Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14

tanned. tightly rolled up In II. small slip
or paper with a number printed on 1t.
A hundred thousand Is an immense num-
Der. So is fifty thousand. The big wheel
of the Hessian-Thuringian state lottery
DarmstadD holds the former; That of the
Ihuringian-Anhalt state lottery (GothO
holds the latter, and so on. Every number
gets Its chance In case 1t is not sold its
chance remains the property of the lottery
enterprise.
The smaller wheel contains another lot
OF numbers likewise done up in small metal
cartridges. They the numbers Of the
various prizes. Though nothing like SO
numerous the ticket numbers. they, too
are surprisingly numerous, as will appear.
This is important
Day after day the big wheels turn and
turn. mixing and mngling the two sets of
numbers increasingly, in full view of who
ever chooses to come in and take a look.
AS the numbered slips were put into the
cartridges and the cartridges put into the
wheels, they were infinitely checked off. in
public, by trusted employees, under high
supervision. Then the two wheels were
sealed.
Day after day the wheels turn. by electric
power. until the hour of drawing. The hail
| is full of spectators. The authorities take
| their places. The drawing begtus, con-
| tinues five hours, and begins again the
| next day. and so on. The final drawing
| of the Observation-Disclosures lotte.y takes
| three weeks. My friend is strong on the
| fairness of the drawings.
Numbers and Winnings.
"A boy from an orphanage takes out
from the ticket-wheel a cartridge Stimuli
taneously another orphan boy takes out
cartridge from the prize wheel. They pass
them up to an official, who picks out the
| slips and reads the numbers. They are at
| once written down, later to be telegraphed
| and sent by mail all over Germany and
Europe.
Yes" I say, mo. 1867 wins 81 marks,
1 NH, .l.p.n
| marks, and so on
| why not?' he answers
| They paid 81 marks each for their
| ticket, and when they draw 81 marks their
| not VIM
Herein lies the cynical deception of this
style of lottery. A hundred years of ex-
perience have taught it's exploters how to
| lead the public on. He who buys one sim
| gle chance finds that he must go on and
buy more or lose money. Take the lottery
| of Gotha. The first drawing of it's summer
| season takes place in June.
| There is one prize each of 30, 600 marks,
! 10000 marks, 5000 marks, 1900 marks and
1000 marks" urges my friend. ''Then two
! of 1000 marks, three of 800 marks, seven
| of 300 marks, eight of 200 marks, twenty
| and 1850 prizes of 81 marks" / add.
What does the total of these prizes
| amount tor
1.-THE prospectus shows it, he answers.
l
| what is the total amount of tickets is
| sued against it?'
1.-The prospectus shows $500 tickets at 30
| marks each. making a total of 1.215,OO0
! marks"
| 1.-THE management takes In 1275, 600
marks and pays out only 23s, 400 marks.
| I say.
1.-THE difference goes to make up the big
| prizes of the fifth and last drawing" he
| is forced to answer.
There are very few substantial prizes"
I say, land comparatively large number
| of measly 9f-mark driblets. What chance
| have you to win one of them?"
Rather Slim Chances.
| "There are 1850 of them to be divided
among A., 400 tickets" he answers. THAT
makes a chance of two into forty-two, or
! about one in twenty"
] 'And if you do happen to win one of the
91-mark prizes, do you get 81 marks?''
| NO he is again forced to answer. 81
get only rs marks"
| How comes that?'
Because of what they call the 'methodic
| deduction in favor of the lottery enter
, prise, that is to say, the state"
! Paying 80 marks each for their tickets,
1 one man in twenty will win 10 marks-that
! is to say, double his money!
1 '"They pay 81 marks apiece for their
4 tickets" my friend is obliged to admit.
But they only account for 30 marks
| each in the prospectus l say.
"The difference is the cost of registration
| and stamp he explains.
Naturally. therefore, when the drawing is
| finished, the non-winning rank and file al
! most congratulate themselves that they
| have not won in the first drawing. 1t is
almost 1000 to 1 that they would have won
| a 91-mark prize, reduced Intellectually to
| IS marks. Having won nothing in the first
drawing, it is their privilege to continue
| buying the same numbered ticket in each
! succeeding drawing for the original price
&l,4 @tl1A h.
have won only 10 marks each are curiously
encouraged, because-though they have
! only doubled their money-they have won.
Leading Them On.
Was there ever such a way to lead you
| on? The second drawing of the series takes
place in July The prizes a trifle larger.
while the price of the ticket Gf you have
been in from the START remains the same.
There is one prize of 10000 marks, one of
10000 marks, 5000 marks, 5000 marks and
1900 marks, and SO on, and again 1850
measly prizes of 1876 marks each-Iess al
ways the ''methodical deduction
And so it goes on in the early part of Au
gust and again in September, the third and
fourth drawings. Each time the prizes in
crease little, while their sum total re-
mains always immensely less than the
amount produced by the sale of the tickets
My friend had passed a fourth drawing
and had as yet won only single fourth
drawing prize of 223 marks, with four
tickets, through the ser es.
THE particular ticket that won it cost
you four times 81 marks, then, didn't it?"
/ said. you had to continue buying it in
each of the four drawings? That makes
14S marks. And you won 226 marks
LESS the 'methodical deduction" he
corrected
"Making?"
zone hundred and eighty-six marks"
"You got that?"
mot in cash. The agent sent me new