Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-03-29

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 it's owners
during it's 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 it without effort
at concealment. In the place of it's
birth, New Orleans, the lottery COM
pany was an institution. AS a law
breaker it's 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 it did an enor-
NOUS business, especially in the South,
in the days following the Civil War.
The charter Of the Louisiana company
gave it 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 undoing of the lot
terry company.
In formulating his original plan,
the shrewd DR.. Dauphin had consid-
cred we'll the fact that the lottery
company must depend for its ultimate
public that the drawings of the COM
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 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-
lions in the public mind but little be-
low that which had been occupied by
General Robert E. Lee. Financially
both Of these distinguished soldiers
were in straitened circumstances. The
Louisiana Lottery Company offered
each one Of them $4,000 a year to act
as commissioner for the company and
to supervise the drawings. This was
as ldL DIS LIE COLucCIlOu VI CIluoT WITH
the company went. Not more than two
days work each month was required
of them, and for these two days they
each received $1,000.
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 lOO,-
600 slips was rolled tightly with the
number on the inside, and the roll was
inserted in a case consisting of sec
ton of small rubber hose about an
inch long. These 100000 tubes were
then dumped in a hollow wheel about
FIVE feet in diameter and two feet
thick.
The wheel was made Of two glass
discs joined at the periphery with a
thin wooden band as wide as the wheel.
In this band was arranged a slide