The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-16
FOUNDED ON POLICY.
Ar Old Timer Furnishes az In
terestlng "reminiscences Of
the Journals 0rigia.
(From the "Jersey City Democrat, Of
roday.)

made IN the Jersey City Journap' In con.
nection with the wonderful exposure oi
the policy and lottery game is that II first
began 10 flourish Ia this city when Ed
ward Stanton was chief OF detectives un-
der Sheriff MoPhillips.
AS a matter of fact the game was then
in IT'S decadence here.
1t had It's birth here nearly three-quar-
tiers of a century ago-which is one rea-
son why 1t is so hard to stamp it out.
1t Is difficult to make people believe
that what their fathers did openly is
now a sin that is deserving OF State
Prison.
Jersey City was one of the cradles of
the lottery game
AS early as lS42, when the writer was a
boy attending the old public school in
Sussex street. Dudley S. Gregory. the ell
der. was one of the managers of the lot
terry and his associates used to draw the
lottery at the old Philadelphia Hotel, now
Ewings
In the summer they used to sit in the
big window, thrown wide open, and as
the numbers were drawn, Mr.. Gregory or
some of his associates would hold them
up in the window for the inspection of the
crowd gathered on the sidewalk.
The boys from the public school used 20
run, as soon as they were dismissed at
noon. to the hotel to see the drawing.
Lottery Offices were as common in those
days as grocery stores and carried on
their trade just as openly.
The drawings were inscribed on black
boards and hung outside the door.
The players did not have to go inside,
or behind the door to see them.
Many of the best men in the town were
engaged in the business.
John S. Fox. who established the Me-
chanlcs' and Traders Bank. whose sue
cessor is still in business, made his money
in the lottery traffic.
These men did more to build up the
town than any others.
Certainly no man did more to build it
up than Dudley S. Gregory, the elder.
He was five times Mayor of the city
and was as good d Mayor as the city ever
had.
Besides this he built two churches. One
the First Presbyterian Church that so
long stood at Washington and Sussex
streets. was an old New York Church.
When it was decided to build new edi-
flee Mr.. Gregory bought the old building,
had 1t torn down, the material brought to
Jersey and rebuilt at his own expense.
Subsequently he was one of the largest
contributors TO the erection of the Con-
gregational Tabernacle, at Henderson and
York streets, in which if we are not mis-
taken, there Is a very handsome tablet
to his memory
Now, will be very difficult TO make
any one who knew Mr.. Gregory, his good
works and his charities, believe that he
was criminal deserving of a term in
State Prison.
This is not intended as a history of the
lottery business in this city-it is merely
an episode In that history designed to
show that the game had established
home here before Mr.. Stanton was born
and that it did not owe its existence to
Mr.. Stanton.
We have mentioned several of Mr..
Gregory's good works, but there is one
other, to which we desire to call the
Journals attention.
The Jersey City Evening JournaY' was
established by Major z. K. Pangborn and
the late William B. Dunning
Dudley s. Gregory, the elder, furnished
The sum was $1,000.
There We're persons in this city who
thought he might have put his "ill-got-
ten gains'-that is the proper term, we
believe, in this age OF morality and re-
form-to better use; but Mr. Gregory
was an ardent and persistent Republican,
and he wanted a consistent Republican
newspaper in this city. and he gave his
money freely for the purpose of starting
one.
He never expected to see his money
again-in which expectation we do not
think he was disappointed.
The early fortunes of the Journal"
were of a very checkered sort. and its
funds were at very low ebh when MIR.
Joseph A. Dear bought an interest in it,
and by his clear, hard-headed business
built it up to what it was when
Mr.. Sheffield Phelps bought an interest
IN it--for g. great deal more money than
what Mr.. Dear paid.
OF course the Journal of today is un-
Ter no obligation to Mr.. Gregory or his.
memory, but to tbs "old-timer," who
knows all the facts in the case. it is all
very funny-so funny. indeed. that at is
% laugh"
The old management is gone, the new
one reigns-but IT is extremely ludfcrous
20 find newspaper that was formed on
lottery money, eXpiating at great moral
lengths upon the wckedness of the
ottery game and telling its readers that
Ill persons engaged in the lottery bust
less should be sent to prison forthwith,
almost without judge or jury, and prob
IDLY would be were it not that wicked
;heriffs can be found who will persistent
Y draw wicked grand juries to protect
he wicked gamblers.
The mutations of time and circumstance
ire as wonderful as the processes of leg
,rdemain-or whirlegigs or the lottery
wheel and the changes of numbers.