The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-12-21
THAT LOTTERY
TICKET
By NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

on his last legs staggered into the VII
lage of Scottsville and dropped down
in the street in front of the tavern.
He was carried into the hOstelry and
q doctor sent for. and in two days he
was dead. The verdict at the inquest
was that he had died from sickness
and exposure.
When the coroner overhauled the
dead wayfarer's pockets he found lots
of simple things and a ticket in a
Prussian lottery. This ticket was in
an envelope and had been kept clean.
1t was for quarterly drawing
that would not take place for nine
weeks yet. and according to its face
it might draw a prize of $4,000. No
one in Scottsville had ever seen such
a ticket before, and very little was
said or thought about it for three or
four days. or until a certain New York
drummer came to town on one of his
trips. He was appealed to for infor-
nation. and his reply was:
well. / guess yes. I've bought
them myself. though I've never had
any luck Why. I've known four diff
ferent men who have drawn fortunes
in that lottery. It's backed by the
Prussian government and is as good
as forty national banks"
The drummer created an instant eX-
element about that ticket. Ii started
right in as a main topic of conversa-
ton and held the place. Then light
ming rod man came along and offered
500 cash for it. He knew three men
who got their start in life by draw
ing large sums in that very lottery.
Three days later hog drover came
along and made an offer of $3.50 for
the ticket According to his story,
one OF the members of the beef trust
got his first 81 100 from that very LOT
terry. Then a tin peddler offered his
whole outfit for the ticket, and the
town of Scottsville began to buzz.
OF a sudden the landlord of the tav-
ern demanded possession of the ticket.
to have and to hold until the debt to
in his house He had put in a bill to
the town for So. but on thinking II
over had concluded that 500 was lit
tie enough. The coroner was an hon
est nan. but he might get drowned in
the mill pond and the ticket soaked to
pulp.
The carpenter who had made the
five dollar coffin jumped his claim &c
$50 and demanded that he be protected
by having the ticket turned over &c
him. The sexton followed suit. The
doctor I'm the case who had admins
not made out his bill yet. but wher
he did il would be for at least $50
1t was case that had bothered him
and he couldn't afford to be bothered
for less than half hundred.
Then came a day when Scottsvillt
was almost swept Off its feet and lief
gasping for breath. Along came a Mr.
Jones. a cattle and hog buyer. He wa
no old sport. but he knew a gooC
thing when he saw it. He always in
vested in that lottery. He had bough
that ticket in the city. He had los
it on the road. and tramp had founc
It. He must be handed his propert.
or there would be such a row as tina
part of the state had never heard of
Mr.. Jones was q good buffer, bu
when it came to taking an oath h
faltered and was run out of town.
Then there came a deacon of tn
church from a village a few mile
away He came in humility an,
shame, but still he came. His villag
wanted new church building. but tn
members of that particular faith wer
poor In purse. 1t had worr'7' rem
but it worried the deacon wor vf all
He had figured every way he could
but could see no light until he say
the advertisement Of that lottery. Fl
turned to it as a saving clause. II
sent money and got the ticket. 1t wa
against his conscience. and he toll
nobody Of 1t. Whatever money tn
ticket drew was to be freely given t
the erection Of the new church. Thi
was no doubt the true story Of th
ticket. which had been stolen from tn
deacon's house by the tramp. but ha
1t been ten times true it would nc
have been handed over to him.
The day before the drawing. when
did not seem that the excitement coul,
go higher without exploding some
thing. the drummer and the lightning
rod man returned. They bid agains
each other for the ticket Perhaps
they understood each other, but thei
faces were very grave as the bidding
stopped at 500. Then huge bonfire
had to. be built to relieve the strain
Few slept that night. and next day Q
public purse was made up to send 8
messenger to the city for news Of the
drawing. He didn't take the ticket
with him-oh. no! That would he TAX