The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
TRANSATLANTIC SWEEPSTAKES.
How Money Is Made Betting on an
Ocean Liners Run.

From Tid-Bits.
1t was the smoking room steward on
one of the big Atlantic liners who spoke,
and he was relating some interesting
stories in connection with the many big
sweepstakes he had organized on the
ships daily runs. For those who never
/ cross the Atlantic it may be mentioned
that 1t is always the smoking room stew
ard who gets up these little CANDLES
collects the names, rakeS in the money
and hands ont the prize For this work
ne is generally paid 5 per cent on the
amount received, though, of course, there
is no obligation to pay him anything
should the prize winner feel so disposed.
But as rule the smoking room steward
comes very well, and what with tips and
interest in the sweepstakes he probably
does better than any other servant on the
ship.
The steward, round-faced, good
natur-ed German, who spoke English
without an accent, stated, in reply to u
question, that he had been getting up
Transatlantic sweepstakes during the last
ten years, and he thought it more than
likely that he would be getting up Trans
atlantic sweepstakes for ten years to
come He had handed out many able
prizes during that time, and the amount
of money which had passed through his
thousands of pounds, had he only kept a
record. But unfortunately, he had not,
though he acknowledged that he could re-
call many remarkable sweepstakes which
he had organized the prizes in which
would have made any ordinary mans
fortune.
Probably the biggest sweepstake that
l ever engineered" he said, was in 1907
Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee-when
we had on board a whole bunch of Amer
lean milionaires. There was a coterie of
these memo in all-and they stuck to-
gether during the entire trip. They played
cards in groups of fours and fives, dined
at one table, and had little to say to any
OF the other passengers. They had left
their wives behind; for, as one of them
explained, they were out for a good
time.
We'll, the second day of the trip ono of
them came and asked me to get up a
sweepstake between the party, and put
the entrance fee at $2O-94. / got the
names, collected the 500, distributed the
numbers, and the prize was won by a
gentleman from Montana. When l hand
ed him the money he picked out two $40
bills, bonded them to me, ond quietly
pocketed the remainder. Then he ordered
drinks and cigars all round, and five min
utes later had probably forgotten all
about the matter.
Later in the day however-the ships
run being posted at twelve noon-these
gentlemen called me up and said: Kaiser
Cthey called me Kaiser for fun), we
want a sweepstake with little interest
In it-not the kind of a game lot OF
schoolboys would join in, but something
worth while. Now, just make out
another list, and put the entrance fee at
$500 Stick the notice on the board, and
mention that there is no limit to the num-
Der allowed to enter-we'n welcome every
one on board this tub. Mark the twenty
of us as paid, and then, if you'll come
back, we'll hand you the cash.
well, / did as they said, and when
returned each man handed me notes for
e1C0 eve were running East. The $4,000
promptly deposited with the purser, and
/ felt a gold deal more easier when l
knew it wasin safe keeping. AS | had no
outsider came into the game, and so the
result lay between the twenty Americans.
By curious coincidence the gentleman
from Montana won again. and when I
handed him the money he gave me ten G5
notes for my trouble. When we arrived
in New York we found that the news of
the big sweepstakes had preceded us,
and as soon as the gang plank was run
out l was surrounded by reporters all
clamoring for details. However, 1 didn't
tell them very much though every New
YORK paper came out the next DAY with
about a column of my remarks" and
the good natured German laughed
heartily.
THE ordinary sweepstakes runs from
sovereign to e5 a ticket. so that even in
the smallest sweep the prize Is worth
having. Some of those who go in regu-
larly for these. sweepstakes are extraor.
dnarily lucky. On our last Western trip,
for instance, there was an Englishman on
~. To-.
times. The first three he won straight off