Alaska sentinel., 1907-05-30

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 The Honduras National Lottery Con- pany, better known under Its 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 thls biggest lottery company in the world has been sounded.
 Bigger than the Mississippi bubble" known In every civilized land, the Hon. duras company has made probably not less than $25,000,0O0 for its owners during its existence of more than thirty years. With It's operations have been associated some of the great men of Civil War times, and throughout Its 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 con- pany was an institution As law breaker its place In the nation has been unique and It's history of absorb ing interest.
 The forerunner 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 1t did an enor- nous 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 tery business but of the policy" busi- ness in New Orleans. This policy priv ilege was of enormous value, but in the end proved the undoIng of the lot tery company.
 In formulating his original plan, the shrewd Dr. 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 con- pany were, in fact, pure chance, and that all 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 1t. 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- ducted as was possible.
 It 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- tions In the public mind but little be- low that which had been occupied by General Robert B. Lee. Financially both of these distinguished soldiers were in straitened circumstances. The Louisiana Lottery Company offered each one of them $3O,OOO a year to act as commissioner for the company and to supervise the drawings. This was as 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 $2,500.
 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 of these 10O,- 900 slips was rolled tightly with the number on the inside, and the roll was inserted In a case consisting of a sec ton of small rubber hose about an. inch long. These 100000 tubes were then dumped In a hollow wheel about i've feet in diameter and two feet thick.
 The wheel was made of two glass discs joined at the periphery with thin wooden band as wide as the wheel. In this band was arranged . slide