The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-06
THE RAFFLING FEWER.
It's Widespread Ravages in Topeka the
Fast Few Week..

It's Widespread Ravagss IN Topeka the
Fast Few Weeks
A mania for rafting has struck Tope-
ka. Tt is not confined to the sporting
talent BY any means, but has spread its
baneful influence from those who are old
enough to know better to those not long
out OF the cradle; and from the best So
ciety to Smoky Row.
Everything goes. IF a person is so for
tunate TO own a horse and buggy. he
is seized with an uncomfortable desire to
rattle ii, and posters all his friends to buy
a chance II Young men who worked
many months to buy a bicycle are now
working Just as hard to rattle it off. prob
ably in order to buy another one to raff1 e.
Chances in diamond rings and watches
are distributed among the rif1ers. and so
far has the popular evil spread that boot
blacks are railing off their outfits.
Chances IN everything with or without
intrinsic value are being thrust upon the
long suffering public.
It has become impossible for a person
to walk block Kansas avenue with
out being asked by half dozen friends
and lot of strangers 10 take a chance in
something. The rafting fiend usually
approaches his Intended victim with
long package Of small yellow envelopes
with a rubber band around them, which
he pulls from his coat pocket and begins:
Say, don't you want chance in my BIZ
cyclef I'm rafting It of There's only
cost cent"
The victim probably demonstrates for
the twentieth time that daY that he don't
ride bike; that he wouldn't take the
wheel as a gift, and ds a last resort vows
that he is dead broke But all these rea-
sons make no difference to the persistent
railing fiend lie knows he can collect
it later even if he has to poster his vic
tim into a premature grave. He ''jOlIies"
him along by telling him how good his
credit is.
The result generally is that the raffler
ccompIishes his tieudish purpose. The
envelopes are shuff1ed like a deck of
cards and the rain er with great delibera-
ton selects one near the center, and after
hesitating a moment, takes the one next
to it It's the same old story. The ticket
IS probably over 80, and the victim
thinks what a fool he was. His only con-
ISOLATION is that he may win the bike aud
sell 1t 10 somebody for half price. The
ticket is put in vest pocket with lot
more tickets, and its pOssessOr fOrgets all
about It, except TO hope occasionally that
the chances Will come his way.
In few weeks. however he sees the
rafting fiend again and is asked for the
money. 1t is paid and the victim ven
lures to inquire:
"When Will the drawing occur9"
"Drawing9 Why that occurred two
two weeks ago and Freddy Fresh drew it
for % cents. You came close. old man"
thus another hope Is shattered, but
the victim usually has d lot more chances
in other things stacked away, which in
variably result the same way. Finally
he VOWS by all things not temporal that
he'll never buy another chance in any
thing under the sun, even if by so doing
he would save his best friend from starv-
ing.
TO cap the climax, last night young
man who has chances in enough things
to make him rich, if he drew them all,
which he won't, said.
Don't you want to buy a chance in
my reputationf"
ssHow much a chance?"
"There Will be 100 chances. and 90 of
them will be blanks. The other chances
will be five mills each. payable on the
installment plan. The one who wins will
be the loser so there will only be one
chance in 80 of losing"
Everyone in the crowd was afraid to
take that chance, SO the scheme fell
through.
As 4 rule the rallies are conducted on
the basis of making the purchaser pay
for his ticket as many cents as the ticket
il numbered. In this way ticket number
1, costs cent; No. % costs p cents, and
No. SO costs 80 cents, etc. Thus 20
chances bring $2.10. The plan is espe-
cially adapted to that cautious class of
investors who figure on getting a ticket
for almost nothing.
The rafting nuisance has reached such
proportions in Topeka that a crusade
committee ought TO get after it
ciety for the suppression Of rah1in
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