The new North-west., 1896-06-12
4 DAY OF THE LOTTERIES
Did IL Flourishtng Business in the
e. Old Quaker City.

Did IL FIourishtng Business in the
Old Quaker City.
The sale of the late DR.. Robert c.
Davis curios will give collectors a chance
to get some curious mementos nf the
past, says the Philadelphia Times.
Among them is very full collection Of
old Philadelphia lottery tickets, and
many of them came into the doctors
possession in this way: A very old man
named Drake lived on the north side of
Fourth street, above South. He died IN
ls45, and in cleaning up the house a bat
tered tin box was found and carried
away by the washerwoman. Forty-six
years afterward her son, being sick at
home, saw the box and broke it open.
It was full Of lottery tickets This came
to the ears Of Davis, who secured the
find for SIS. Among them was one for
1I55, for a prize Of G1O,O 900, drawn in Phil
adelpha.
Few people have adequate knowledge
how extensive the lottery business was
here up to 1892 In 1901 Matthew Nc
Connel and George Taylor, jr., advertised
the Delaware Bridge lottery, also one to
build an academy in Lawn Dublin, Bucks
county. In 1903 William Keans had an
office opposite the state house, and he
used to call his prizes off the front steps.
He had the Second Baptist church, the
Universalist church and the Holy Trinity
Catholic church lotteries at $12 per ticket.
In 1920 there were 80 Offices in this city
and tickets were as low as quarter. In
1873 1t was announced that Henry Jane
son, q carpenter, had drawn at John
Francis Office Third and Chestnut
streets. ss0,O00 but there was considera
Bile doubt shown, as Jameson kept out of
sight
Money Killed Them.
But there are authentic instances of
prizes drawn. Johnny Dodds was a
short, sturdy wood sawyer here, famous
for his skill in his vocation. He drew
$4,000 in Mike Fortunes lottery office,
Chestnut street and Hudson's alley.
Mike was a very brassy Irishman, and
he advertised the event by inviting many
Of the city notabes to be present at a
banquet. Among them General
George Cadwalader. then a young man.
The next time Cadwalader met Mike he
gave him a sound Gaming, and it was
generally regarded as well deserved.
Dodds hung up his saw, bought gig
and horse, the possession of which was
then the dividing line between the ple-
beihn and patricians, and drove to Darby
IN the morning, returning 1T night, stop
ping at every tavern on the road, and
inside of three years was penniess. He
drank up the $4,000 and went back 20
his saw without the least show OF con-
Germ He died in 1910.
In 1922 General Patterson received a
dollar ticket in his settlement with one
OF his draymen, and this drew $4,000 at
James office. No. 81 Market street, and in
1875 Joseph Dugan General Pleasanton $
father-in-iaw, drew $4,000 and got it.
A weaver named Patterson. who had
only been two months in this country,
and worked in Craigs mill, on Girari
avenue drew $4,000, and at once started
for Belfast Ireland, his native place.
and inside of two years drank himself to
death.
Curtin Tried His Luck.
The most pretentous of all was the
Grand state lottery to build the Union
canal" II was chartered; ii. 1895 with
Sloo. 600 in alleged prizes and the prodig-
ious sWindle lasted until 1880. The grant
was sold many times. Henry Pratt
bought it for $4,000 Lemon Hill was one
Of tho undrawn prizes. There was a
legislative investigation in 1882, and it
was in evidence that the last holders,
Yates and Mcintyre, had made Il net
profit of s2124,ss9.
Yates was n southerner and n gam
bier, and he laid $4,000 against s15, 900
when Eclipse ran Sir Henry in 1923, on
Long island, and lost. as Sir Henry was
beaten. No one seems to have benefited
by money made in these lotteries. Both
Yates and Mcintyre died poor. So did
Mike Fortune. lie passed away in Il
Wretched hovel ut Sixth and Lombard
streets, cared for by a colored womal
who had known him in more prosperous
days of the Louisiana.
The late Andrew G. Curtin used to
tell good story of his own experience.
He had come to Philadelphia when a lad
OF Is, and was given very handsome
cut glass decanter as q present for his
father. Coming UP Chestnut street he
stopped at Gibbs lottery office to hear the
music boxes play. One of the cappers
invited him to try his fortune, and he IN
vested Il quarter. The wheel was turned
and Il bright silver dollar was the prize.
He was so elated that he showed it to
the usual crowd around the door.
Suddenly Il negro lad snatchcd it and
ran. Curtin hurled the decanter at him
and felled him to the ground. smashing
the glass. a dozen willing hands grab
bed the thief, but in the scuttie the dol
lar disappeared, and the future governor
left disconsoate. He bought no more
lotteries.
Ticking Demon.