Evening star., 1896-12-19
WASHINGTON LOTTERIES.
Scheme of One Devised for Erecting
Local Public building.

Local Public Building.
In the year 1918 Washington had about
1900 Inhabitants scattered over it's great
area said a student of local history to a
Star reporter. Its populati ton was less
than the present population of either Alex
anoria or Georgetown. but its courts coun-
ellis. schools and other local institutions
were as important and interesting to eacn
one of its scaflt population as similar ins;i-
tutfons are now to each one of its 2lo oep
inhabitants, for 1t was a growing and busy
place, with many great men among its peo-
pie. The community had before that wear
looked at public morals In a light different
from that which brightens the prasent day
The advance on this line has been gradual
Inc ffst charter of the city in iSu2 gave
the municipai government power only TO
restrain and prohibit gambling the sec
ond, in 1904, authorized the m,inicinal GOV
ernment to prohibit lotteries and an kinds
OF gambling. BY the third enacted i'm lsao
the corporation of Washington was author
izeo TO compel all such as keep gaming
houses and gaming tables to give security
fG@ their good behavior for a reasonable
time. but the municipality is allowed with
the approval of the President of the United
states TO authorize the drawing of lotteries
Tor the erection Of bridges and effectine
any important Improvement in the city
WHICH tne ordinary revenue thereof will not
accomplish. for the term of ten years
ihiS was tHs puDi1C view OF these QueS-
tions at that time. One of the lottery
schemes of that kind was designed 10 ac-
coh,plish several public objects, and pre-
sented the following plan in advertisements
and hand bills:
National Lottery for pu;,J;,o t.,
Lancasterian School Houses. a Peniten-
.lary ana City Hall in the City of Wash
m mnston- one prize of s5n.an: one prize of
s.v~V' Two prizes of Sl0@@ EACH three
prizes of 5000 each. Commence drawing
III June next, ard will be completed in
twelve days drawing only. Present price
of tickets, - dollars
'Scheme-One prize of 30.6o0 dollars: one
prize of 2o,WW dollars: two prizes of 1o Ns,O
dollars; three prizes of 5000 dollars. five
prizes of 4,0'D dollars: six prizes of $40 dol
lars ten prizes of 1oo dollars; 100 prizes of
90 dollars; 1000 prizes of % dollars: 3.G62
blanks; only 5000 tickets and not two
blanks to prize. Whole tickets. So each.
Half tickets, $3.50 each. Quarter tickets
$6.25 each. Eighths. S312'
The first object of the lottery the erec-
ton of two Lancasterian school houses
was one of the fads- of the day. Twenty
years before, Joseph Bell had originated in
Madras. India, scheme of education by
which. ii was then believed the teaching
power of a school could he augmented
twenty-fold by employing a class of pupil
teachers, who were first instructed by the
principal teacher and then each one sent to
repeat the instruction to classes of ten or
twenty OF the other pupils, so that one
eSoShSi carry on a school OF .Sub
pupils. Lancaster systematized this method
and the plan received his name There
We're in 1878 four public schools in Wash
ington. but 1T was hoped to increase very
greatly the free school facilities of the city
by the introduction of the new system
The penitentiary house was then deemed
an institution necessary. if not desirable
in Washington. Congress had. six years be-
fore, in 1872. authorized the Levy Court of
Washington to build one but the cost was
deemed too great for the taxpayers and
despite the lottery, no penitentiary was be-
gun until 1895. when it was erected by Con-
eress on Greenleaf's Point.
This penitentiary house was finished so
as to be put into use under an act approved
March ): 1S29. 1t served its purpose for
about forty years, and. after il had become
noted for the burial of Booth and the trial
and punishment of the other conspirators
the central portion, containing the cells,
was torn away. and the east and west
wings converted into dwelling houses They
are now a portion of the Washington bar
racks at the arsenal grounds A portion of
the proceeds of this and of other lotteries
seems to have been contributed to the erec-
ton OF the present city hail.