Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-28
MANY LOTTERY RoMANCES.
Fortunes Won and Lost BY Freaks OF
Chance.

MANY LOTTERY ROMANCES.
Fortunes Won and Lost BY Freaks o'
Chance.
That the age Of lottery romance Is
by no means over is proved by a sim
gular story which has just come to us
from Brussels. For some time no
claimant appeared for the principal
prize in the Brussels Exhibition Lot
terry. of the value of eS,000: and as
weeks passed it became more and
more doubtful whether the owner OF
the winning ticket would ever be trac-
ed. until a week or so ago he was dis
covered in a dramatic fashion.
A few days before the result of the
lottery drawing was announced, a
young Belgian miner had been tragi-
cally killed by a stone fal ing on his
head while at work; and, according
to custom, he had been buried in his
best suit of clothes. The man had
been some time underground when
his relations recalled that he had
purchased a ticket for the great lot
terry and that it had probably been
buried with him. A petition was made
to the authorities for permission to
exhume the body; and in a waistcoat
pocket was found the missing ticket
which, had he lived, would have made
him a rich man.
The recent history of lotteries is
full of stories of similar romance,
most of which are practically un-
known to the public at large. Rouge
ct Noir," for instance. recalls how a
few years ago l was at FRANKFORT on
the eve of the lottery being drawn
At a hotel / met several gentlemen,
one of whom regretted having spent
two fiorins on a ticket, as he never
had any luck another gentleman Of
fered him two forins for it, which
offer was accepted. On the following
day the ticket won 10000 florins.'
He also tells another story OF a
tradesman who had bought four tick
cts. bearing consecutive numbers, IN
big lottery. Thinking it foolish to
have so many tickets so close togeth-
er, he took one of them back to the
office and had it exchanged for an
other. His disgust can be better i'm
agined than described when the tick
ct thus exchanged won a prize OF
100000.
A more fortunate experience was
that of a French widow, one Nine
Hoser, who was passing rich on a
few francs a day earned as canteen
maid to a regiment of dragons. One
day madame decided to invest her
very small savings in three tickets
for a forthcoming lottery, the chief
prizes I'm which were Of dazzling rich
ness, She was offered tickets num-
bered ALL, 2,l72 and 2.173. The last
of the trio she pointblank refused tC
accept, as it contained her unlucky
number "3." Ticket No. 2,1I4 was
willingly substituted, and it was this
very ticket, so quiXotically chosen
which won for her the first prize oi
G4O,00
A few years ago, as the date fol
the drawing of the annual Christmas
lottery at Madrid was approaching. a
poor mechanic of COrunna was aWak-
ened three consecutive nights by the
number 1850, apparently spoken
in his ear. So impressed was he by
the repetition Of the incident that ne
wrote down the number and Jocular-
" said to his wife. That number
will win the first prize in the great
lottery" "Then why don't you buy
the ticket" his wife answered. Jok-
ingly, as she looked at the hgures
why. see. if you add them together
they just come to my age. l snail Dc
81 on Christmas Day.
The ticket, after much trouble was
found Git had been rejected a few
minutes earlier by a wealthy cltlZer
of Corrunna), and mought, and before
many days had passed the mechanic
and his wife were made jubilant by
the news that the ticket had won the
first prize of f2OO,OOO.
OF the same Spanish lottery anoth.
er remarkable story is told. Madrlo
crossing-sweeper was plying his Drusr
one morning when he saw an old lady
slip and fall on stepping of the pave
ment. He rushed to her assistance
and raised her to her feet, expecting
at the most to receive a copper as
the reward of his gallantry. nave
no money with me-" said the old lad!
but here"-and she fumbled IN nei
handbag and produced a crushed
piece of paper-"take this. and ma!
il bring you luck" The piece OF pa
per was tenth share ticket IN tne
Christmas lottery. which few weeks
later made the crossing sweeper ricr
| "beyOnd the dreams of avarice, MS
snare Oh the llllIh pl li"' announcing
$4,000.
Equally romantic was the expert
ence of a poor shOpkeeper, WIDOW
in a Rerlin suberb. one day a shah
billy dressed man entered her shoI
and. begging permission to light ms
pipe, produced a piece of paper when
he twisted into a spill. After secur-
ing a light he threw down the char'
red spill on the floor and with q
Thank you walked off.
On the following morning. wher
sweeping the shop floor. the widow
picked up the discarded spill and
finding that it was Il ticket for a com
ing lottery. the number Of which was
untouched by fire, she put it in hei
purse. saying laughingly to hel
daughter. There is a fortune in TINS
piece of paper. my dear. WceK'
passed and the incident and the tlck'
ct were almost forgotten. When Shs
chanced to see the winning numbers
of the lottery i'm newspaper.
Then it flashed on her that she' 100
had a ticket. and producing the char
red. crumpled piece of paper IRON
her purse she found. to her amaze
ment and delight that the number
on it had won G1O.000.-Tit Bits.