
many men thirty years younger. lie presents u
| most venerable appearance, with his long, gray
beard and brOaa-brlm SLOUGH hat. His eye Is sharp
| and piercing, and his voice AS firm In the old
campaigning days IN the Shenandoah Valley. He
| greeted me cordially, and after making some in
/ quiries of the general manager relative to the
| bags" containing the tickets he casually men
toned that he had just received a dispatch from
some old friend IN Rhode Island TO wire hiIa I'M
nediately after the drawing. the number that Sc
| cured the capital prize
Now, of course, said the General with a merry
| twinkle IN his eye, " he expects in some way I
can help him win 1t, for he sends me the number
| OF his ticket"
| = reeoliect not long since" the General con-
| tinued, - in Rochester wrote that if L
could pull capital prize of 100000 for him, 1
could keep $4,000 and send him $4,000. The -
| fool added the old veteran; if could do such
thing, and rascal enough to do It. did he sup
pose would be foolish enough to divide any part
| OF it.'
And soitis," said General Early; "some people
/ have idea that General BeauregRrd or myself
| can, IN way. give the prizes where we WILL
And as We wendell our way 10 the Academy Of
Music which is but a short distance from the
louisiana State Lottery COmpany's building the
opposite side of ST. Charles street, the General said
| he would explain to how utterly impossible it
/ would be for him or General BeauregaTd to do
| any such thing.
The Academy Of Music, where the drawing takes
! place, reached, and Mt the Generals in
| yit.lIon your correspondent assigned a seat
| upon the stage, where he was introduced TO GEN
eral Beauregard, the associate commissioner, and
| Messrs. W. /. Hodgson, William Packard, q. g.
| Roux, j. A A. Rousseau, who assist the commits
sioners IN the detail work These are ali proini-
nenI and well known business ;nen OF New Orleans.
Seated upon the Stage the genial Colonel
Dan Wilson, so we'll known 10 every one IN the
Crescent City, who never fails witness the grand
/ drawings.
| On the stage We're two large boxes, which con-
| tanned the ten bags in which We're the tickets
| l00,O00-eaCh wrapped or tightly rolled and en-
cased in strong gutta- pereha tube, the ends Of
| the tickets slightly projecting beyond the ends Of
| the tube Each ticket is printed, from l to
100000, III great Dig, black type So to be readily
read by tie audience Ia front held up to view
/ The prize tickets, SIS IN number, are similarly
printed and eucased IN Ike tubes for be il under
stood that while there but SIS prize numbers
/ drawn out, there are in addition 2gS approxima-
/ ton prizes, which explained below. In the
first place TO be explicit and give definite plan of
| the present Mammoth Drawing, there SIS prize
/ tickets, enumerated as follows:
prize of 100000 600
prize OF 2OOUU0 200 GOO
prize of 100000 loo 600
prize OF 5000 ,....-.. 5000
prizes OF 2o,UO0 OUUO
prizes OF lOOD0 ....... .... $1,000
II prizes of 5000 GOCOO
20 prizes of 1900 $1,000
100 prizes of $40 5000
20 prizes OF 9OO ars.... So COO
$40 prizes OF 40 .. 100 600
| The approximation prizes as follows:
leo prizes of Sl,0Oo approximating to $500, GOO
/ prize, are 100000.
100 prizes of $500, approximatng to $500 O0o prize
| are $50, coo.
100 prizes of $780, approximatng to 500 600 prize,
| are $4,000.
THREE NUMBER TERMINALS.