Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1921-12-04
CHICAGO SMILES
CONTEST HAL TED
by j. s. OFFICER
tRepubIIcan A. p. Leased wIrel

CHICAGO, Dec. 3.-Two Chicago
morning newspapers today were
halted in their efforts to increase cir
culation through an alleged lottery in
which they planned to give away
money totaling 100000 by c. F. Clyne.
United States district attorney, who
requested that the enterprises be dis
continued. Postmaster General Hays
also made a similar request.
District Attorney Clyne asserted
that while he did not know federal
laws had been violated. each paper
was in imminent danger of running
afoul of the lottery section and the
newspapers agreed to call off the
campaign The papers had steered
clear of the federal law against lot
teries by keeping out of the mails all
paper containing references to the
drawings and the scheme had in
creased the circulation. of the two
papers by approximately 10000 in
less than a month, it was claimed.
The first newspaper starting the
enterprise offered to give away S25,-
900 to induce Chicagoans to smile.
| Serial numbers were issued, four on
each coupon. and distributed. the
winners being determined by draw
ings.
Federal. state and city officers were
among those asked TO draw winning
numbers. All that was required OF
the persons holding the lucky num-
| bers was that they call at the news
paper office and receive their money
/ The campaign grew so fast in pop
ularity that in less than bsvo weeks
| the newspaper announced 500. .0OC
would be distributed. Circulation
mounted because those who sought tC
! win bought the papers containing an
/ ncuncements of the lucky numbers.
Then the second newspaper took 6
hand. Virtually admitting its COM
petitor's 'smiles" were no joke, il
! announced that as the enterprise wa:
| countenanced by federal authorities
the people might as well have some
/ thing worth while to be Cheerful
about, and doubled the amount, of
fering s2O0, 900 in a Christmas Cheer
campaign, similar to the Smile en-
| terprise.
So for two weeks the newspaper:
have been vieing with one another il
giving money away. Sums rangins
from $50 to $4,000 have been handed
out to lucky holders of Smile" am
| christmas Cheer" coupons, Will
| single prizes of $4,000 were Offered
the lucky holders of coupons with TIVE
winning numbers. Hundreds of mum
bers were drawn each day.
Meanwhile evening contemporaries
were becoming worried. One evening
new per today solved the problem
bv printing the winning number
drawn by both morning papers ant
advised the public to get the winnin'
numbers without buying two papers
This scheme was nipped before !
could bear results by the request o
Mr.. Clyne.
Coupons were supplied free to bust
ness houses and by them given witt
tobacco, raZors, sewing machines an
even were being wrapped with loave
of bread. Practically every time.
Chicagoan entered restaurant,
barber shop. a store or club h
Sot a coupon. Many had gathere
hundreds and the task of comparin
the numbers with the winning list
had become real work.
} So it is that District Attorne
CIyne's order, which tomorrow wi
take the place of the lists of luck
numbers I'm the newspapers, wi
cause the smile to vanish and tn
Yuletide cheer to fade from the face
of countless coupon boarding Chica
goans.