Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-12
THE TOPICAL IALKER.
The Craze for Lottery TlclEers--eiGns Of IL
Here and Elsewhere-He Thought the
r,.. vu.-.,, .n p.,o.-A chiId,s Frro.

The Craze for Lottery TIekets--elGns Of IL
Here and Elsewhere-He Thought the
Butter Worth the Price-A Child's Error.
THERE has not been such craze for buying
lottery tickets for long while as there now Is
in Pittsbure. Perhaps the mania for throwing
money away in this particular direction Is not
confined TO this OF any other section Of the
country. Several disclosures recently have
shown that great sales of lottery tickets are
taking place in Chicago, Washington, New
York and other large cities. In Chicago two
or three suits recently brought IN the courts
there have sprung from disputed ownership Of
lottery tickets The defaulter Silcott
is known to have plunged heavily in lottery
tickets in the insane hope to make big stake
and with it cover up his sins. The boy tlann
who is now paying the penalty for his crime
was a heavy purchaser of the same valuable
bits of paper. AS q proof of the activity
of the lottery business in this vicinity it is said
that a single newsdealer sells two hundred
copies of New Orleans paper which contains
list of the winning numbers the day after the
monthly drawing. Eight days before the
monthly drawing of the largest lottery in the
country, that sanctioned by the State OK Louis
lana, certain express office in this city hardly
does any other business in its money transfer
department but accept money from PittsDurg-
ers for transmission to New Orleans.
To my own personal knowledge the pur-
chasers of lottery tickets belong TO all sorts Of
stations in life--the very poor, eolored men in
humble positions, and the very rich; but prob
ably clear majority of those who adventure
their money in this way belong to the class Of
men working for moderate salaries. News
paper men are among the infatuated
ssH
AMONG the reasons for the remarkable
boom in the lottery business here just now, IS
the unusual number of winnings which have
fallen to Pittsburgers lately. McKeesport has
been in great luck, am told. 1t is very un-
fortunate for the hardworking population Of
McKeesport. One prize in such community
tempts a thousand to try their luck and waste
their money.
OF course the prosperity which reigns to-day
helps ilIegitimate as it does legitimate busi-
! ness It is not my business to preach
sermon on the foolishness and
worse of speculating in lotteries, but
have knowledge of enough money wasted in
| this way to convince me that some measure to
control the lottery traffic is badly needed in
Pittsburg There is possibility that Congress
will take action upon the Recommendations OF
Postmaster General wanamaker as to placing
| further restrictions upon the use OF the mails
| for the benefit of Southern lotteries.
| 50
IT noticeable fact Jones, otherwise a
star boarder, does pitch into the butter un-
mercifuIly at his boarding house. So none OF
the other boarders were surprised when the
landlady said to him, rather coldly. the othel
day at breakfast: "Mr. Jones, that butter is 81
| cents pound. let me tell your
"Well, it's blamed well worth it?' as coolly
replied Jones as he spread a few ounces Of
butter on hot flannel cake.
| Sc
LAST Sunday the building of Solomon'f
temple was the subject for consideration in the
infants class at an Allegheny Sunday school.
A bright little boy who listened to the &C
count of that splendid building, was asked BY
| his father, on his return home, what he ha6
heard at Sunday school.
"All about Sullivan's house, papa" was the
reply, and from what the boy told further there
was no doubt but that he had got it firmly into
his little head that the Boston pugilist had beer
the hero Of his Sunday school lesson.