Telegram-herald., 1890-03-24
WASHINGTON ECHOES
social snd Literary Poker Clubs 81
the Capital
LOUISIANA LOTTERY SPauLaTIOsS
DinsalEls. or I.rin L~sisi.tts1-Iss
fEsssat biii sAtisr.stsEy % ths
Whole - Waa.2@ksr's CfFe4-
Lar LstGsr-hlairis Reply.

country n WHICH there 3 80 u A~I
gambling carried on as there "a n the
city OF Washington. Poker clubs IN
numerable flourish here, and although
the police regulations are pretty we'll
enforced aud 10 i against the law 70
maintain a gambling house, there are
plenty Of ways Of getting over this diff
nculLy One OF the easiest IS for three
or four men 10 get together and incor-
porate a social and literary club.
Nomlnally no one can belong 70 il who
IS not a member OF the club, but this
little fofmality OF law IS avoided by out
sders being made members on the pay
ment OF very small sum. When this
Is done the law can not touch the mem
bers, and although the police haye
time and again tried TO break these
places up, II has been held by the
courts that they can not DC disturbed.
But the way in which the goddess of
fortune IS wOOed more assiduouslyls IS by
lottery tickets and policy. The latter
Is confined almost exclusively 70 the
colOIed population, bat lottery buying
Is general and Is not confined 10 any
one class of people. Senators and
Members OF Congress, the clerks in the
departments, men IN business, and IN
fact almost every one at some time or
other buys chance IN the lottery.
A few years ago there was not so much
OF this done here, but about that time
one or the big prizes came 20 Washing
ton and that gave the business a big
boom. The way IN which a man lost
$4,000 and another made II is curious,
and Il IS worth while telling.
Az the time | mention, there was a
man IN this city who had formerly been
a pump maker. In the DAYS when
there were a great many pumps IN
Washington he could make very good
wages repairing pumps, but with the
spread OF the water supply his occupa-
ton, like OthellO's, was gone. He then
became an agent for the company in
a small way, and had few
regular customers To whom he sold.
tickets every month. One month a
blacksmith TO whom he had been in the
habit of selling a half ticket regularly,
vas hard up and could not take his
usual chance. This left the agent with
a half ticket on MS hands and as ne was
too poor TO speculate himself he tried
very hard to induce one of his custom
ers to take the extra chance. But none
OF them wanted il and he thought he
would have TO stand the loss himself.
one day, just few days before the
drawing, he went into a newspaper
Office the book keeper OF which was one
OF his customers. He endeavored to
sell the remaining ticket TO this man,
but could not succeed, but the book
keeper was possessed Of a sudden freak
and wanted 10 exchange the ticket
which ne had already bought for the
one which the agent had. OF course
the latter made no objection to this ar
rangement and the transfer was made.
When the drawing was made and il was
found that half of the winning ticket
which was entitled TO the prize OF $50, 900
had been sold IN Washington there was
great curiosity TO know who was the
lucky man. Then II came out that the
agent had the ticket and that It was the
same one which he had sold to the
bCOk-keeper and which the latter, after
having had 1t IN his possession for a
week or so, had traded off for one
which did not draw cent. The whole
thing created good deal OF talk and
gave a great impetus to the sale of
lottery tickets in this city. The agent
bought some property with his money
ani Is now quite we'll of. | believe,
wbiie the bOok-keepcr still invests a
dollar or so every month IN the hopes
that some day he may again hold the
waulug ticket IN his hands, and he de-
clarrs that hereafter ne VIII never
trade 0f his ticket. no matter what IN
duccmcnt may be- offered to him.
Talking about tins subject there is
quite funny story travelling round.
just bctOr- The drawing tins month ff-
teen clerks iu the department OF justice
determined % tempt fortune. They
formed q pool and contributed al az
-rfClto oi S26. which was iutrustei 20
co'0~cd messenger t0 buy the neces-
0rv rcS e.. The dusky Individual
to,S enc money. After the drawing BE
informed Use members Of the pool that
t'rir rumh hcrs were not mentioned IN
tNN ailcsl l,st 0t the drawing and that
p n1t trrucd the tickets up. TIE
clerks sga.J. made some remarks
atoflt "arle o'd luck." and went back
to.he.r routine work IN the same old
routine WY.
A few ia7s lfter the c0i0rcd man
toug Si0 wortn Of diamonds. Asais
sliarv only SEQ n month tlc clerks in
t1c pool are satisfied that one at least
of their twenty-five nun bers was men-
toned q tne list. They are very angry
very angry. ndeed. But uasmuch
rs tie department. Of justice IS engaged
n a legal war on tic lottery. they lu-
duice ru their augrg ~ secret and arc
nicavorinC % keep tne story on ct.
The next time they want IN tempt the
goddess Of luck they VIII buy their own
tckrts
The negroes plav policy. as lottery :
too expensive for them. They squsuder
thousands of dollars thls way in the
course of a year. They can pay policy
Ter from one cent up r. several dollars,
ard whIie. Of course. ocCasous ly they
make wiun ng 20 - BOG often they 10
rns. and a good slice of their bard
earned wages E0 into the pockets Of the
men who fatten OF their passion for
gambling lf & uot Al uncommon
thnc for thr female servants. IN private
houses. e. come to their n,IstrsSses ard
ask them for Eve cents or a quarter OF
some ether small sum and 20 frankly say
thaf they want tlse money 10 clav ccEcv.
8s She e ght before they dreamed trst
f they .ed their iuCs they would -
srrr 81 wTn. Thav are great believers
n dreams. ard { bv snv chsncs a negro
las dream a Ettie hit cut of the con-
mon ard car rake uu enough money
to luv q policy = IL. he VII surely DO e.
Not 90 play pclicy stter having a