The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-18
RICH LOTTERY FIELD.
Washington City Clerks Are
Hopeless Fiends.
NOT ONE DECENT NEWSPAPER.


Columbia, which 1t conducted openly, Dut
Il located its chief local Office within two
stones throw of the very White House. II
poked one Of its foul heads into sight OF the
chief executive OF the United States, as II
to challenge the authority Of the govern
ment 70 come and modest 1t II 1t could.
When the states, with but few exceptions,
had barred cut it, business places BY con-
stitutional provisions. 1t cana to the dis
trict, which had no constitution Of its own,
and. under the shadow OF the White
House. did large and thriving business.
These facts were brought out by detectives
employed By the postsffice department,
through whose efforts one or two branch
ofioss have been closed up. The district
has statutes on this point.
The lottery has for years done
. big business in Washington City.
The papers here have published
it. alluring advertisements at big rates, and
have given the results Of the monthly draw
tnes. They have, % rule. had nothing to
shy in the way Of exposing the business OF
the concern. But there is one exception.
Several months ago the Epc,sing Critic
changed owners, and came into the posses-
sion Of two men who wers against the lot
tery. They refused to publish its adver-
tisements, and In two or three editions
Waged hot warfare on the Louisiana COM
pany. They told Of the large number of
tickets sold here every month, and gave in
stances Of government clerks who had used
Ill their spare cash and more too in buying
the company's pasteb0ards in hope OF ac-
curing great and sudden wealth. But this
lasted for Z short time only. The managers
Of the paper were not doing . money
making business. although for . short time
they covered themselves with glory, and
under the counting room pressure the
paper had to be sold. The new proprietors
had no objections to advertising the lottery,
and in the very first issue the old attrac-
tive advertisement reappeared in its accus-
toned place. Since that time no warfare
has been waged against the octopus. The
newspapers are silent. Theguardian angel
has been eating lotus and gone TO sleep.
Meantime the government clerks are
chipping In their dollars. This is an ex-
ceptionally rich field for the lottery to
work. There are many thousand clerks
who draw all the way from 5000 to s., 600
year to work six or seven hours day for
Uncle Sam. They could spend from three
to ten times that amount and not live any
faster than fashionable circles would con-
slider altogether proper. They have good
deal Of time for social pleasures, and il
they had the cash could easily get into the
swim. Their position Is different from that
of persons In any other city in the country
who work for the same money. They do
NOT know what it Is TO rustic as the West
ern people do. They are not particularly
happy in their easy positions, for they
II nNtS n <kSxavv
come within sight of high officials who
have Ill the casht hey want. 1t is easy to
get an introduction. They do not believe
promotion ct the hands Of the govern
ment They have what they call an am
bition to rise. II is really little
,ut hankering for an increase
n salary. They are well informed
. to the legislation of congress
My up to the point when the appropria-
.on bills pass, which provides for the ex-
enses Of the department in which they
ave their desks. The weather is respon-
ible for . portion of this. 1t 10 too warm
lere for any great activity. The red tape
and routine Of the government work is re-
sponsible for q good deal more. Nobody
but the head of the bureau has much re-
sponsibility. The average clerk does not
need an intellect any more than q type
writing machine. There is plenty Of leisure
to compare their own condition with that
OF the members of the cabinet and the mill
ionaire senators, and SO far as the govern
ment is concerned. little chance to bet
ter their own circumstances.
In the frame of mind into which many
of the clerks fall the lottery chances are es-
pecially attractive. Without going into any
philosophy it is enough to say that more
lottery tickets, two to one, are sold here
than in any other city of like size in the
country. Outside of New Orleans the COM
pany does not do as much business IN any
city as here. Its chief branch Office has been
Washington.
Inspectors Arlington and Conard, en-
pl0yed by the postoffice department,
trailed the company for weeks in this city.
They followed the operations of the men
who handled the tickets. They watched
and caught the men who mailed circulars
OF the lottery company from the Washing
ton branch office. They found out that
Charles Thompson, . young lawyer, was
the attorney and agent of the company,
and that there were other local agents.
They tracked a wagon load of lottery
literature from the office on f street near
Ninth, to the depot, and then back to a
storehouse. where the boxes were left by
the man who was driving the wagon, and
had found out that he was being watched.
They found out the names and addresses
OF two or three of the local agents. and
they seized quantity of tickets, and at
the complaint OF the postoffice department
the police raided and closed the place a
short time ago. The owners were notified
that II they opened up business again they
would be prosecuted under the United
States district law.
Right here appears the indication that
the lottery company almost invaded the
White House grounds for its branch office.
In the investigation by these two inspec-
tors 1t was ascertained that each local
dealer in lottery tickets had his own pri-
vate mark, which is stamped upon the
back of each ticket sold. One of the agents
here had three horseshoes linked together
Tor his mark. Those ordering tickets
through the mails addressed TO IN. A.
Dauphin, Washington, ID. c." N. Dauphin
being manager of the lottery and having a
postotnce box here--find that their tickets
contain the private mark of the three horse
shoes linked together.
The branch office which boasts of this
special mark was presided over by a man
named Edgar. 1t was on Seventeenth
street. within q hundred yards of the
White House. 1t was one of the places
rsided by the police. L. b. L.
KENT AGRICULTURAL SHOW.
Natures Bounties Displayed in PROM.
sion.
KENT, Sept l5.--The people of Kent and