Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-04-09

The Honduras National Lottery Com
pany, better known under It's original
name of the Louisiana State Lottery
has been forced out of business by the
Federal government Twenty Of the
officers and employees Of the concern
are under Indictment. The death knell
OF this biggest lottery company in the
world has been sounded
Bigger than the mississippi bubble
potent In State and national affairs
known in every civilized land, the Hon
duras company has made probably not
less than $25,00O.O0O for its owners
during its existence of more than
thirty years. With its operations have
been associated some Of the great men
Of Civil War times, and throughout It's
life the names of some of the proud
est Of the New Orleans creole families
have been linked with 1t without effort
at concealment. In the place of its
birth, New Orleans, the lottery COM
pany was an institution. As a law
breaker its place In the nation has
been unique and its history of absorb
ing interest.
The foreruDner of the old Louisiana
State Lottery was that known as the
Alabama lottery. This concern has
been lost to the memory OF the pres
ent generation, although it did an enor-
rnous business, especially in the South,
In the days following the Civil War.
The charter of the Louisiana company
gave 1t monopoly not only of the lot
terry business but of the policy" bust
ness In New Orleans. This policy priv
ilege was of enormous value, but In
the end proved the undoipg of the lot
terry company.
In formulating his original plan,
the shrewd DIR. Dauphin had consid-
cred well the fact that the lottery
company must depend for Its ultimate
success on a belief on the part of the
public that the drawings of the COM
pnny were, In fact, pure chance, and
that al prizes would be paid without
bubble to the holders of lucky num-
bers." He knew that the concern could
prosper only as the public had conf
dence in It, DR.. Dauphin hit on the
plan of placing the drawings under the
supervision of men whose very names
would be a guarantee to the public
that the lottery was as honestly con-
Quoted as was possible.
1t was in this way that Generals
Beauregard and Early were brought
into the scheme. The former lived in
New Orleans and the latter in Vir-
ginia. Both were men of much popu-
larity. especially in the South, where
they were popular idols. Their dis
tinguished services for the Confederacy
In the Civil War placed them in posi-
tons in the public mind but little be-
low that which had been occupied by
General Robert +. Lee. Financially
both Of these distinguished soldiers
were in straitened circumstances. The
Louisiana Lottery Company offered
each one OF them $4,000 year to act
as commissioner for the company and
TO supervise the drawings. This was
90 far as the connection OF either with
the company went. Not more than two
days work each month was required
OF them, and for these two days they
each received $500.
Spectacular Drawings
In the early days of the lottery the
public monthly drawings were held In
the various New Orleans theaters, but
later the company erected a building
for administrative purposes in St
Charles street. and in this building a
hall for the drawings was provided
Generals Beauregard and Early were
in complete charge OF the drawings
The plan of the drawing was this:
On 100000 slips of paper an inch
wide and six inches long were printed
that many numbers The numbers
were in large type. Each or these 100t
900 slips was rolled tightly with the
number on the inside, and the roll was
inserted In case consisting OF sec
ton of small rubber hose about al
INCH lollE. 1HcSc 1Ot.NOO NuJtS MSIs
then dumped in hollow wheel abou
Ave feet in diameter and two fee
thick.
The wheel was made OF two glas:
discs joined st the periphery with {
thin wooden band as wide as the wheel
in this band was arranged slid,
which could be opened and hand in
serted into the hollow wheel. On til,
stage near this number Wheel stoot
similarly constructed wheel one-thirt
the size. In all the scheme called FOL
the giving of 3.4S4 prizes at each draw
Ing; and the smaller, or prize wheel,
contained that many OF the small rub
Der tubes minus the number OF 'ter
ninaP' and approximation" prizes
In each of these tubes was a slip o
paper containing figures representing
zach prize.
Thus equipped, the commissioner
were ready to begin the drawing. Fo
spectacular effect two boys from tn
local asylum for the blind were chosel
TO draw the tubes from the wheels
A robust negro turned the cranks mix
ing the rubber tubes In the wheel
thoroughly. Then one of the blin
boys drew a tube from the big whee
A man selected by the commissioner
for the purpose extracted the role
slip from the tube. held Il up befor
the audience and announced the nun
Der. At the same time the other bin
boy drew a tube from the ''priz
wheel" and the announcer called on
the SUN called for by this slip. TIL
prize. then. was drawn hx the numbe