The New York Herald Newspaper, August 12, 1859, Page 8

a H'sTORY OF LOTTERIES. "Ye Rise, Progress and Present Position of Lotteries in Europe and America. LOTTERIES OF THE DIFFERENT STATES. Morace Greeley Commences his Editor- ship on a Lottery Paper. The Benefits of Lotteries Received by Churches, Schools, Colleges, State Gov- ernments and Internal Improvements. THE NEW YORK STATE LOTTERIES. The Present Extent of the Business in the United States, Pull Account of the Lotteries of Wood, Bddy & Cc. Statistics of the Havana Govern- ment Lottery. BOGUS LOYTERIES, BLACK MAILING, ke, Ke; Ree Although lotteries, from being countenanced in early all the States, are now obsolete in all but four, it is a curious fact that the business is believed 40 be as extensive as ever, and is almost entirely in the hands of one firm—that of Wood, Eddy & Co.— whose list of daily drawings may be seen in the principal papers, and who possess all the existing legal lottery grants, but one, in the United States. ¥ is proposed in this article to detail, as fully as space will permit, the rise, progress and extent of lotteries in Europe and America, and to describe the modus operandi of the business. ‘The idea of a lottery dates as far back as the third chapter of holy writ, for we learn in Leviti- us xxi,8,that “Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape goat.” That lotteries were known to the ancients ap- pears from the fact that Horace says— Fortune, that with malicious joy Does men, her slaves, oppress— Still various and inconstant, still Promotes, degrades, delights in abrife, And makes a lottery of life. Itis a notable fact, that the first lottery known 0 Engiish history was drawn about the year 1569, at the western door of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and its profits were devoted to the repairing of the fortifi- ations of the English coast. The prizes consisted of plate. The first lottery in which the prizes con- sisted of money took place in 1630, but it was not until 1699 that they were firmly established. They were conducted under the supervision of the government, and yielded for one hundred and thirty years a large revenue to the crown. The Irish State lotteries were drawn in Dublin, §n 1780. They were abolished in France, according to one authority, in 17 but we learn so late as 1857 of a lottery being drawn ‘for the purchase of the Holy Hill of Fourviere, and for the building of sanctuary thereon.” They were abolished in Eug- Jand in 1826, and in Bavaria in 1847. LOTTERIES AND AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. ’ Lotteries have always existed in this coantry grom the time of our colonial dependence. Many of our readers will no doubt be astounded to learn that our very existence as a nation dependsin some measure upon lotteries, and that one of the earliest acts of the founders of this republic, after the De- elaration of American Independence, was to charter a lottery to enable tho Revolutionary Congress to supply the sinews of For the purpose of en- lightening the public mind on the subject, we copy sundry extracts from the ‘Journals of the Conti- nental Congress, containing the proceedings from January 1,1776, to January 1, 1777": Resolved, That a sum of money be raised by way o” lot- tery for defraying the expenses of the next campaiga—tue lottery to be drawn ip Philadelphia. Ordered, That the Committee who brought in tho re- port prepare the plan of a lottery, 2x the numberof maua gers and the security by them to be given, &c., and re- port to Congress. Resolved, That the further conglderation of the report be postponed till to-morrow. Monday, November 18, 1776, the following pro- ceedings were had on the subject of a lottery:— Congress took into considera‘ion the report of the Com- mittee op the Lottery, whereupon Resolved, That the scheme of the lottery be as follows, That it consist of 100,000 tickets, each ticket to be di Vided into four billets, and to be drawa in four ciasecs. Here follows the entire scheme of the lottery in figures; but they-occupy too much space to be transcribed, nor is their transcription necessary. Appended to the scheme, however, is the follow: ing:— The lottery being intended to raise @ sum of monsy on Joan, bearing an annual iaterest of four per cent., wilich, with the eums arising from the deductions, is to be ap- Plied for carrying on the present most, just and necessary war in defence of the lives, liberties and property of the inmbabitants of these United States: Resolved, That the fortumate adventurers in the firet vlaes, who draw more than twenty dollars, and go in the second and third classee, who draw more than thirty or forty doliare, shall, at their option, receive a Treasary bank note for the prize or prizes drawn, payabi the end of five yearg, and an annual interest on the same at the rate of fonr per cent, or the preemption of such bil- Jets ip the next succeeding claea, as shall not be renewed within the time hereinafter limited. Every adventurer % the first clase shall have a right to go through the } Requent classes, but shall not be obliged to do it. Tae drawers of twenty, thirty and forty dollars, in the first, Becond and third ¢laeses, who do not apply for their money within six weeks after the drawing ends, shall be med adventurers in the next eusceeding class, and hhave their billets renewed without any further trouble. If any others shall neglect or decline taking ont and paying the price of their billets, for a eubsequent class, witnin Bix weeks after the drawing ends, their billets will be sold to the adventurers in the preceding ciaes, or to euch as sball apply for the same. The fortunate @iventurers ip clase, who draw Mfty doliara, shall, upon appli cation to the Commissionors of the Loan Oifies in t - spective States where the drawers reside, receive their money without eny deduction for the gums drawa—bauk treasury notes payable at the end of five years after the drawing, at the Loan Office of the State in which the drawers reride *t tocommence from the last day of drawing, aud to be paid annually at the said re- spective loan oilices. That for carrying into execution the aid lottery there gball be seven managers, who shall give bond and be on oath for the faithful discharge of their duty. That the money, as fast as reveived by the managers for billets, be lodged in the Continental treaury. That the drawing of tho first claes begin at Philadel phia on the let of March, 1777, or sooner if sooner full, On Tuesday, November 19, 1776, Congress a took up the matter, and had the annexed pr: ings:— Congress rerumed the consideration of the report on th: lottery, whereupon <4 "4 Resolved, That each of the managers ehall receive for his trouble one tenth per centum on all the money be shall receive on the sale of the tickets. ‘That the tickets or billets be sold for ready money. ‘That cach of the msuagors give bonds to the President for the use of the United States, in the penalty of $20,000, for the faithful discharge of their trust. On Wednesday, November 20, 1776, Congress ‘gain resumed the consideration of lotteries, and Performed the following deed:— PP sem spey Proceeded to the election of managers ef the tery, and the ballots being taken the lowing gentle- men race Peg a fohn Purviance, B. Smith and James Bearse,’ “7°? 780 Barge, Jonathan On Friday, November 29, 177 the subject of lotteries, ste eonclusion:— The committee appointed to confer with the lottery brought ina report the managers of sideration; ‘whereupon Port, which waa teffen into oon- Resolved, That the prizee only be drawn. That the managers be authorizea to employ lors 19 aawint in numbering tie Uickely ar ma? (as BABY pary for expediting the business. leer two preszee be employed for printing the tickets, On Saturday, November 30, 1776, the lottey y business wea completed,.with the following order of procedure; 6, Congress renewed and arrived at the following Resolved, That thé gratuity to the managers of the lot tery, for their trouble in the condush of that business, be Jelito the fi @ judgment uf Congreve. . gr That the managers be authorized to Sppoint agents for i NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1859.—TRIPLE SHEET.’ the sale of ticke's in the several States, and offer them one-tenth per cent on the tickets or billets by each ro- spectively sold. That the pubiic be at the risk of conveying the ticke’s or billets to the agents in the different Ssates. ‘That the agents pay the money recetved by them for the sale of tickets or billeta to the Ooramissioners of the ‘Loan Office of the State where they are sold, taking re ccipts therefor, and transmit them to the managers of the lottery at Philadelphia, The lottery thus contemplated, and carried into execution by the patriots and fathers of American Independence and ot the Union, afforded funds sut- ficient for a brief period to carry on the war; and aided in a great degree to breathe into existence the glorious country which we now claim as our own. Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island and New York had lotteries which were controlled by the government, and the protits applied to various purposes of internal improve- ment, religion and charity. Two-thirds of the church edifices that were erected in the United States ag to the year 1805 were indebted to lot- teries for their completion. As late as the year 1810, the people of Massachusetts resorted to lot: tery to procure means to accomplish what the gov- ernment of the United States ought to have insured, prowaction: against shipwreck on Plyniouth ach; and granted what was popularly known as the “Plymouth Beach Lottery.” Previous to 1823, however, they did not amount to much, being un der no general management and drawing at long intervals. In 1823 or 1824 John B. Yatesand Archi- bald McIntyre, the one an ex-Governor of this State, and the othera member of Congress and Comp- troller of the State for ten years, and both men of high social distincf@n, bought the franchises for most of the Northe ates, and conducted the bu- siness on the most magpiticentscale then yet known in the country. THOMAS JEFFERSON'S OPINION OF LOTTERIES. In the year 1826 ex-President Jefferson becom- ing pecuniarily embarrassed, had an application before the Legislature of Virginia for permis” sion to dispose of his property by lottery. In supportof this request, and in defence of the pro” priety of lotteries, he wrote an interesting paper for private circulation, which was published in both editions of his werks, and of which the follow- ing is an extract:— There are some other games of chance useful ou cer- tain occasions and injurious only when carricd beyond their useful bounds. Snch are insurances, lotteries, rat- fles, &c. These they do not suppress, but take their regu- lation under their own discretion. The insurance of ships on voyages is a vocation of chance, yet useful, and the right to exercise it is, therefore, left free. So of houses against fire, doubtful debts, the continuance of a particu- lar life, and eimilar cases, Money is wanting for a useful undertaking, as a school, &., for which a direct tax would ‘be disapproved. It is raised, therefore, by lottery, where- in the taxis laid on the willing only, tbat is to say, on those who can risk the price of a ticket without sensible injury, for the possibility of a higher prize, An article of property inauaceptible of division at all, or not without diminution of its worth, is sometimes of so large a value that no purchaser can be found, while the owner owes debts, has no other means of payment, and his creditors no other chance of obtain- ing it but by its gale at a full and fair price. Inthis way ‘the great estate of the late Colonel is ed 1756) was made competent to pay his debts, which, e whole been brought into the market at once, would have overdono tho demand, would have sold at a balf or a quarter the value, and sacrificed the creditors, half or three.quartera of whom would have lost their debts. In this paper Mr. Jefferson argued that, if lotte- ries and other games of chance are immoral, then the pursuits of industry were immoral, because both depended on chance. He cited a large num- ber of cases in which the Legislature had autho. rized sales by lottery for public and private pur- poses since 1776—no less than seventy cases be- tween the years of 1782 and 1820. This request of Mr. Jefferson’s was also advo- cated by allthe judges of the Virginia Court of Appeals, who met twice at Richmond and unani- mously recommended the passage of the grant by the Legislature. The business gradually fell off, however, in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, but was continued in Rhode Island as late as 1844. In this State they were conducted under the supervision of the Secretary of State, or the officers appointed by the State, for a number of years. Subsequently, the State sold the franchises for a percentage on the profits, which was distributed among the various institutions of the State. By these means Columbia College, Union College, various literary societies, and a majority of all the Universities of the coun- try, and the Fever Hospital in this city were founded, and for a time supported. Union College, Schenectady, was the offspring of lottery speculation; and there is scarcely a turnpike road in the country that did not obtain funds for its construction through lottery magic. There are plenty of our citizens who remember ex-Mayor Aaron Clark’s lottery schemes, when he conducted the business openly in this city. The drawings at Albany were conducted in the old jail on South Market Street, now known as Broadway, the building being afterwards turned into a museum. Previous to Yates & McIntyre’s time, lotteries in this State were conducted on the single number plan, where a numbered ticket and numbered prize are drawn simultaneously from wheels, the ticket taking the prize, as explained in the following one of the schemes of Wood, Eddy & Co., for the coming month, which is conducted in precisely the same manner as was then in vogue, and, in fact, i reality the same as is now practised in Ha under the sanction of the government of Spain: WOOD, EDDY & CO.’S SINGLE NUMNER LOTTRRIES (Chartered by the State of Georgia ) Capital prize $59,000. Tickets only $10. WOOD, EDDY & CO., Managers. The following echeme will be drawn by Wood, Eddy & managers of tue Sparta Academy Lottery, in each of ©o. thelr single number lotteries, to be drawn every Saturday at Augusta, Georgia, in public, unter the superintendenre of Commissioners. On the plan of single numbers. 50,000 tickets. Five thougand four hundred and eighty-five prizes, Nearly one prize to every nine tickets, Magnificent sohemo, to be drawn each Saturday In Scp- tember. 1 Prize of. $50,000 1 Prize of... .... .81,590 eae 20,000 50 Prizes of B00 awe 10,000 100 400 1 « 5,000 100 « B00 1“ 4,000 100 « 150 Le 3,000 100 « 100 APPROXIMATION PRIZES, Pri $200 izes. 4 of $400 Approximating to $50,000 Prizes are. . $1,900 4of 360 “ 90,000 TD 4of 250 ” 10,000 so dof 226 be 5,000 4of 200 - 4,000 = 4of 150 ~ 3,000 40f 100 “ 1,500 « 5,000 of 20 are......... SS nes 6,485 Prizes, amounting t0.......... $320,000 Whole tickets, $10; halves, $5; quarters, $2 50. Remember that’every prizs in the above scheme [a drawn, and payable in full without deduction. Certificates of packages will be sold a: the following rates, which is the risk:— Certificate of packege of 10 whole tickets “ lad 10 half vs ue ve 10 quarter ‘ “ “ 10 eighth SPARTA ACADEMY LOTTERY, Class No. 513, Draws Wednesday, September 28, 1859, On the three number plan. 78 pumbers—14 drawn ballots. Nearly one priza to every two tickets. One grand prize of $30,000, 1 Prize of $13,742. 5 Prizes of $1,590. 5 Prizes of 2,000, 10 Prizes of — 600. &e. xo. &o, Es 34,412 prizes, amounting to $567,962 ‘Whole tickets, $10; halves, 5; quarters, $2 50. IN ORDERING TICKETS OR CRRTIFICATRS Encloee the money to our sddrees for the tickets ordre}, on receipt of which they will be forwarded by first mail The list of drawn numbers and prizes will be sent io porchasers immediately after the drawing. Purchasers will please write their siguatures plain, and give their Post Office, county aud State, All prizea of $1,000 and under, paid immediately after the drawing—other prizes at tne weual time of forty days. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. Thoee who prefer not sending money by mai! can use the Adame Express Company, whereby money for tickets, in sums of ten dollars and upwards, can be sent ug at our risk and bas or from any city or town where they have an office, @ money and orders muat be enclosed in a “Government Post Office stamped envelope,” or the Ex prese Company cannot receive them. Ail communications strictly confidential. Orders for ticketa or certificates, by mail or exprees, to be directed to WOOD, EDDY & CO., Augusta, Georgia, or WOOD, EDDY & CO, Atlanta, Georgia, or WOU, EDDY & CO , Wilmington, Delaware. A list of the numbers that are drawn from the wheel, With the amount of the prize that each one is entitled to, Will be published after every drawing in the following iperé —Avgueta (Geo) Conatitutionalist, Mobile Reg- r, Nashville Gazette, Richmond Dispatch, Paulding (Mise.) Clarion, New York Herald and New York Times. Yates and Melntyre, however, introduced a new “ook of what is now known as the “ternary com- binations.” This system is an ingenious plan by which a few numbers can be used to make almost countless variations of tickets, as for instance in the three number schemes of Wood, Eddy & Co., seventy sett numbers are made to make 76,076 tickets, all being different combinations of the num- bers from one to seventy-eight, arranged by the ternary method. Allthe numbers are put in the wheel, and the first fifteen or sixteen, according to the scheme, decide all the prizes im the lottery, the ticket having the first three numbers drawn taking the highest prize, and so on. This systema of ter- &e. nary combinations was claimed to be the invention of an Italian narsed Joseph Vanini, and was pa tented in this country in his name in 1820. Jn 1880, however, the Delaware lotteries used it, aNd in the’ w suit which followed the use of the sys- tem wu proved o have been common in Jtaly for many y are previous, and the patent was conse guently broken. Wy ry, September. a7jo4o 32,808 Prizer, amountin, sold at the foliowing rates, which is the of our ancestors, particularly when they could built @ petition was re Congregational Society in Providence, representing that the steeple of their meeting house was sadly out of repair. raise £700, and James Greene, Saml. Nightingale, Jr., Charles Keene, Paul Allen and Nath. Metcalf J ts a scheme of The follo on the plan of three Vood, Eddy & Co., got up numbers, or ternary combinations, which will ren- der the explanation plainer :— WOOD, EDDY & 00.’S DELAWARE State Lut ceRigs, CAPITAL PRIZE $37,500. Tickers $10. WOOD, EDDY & ©0., MANAGERS, Successors to Gregory & Mai ury. ‘The unders! having become owners of the above bartered in Delaware, offer to the public the fol- ee tobe —“ ‘cach Wednesday in the year 1859, at Wiiming 5 ware, perintendence yoy ‘commissioners appointed by tho STurty. two thousand three hundred and ninty eix prizes. in public, under the su- ‘Nearly one prize te every two tickets, arg pumvers-—13 drawn ballots. Magnificent scheme. To be drawn each Wednesday in 1 Prize of. erererere) 130 bad 445 1B 10. .605 Who! ets, $10; halves, $5; , $2 60. Certificates of packages in tho adove scheme will be Certificates of packege of 26 whole tick $149 50 bed « 26 half « 14 16 “ « 26 quarter “ 37 87 DELAWARE LOTTERY, Crass No. 510. Draws on Saturday, Sept. 24, 1859. 78 numbers—13 drawn ballots. 1 grand capital prize of $70,000. + $30,000 1. priza of., + $3,000 +» 25,000 6 oof. 5,000 16,000 100 1000 10,000 & &. &o. 82,96 prizes, amounting to $1,198,197. Whole tickets, $20; haives, $10; quarters, $5. IN ORDERING TICKETS OR CERTIFICATES, encloge the amount of money to our address for what you wish to purchage; name the lotte: wish it \oveated, and whether you wish wi quarters, on receipt of which, we send what is ordered, by firet mai) in which you les, halves or together with the scheme. ‘Immediately after the drawing, the drawn numbers will be sent with a written exp'auation. Purchasers will please write their signatures plain, and give the name of their Post Office, county and Siute. NOTICE TO CORKESPONDEMS, Those who prefer not sending money by mail, can use the Adams Express Company, whereby money for tickets, in sums of ten dollars, and upwards, can be sent us at our risk and ‘expense, from any city or town where they have an cflice, ‘Government Post Office stamped envelope,” or the Ex- press Compaby cannot receive them. The money and order must be enclosed in a Orders tor tickets or certificates, by mail or expreas, to be directed to |, Delaware. WOOD, EDDY & 00., Wilmin ttéries are pab The drawings of the Delaware State lished in the New York Herald and New York Times. HORACE GRRELEY AS A LOTTERY EDITOR. It is a noteworthy fact, not generally known in the history of New York lotteries, that Horace Greeley, now one of the editors of the Tribune, commenced his career as editor of a lottery news” paper called the Constitutionalist, under the aus- pices of Yates & McIntyre. initiated the system of frequent drawings. Pre- viously there had been but about one drawing per month; but they had one drawing a week. These gentlemen Thus, lotteries were legal in New York State uta December, 1833, when they were prohibited aw. apaines counterfeiting lottery tickets still remain on our statute books. be made in Jersey City, just over the river, until about 1840. Many o in New Jersey made their fortunes in the lottery business. were continued for some time after those of New York, existence altogether. took land. necticut had stopped some time previously. lottery history of It is, however, a curious fact that the laws The drawings continued to the most prominent men The Pennsylvania lotteries but they finally went out of The next State which art in lotteries was Mary- ‘aine, Massachusetts and Con- The Rhode Island, though somewhat eculiar, illustrates the objects for which years ago jotteries were instituted, and how some of the yery a great Vermont, class of men who now oppose them have received their benefits. THE LOTTERY HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND. Previous to 1763 there were several colonial grants for lotteries to aid in building churches and schools. The lottery grants of 1763 begin with one to “build a parsonage for the Presbyterian or Congre- gational Society.” The petitioners—Jabez Bowen, Robert Gibbs, Darius Sessions, John Dexter and Samuel Nightingale—represent that “for a long season they have been without a settled Gospel minister,” and that “ to promote their own, as well as the best interests of the community to which they belong, they very much desire to be restored to Gospel order.” That their circumstances are such that they cannot, without aid of the General Assembly, by granting them a lottery, “lay a sure foundation for a decent support to any worthy gen- tleman.” given them by gentlemen in the neighboring ygov- ernments to buy their tickets, and thereby “ bring a real value into the colony.” ‘They also speak of the encouragement Another was granted to Little Compton, to raise £6,000, old tenor, to build a wharf at Church's harbor. Upon the petition of the merchants of Providence, a lottery was granted to raise £90, lawful money, to build a draw at Weybosset bridge, to enable vessels to ass UP. n lira grant was made to {raise £150, lawfal money, to build a parsonage house fer the Baptists in Warren. It appears that the society had built a church and parsonage, but had not quite money enough to complete the latter for the Rey. Mr. Man ning, the pastor. In 1770 “a number of people, religiously inclined, living in the town of Cranston, of the sect calied Baptists, whose principles are contained in He- brews, chap. 6, verses 1 and 2,” asked for a lottery to enable ings, as they were “wi their time to the rorahip of God,” and that they had “for thirty years held houses.” moderate sum of $300 by lottery, and Zerobabel Westcott (a good Puritanical name) and Nehemiah Knight appointed manager: em to buy a house for religious meet- ig to devote a part of their meetings in private Their petition was granted to raise the The inhabitants of Providence in August, 1771 petitioned for a lottery to build a market house on ee town’s land near the bridge, which was grant- ed. bridge.) (The present old market near Weybosset It was stated under the date of 1762, thata grant was made to repair the Episcopal church in Provi- dence, and build a steeple. This wardens of the church, Messrs. John Innes Clarke, again petitioned the Assembly for a lottery to enable them to ‘build a steeple and procure a clock, which are much wanted, and | will prove serviceable and ornamental to the town. for the purpose. ear (1771) the ohn Smith and They had leave accordingly to raise $600 Nicholas Goddard, Samuel Lester, William Ar- nold and others, in behalf of the Baptists of East Greenwich, received a lottery grant to raise $1,500 to build a meeting house in that town, as the ‘‘poy- erty of the members renders it impracticable to build it without assistance.” Church steeples seem to have pleased the ley be gthemembers. This year (1773) ived from the Presbyterian or ithout taxi A grant was accordingly made to appointed directors. Genjamin Wickham, of Newport, merchant, re- ceived a lottery grant this year to enable him to sell his “very large dwelling house, wharf, warehouses, &c., which were under some iuc estate,’ he remarks in his petition, “is so valuable that few Fee can purchase it, in consequence of the scare A year after the General Assembly ordered the General Treasurer to purchase tick tery to the amount of ham owed the colony, a lottery, and thereby relieve the said Wick- am. umbrances.”—“ This ity of money and the decrease of trade.” ets in this lot- to satisfy a debt Wick- 8 well as to encourage Abial Brown, of South Kingstown, petitioned for a lottery to enable him to relieve his distresses, having lost his house by fire, by which “ he, with his wife and four small children, were reduced to joverty.”” 500. In consequence of a fire which destroyed the Mr. Brown accordingly got a lift of buildings connected with a forge in Coventry, a petition wi Greene, Nathaniel Greene and others, for a lottery to raise $2,500 to repair their losses, which was granted. They state that “ many families were de- prived of their means of dependence by the loss of the forge, which also farnished a very material and expensive article for shipping.” the forge be not repaired: still remain, will be in a manner useles: lieve this to be the celebrated forge which turned out so many cannon and anchors during the revoln- received from John Greene, Griffin Furthermore, “ if the anchor works, which We be- tion. _ In 1744 a lottery grant was given to build a Bap- tist meeting house, to cost £2,000. During this period seygral minor lotteries, chiefly for public’benefits were ited. Among them were the following:— To rebuild the town wharf in War- wick; to pave Pelham street in Newport; to finish the Johnston meeting house; to repair various roads; to build 4 new hospital at Coaster’s harbor, New- port; to build a Baptist meeting in Coventry; aschool house in East Greenwict a parsonage house in Pawtuxet, and to repair various bridges and dams, In 1780, on the petition of “divers inhabitants of Providence,” setting forth that it was “very incom- modious” to go from Broad street to Westminster street through Union, “for want of the said street being paved,” a lottery was therefore granted to those who suffered the great inconvenience spoken of, to raise $30,000 to ‘pave Union street, “any over- plus remaining: after the work is finished to go to the town.” ‘is grant must have been in a greatly depreciated eared With the return of peace, after the Revelutionary war, there seems to have been quite a brushing up of andi many of which had been used for hos- itals, x The ‘Congregation of the Episcopal Church in Providence” represented that their edlfice was “greatly out of repair, and, unless speedily re- paired, would be in a: ruinous condition.” A grant to raise the moderate sum of $800, by lottery, for the purposes stated, was therefore made. The war, which made some rich, proved disas- trous to more; but the people had not then an over- flowing treasury at Washington to resort to with exorbitant or fraudulent charges to replenish their coffers, the plan since resorted to in Florida, Texas, California and other parts of the country; nor had they wealthy friends to appeal to, nor banks to bor- row of. ‘Their only resort to save themselves from utter ruin was a lottery. The first of this de- seription which we notice is one to Wm. West, of Scituate, who, finding himself in a pretty “tight Jace,” and very much embarrassed, asked. for a Kottery to enable him to sell his farms and stock. Mr. West seems to have held a good deal of pro- perty, a8 appears by the list presented in his peti- tion, embracing six farms, containing from 227 to 450 acres each; also, “60 good cows, 8 oxen, 5 horses and 100 sheep.” The lottery was granted to Mr. West, and a committee appointed to appraise his lands and stock under oath. In 1795 a grant was given to Newport to raise $25,000 by lottery to rebuild Long wharf and erect a hotel there. The act provided that the rents and profits of the wharf and hotel “shail be appropri- ated to the building and supporting of one or more public schools in said town.” At the same session a lottery was granted to raise $4,000 for “complet- ing and furnishing a hotel for an exchange or cof- fee house in Providence,” which act was suspended the following sessicn, but for what reason it does not appear. The practice of asking aid from the General As- sembly by lottery grants continued with the open- ing of the new century. The first on record isa grant to the Episcopal church in Bristol to enable it to raise $4,000 “for building a glebe house upon their farm, for repairing the church and discharg- ing their debts.” Other lotteries were granted in 1800, and during the ten years that followed, to the First Congregational Society in Barrington, to raise $2,000; to raise $2,500 to build an academy in South Kingstown; to the Catholic Baptist Society in North Providence, to raise $3,000, $2,000 of which to be invested ag a permanent fun St. John’s Peas in Newport, to raise $2,500 to complete their building; to Washington Academy to raise $5,000, but for what particular purpose it is not stated; to raise $1,200 for a school house and church in East Greenwich; $2,000 for a church and school house in Charlestown; $8,000 to deepen the chan- nel of Apponaug river; $1,000 for the Baptist meet- ing house in Johnston; $8,000 to repair the Worces- ter road; $2,500 for Gi the a Baptist meeting house in Cranston; $3,000 for Redwood library, Newport; to the Methodist Episcopal church, New- ort, to raise $8,000; to John Slater and others, for Building a meeting house in Smithfield, $4,000. In 1808, upon the petition of Perkins Nichols, a lottery was granted to raise $10,000 to “defray the expenses of searching after coal.” in 1825 lottery grants were numerous, and large sums of money were authorized to be raised for educational and religious purposes. From October, 1827, to October, 1830—three ears—there was received from the managers of reenes granted by Rhode Island.... $39,033 60 For tax on the sale of foreign lottery tickets during the same period....... From dealers in foreign lottery tickets for licences granted by town coun- cils, during the same period, 27 at $100 each iy In the year 1831 the plan of making grants for lotteries on a grand scale for public schools through- out the State was commenced. The first lottery, called the “ Public School Lot- teries,” was got up by Mr. Dinneford, who was to pay $10,000 into the school fund of the State for his ranchise. Yates and McIntyre, lottery dealers in the city of New York, obtained a similar grant as that to Mr, Dinneford, for which they were to pay $10,000; and another was granted to John L.. Clark, a well known dealer in Providence, who was also to pay the same amount for the same object. These were known as the ‘“ Public School Lotteries;” a class was usually drawn every week, and the sale of tickets extended secure the public confidence in the fairness of the schemes and the inwarity of tue dis tribution. The large sams which are now sent abroad will be retained to circulate at home; the protis which delong to the business will be kept among ourselves, aud made subsid! to public improvements and benevoleat objects, and and municips! authorities will acquire what both need—s source of revenue which, un- Vike moat others, will be productive and will cause no complaint. The fact was, that lotteries which had acquired the confidence of the gre would necessarily be atronized by the public, and the State was bound 0 have the sales legal and derive a revenue from it, when it could not be prevented. The amend- ment to the constitution was only prevented by the shortness of the session. _ The New Orleans Delta also contained the fol- lowing about this time:— We are told that at Jeast half a million dollars anaually goes from here for the sale of Havana tickets, to help support a goverpment and army foreign and hostile to us in every respect, Until within the past two or three years there was some excuse for this, as we bad here no Feliable concern for those to iuvest who felt Inclined; but within that time a lottery, drawn and owned by respon- sible men, bas been in succesafal operation in the States of Delaware and Georgia We allude to the lotteries of Wood, Fday & Co., which have rapidly grown into public favor, and prize after prize distributed, many of them of large amounts, and but a few weeks ago their capital wae paid to parties in this city, Ithas within the last few months, rapidly increased in favor with our citizens, but we do not think in the eame proportion it sbould, compared with its great rival the Havana. The latter bas been amongst us for s9 many years that it has become a habit with many to invest In it, without comparing it with the Georgia, or Mogyiig the chances and advantages of the latter over tho jormer. Arguments like these finally convinced the Lou- isiana Legislature of the necessity of legalizing the sale of the lottery tickets of other States, and the New Orleans papers predict that the constitution will probably be so amended at the next session of the Legislature. THE LOTTERY BUSINESS OF THE PRESENT DAY. There are now only four States that have legai lotteries. These are Georgia, Kentucky, Missourl and Delaware. The last Maryland lottery was drawn in March, 1859. Kentucky has three, in- cluding the one recently purchased in M’Crakin county by Mr. Benjamin Wood, known as the Paducah Academy Lottery, for the franchise of which he has agreed to pay to the academy $80,000, and which in the course of a few months, it is said, will be carried on as extensively as the Georgia lotteries. The following is an extract from the Pa- ducah Herald announcing the fact:— PADUCAH LOTTERY GRANT. Mr. B. Wood, of the city of New York, recently pur- chased the lottery franchise, granted by the Legislature of Kentucky for the uge aad bevedit of tne male and fe. male academies of this city. The arrangement made with Mr. Wood is highly advantageous to the catui que trust of the grant, and the friends of these growing and desery- edly popular institutions of learning will be gratified to know that the grant has at last been disposed of at a juet and adequate price. Mr. Wood has entered into bonds securing the payment of prizes end the price agreed to be ‘iven for the grant, with eecurity, worth, as is shown, at least three hundree thousand doliars. Now that so few States legalize the business, there is a great scramble for the franchises when they are for sale, as was the case in this one of the Paducah grant. Indeed, the owners of the Wood, Eddy & Co.'s Sranie in Georgia claim that the late onslaught on them was led on by jealous rivals who had failed to secure the Paducah grant. The fol- lowing extract from a Delaware paper in 1857 will give some idea of the money and influence which are brought to bear to secure these grants in the Legislatures:— A QUADRANGULAR FIGHT. There has been considerable excitement in Dover the past week in regard to the parsage of the lottery grants which we have heretofore alluded to. In order that our readers red understand the matter properly, we will re- mark that there were three applications for lottery grants, to extend a period of ten years. One of these was known as the Wood grant, and was advocated by Hon. Geo. Read Rid- dle and others; another was known as the France grant, and was advocated by Messrs. Staats, Broadbent and others; while the third was represented by ex.Governor Tharp and others. The present company opposed the pas- sage of aby new grant, and was represented, it is said, by Geo, C. Gordon, Esq , Hon. Martin W. Bates and others, who bad received large fees for their services. The contest was therefore a quadrargular one, and was carried on with considerable ingenuity, each’ party striving to get vhe advantage of tho ether, CHEATING THE LOTTERY MANAGERS. Before the electric telegraph was invented, lot- tery managers were in the habit of selling ticketa ong after the drawings, in cities distant from the place of drawing, making due allowance for the time in which an express would carry the news of the successful numbers. The lottery managers then were the most energetic expressmen. Their ex- presses ran in advance of the mail, and the early progress of journalism was much indebted to them for the rapid transmission of news. ‘They of course ran seme risk in selling after the drawings took place, and were sometimes overreached by the 1,783 00 2,700 00 through many parts of the Union. sharpers, who would succeed in learning what were These school lotteries were in great favor until | the drawn numbers, and buying the tickets after- 1840, when all lotteries were prohibited by the | wards before the branch offices closed. The ut- General Assembly of Rhode ig There was | most ingenuity was exhibited in these arrangements. then in existence ascheme got up by Philip Case | They sometimes established telescopic telegraph lines for hundreds of miles, the successful numbers being read trom one station to another by means of telescopes. Another plan was to arrange a set Gtsignala by colored rocketa which could: he cece ras sight could operate, selecting the highest points of land for the stations in all cases. There were also carrier pigeons employed, but the most ingenious and successful plan ‘was by means of shooting lighis, each shot counting ten, and the odd numbers being communicated in like manner after for the benetit of the public schools, to which he paid $9,000 per year. The early lottery history of other States resem- bles that of Rhode Island very much. Lotteries were started in Maryland as early as 1800, when a grant was given to aid the Fredericks Female Semi- nary; subsequently no grants were given for eight » When Governor Pratt was elected, ces becoming very low, and even the design of repudiation being entertained, it was pro- posed to invigorate the public treasury by the res\ tution of lotteries. Lottery franchises were therefore granted for the benefit of the Susquehanna canal, Carroll county turnpike, and clearing out the Pokomoke ri A few years later all these lotteries were consolidated under one management, and S. Dickinson and Geo. Wharton were appointed commissioners by ( Thomas in 1846. Afterwards, when the new c stitution was formed in 1851, the Lottery Commis- sioners were elected by the people. LOTTERIES IN HAVANA. The Havana lottery, conducted under the ans- pices of the Spanish government, has been a most extensive affair,as may be seen by the following statement of the proceeds for the last twenty years’ the government assuming the risk of unsold tickets: In 1857 eighteen schemes were drawn, two of them of 21,500 tickets, and sixteen of 25,000 tick- ets, amounting in all to $7,088,000. Of thisamount one-fourth is deducted by the government—$1,772,- 070; there remained unsold 14,8374 tickets, amount- ing to $112,054 054, which drew prizes for the go- vernment of $224,062 04. During the year there lapsed unclaimed prizes for $31,193 06, and sub- scribers’ tickets paid ina premium of $3,604 034, leaving a net profit to the government of $1,681,410 for the year. The net profit for the last twenty years is as follows:— @ pause, so as to e certain of the correct num bers. In this way, it is said, the pious Connecticut gentlemen succeeded in swindling one manager out of fifty thousand dollars in the Rhode Island lotteries. THE OF TELEGRAPHS FIRST ADOPTED BY LOTTERY MEN. The early history of telegraphing records the fact that before lottery managers were aware of it, cronies of visual telegraph had been established, and the prize numbers learned in time to purchase lucky tickets in places distant from the scene of drawing. Large sums were at first lost by lottery managers in this way. Among the best supporters of the electric telegraph in its infancy, as well as more recently, have been the managers of lotteries, LOTTERY MANAGERS PUBLISHING ANTI-LOTTERY TRACTS. Tt is a curious fact in lottery history that when applications have been pending in some States for the issuing of new grants, the managers of lotteries already in legal existence have been known to pub> lish and circulate large quantities of anti-lottery documents and tracts, and to pay large sums of money for them, intending by these means to de- feat the applications of rivals, while they were sure of continuing themselves—preferring the damage of eae (iia against lotteries to the competition of rivals. 1848. BOGUS LOTTERIES. aie oe The fabulous profits ascribed to the legal lottery Roe ore business has, of late years, introduced a system of {477/661 013 bogus lotteries, which has tended much to injure yee fee the regular business. They are got up by unprin- * 520°613 08 cipled and irresponsible men, who issue flaming ad- * 666458 04 vertisements of schemes, offering immense prizes at small priced tickets. Of course, if they gave anything like what they promised they could not stand one drawing. They have no legal existence, and generally advertise to have subscriptions sent where there are no lotteries authorized. They have no drawings, but at the time when they preuna to have d ngs, they make upa list of fi The plan of drawing i: ar to the single num- ber schemes of Wood, Eddy & Co., of Georgia, one of which was given in illustration above. The Georgia method is to roll the printed numbers cor- responding with the numbers of the lottery in tin tubes, and place them in a wheel. The slips of Ona ahs pe AGG ied n numbers and give small prizes, encouraging taleny, and’ placed in -Guotier!-wioall One the buyers to further ventures, and at the same time securing a good round profit. distribute pr equal to their anything large, like the $50,000 Pp 3 of the legal concerns. It was this d of a lottery which was broken up at Norwich, Conn., and on the stoppage of which Swan & Co. wrote a letter of congratula- tion to the Mayor. BLACK-MAILING LOTTERY MANAGERS. It is said that the records of complaints be- ‘ore the tribunals against lottery men will show but few instances of mere belief in the inju rious tendency of the business being the canse of ihe complaint. The business of blackmailing lot- ery men, as developed in recent cases before tribunals in this city and elsewhere, would seem to be profitable. The system is described as ‘ollows:—If a lottery man is to be the victim, a is employed to buy a ticket and make a com- plaint. The police magistrate issues a warrant, and the lottery man is arrested and held to bail for ex- amination. The blackmailer then goes to the ac- cused and represents that he knows the complain- ant to be a worthless scamp; that he has him in his power and can get him out of the city, so that he cannot appear to testify on the complaint; and that he will effect this for a certain sum, less than the penalty would be if convicted. The amount is of course paid, varying from one hundred to five hnn- dred dollars, according to the ability of the accused Occasionally they boy, blindfolded so that he cannot possibly see, eipts, but cipts, but never draws a tube out of the wheel of numbers, “while another boy, similarly blindfolded, draws a tube out ot the wheel containing the prizes. The num- bers and prizes are then shown to the assembled audience and certified to by the commissioners, ‘The commissioners are disinterested men, and cer- tity, under oath, to the correctness of the drawing. The managers have nothing more to do with the drawing than the spectators, precisely in the same way as in the single number lottery of Wood, Eddy & Co., in Delaware. The lottery business has remained undisturbed in Delaware for twenty years. In February, 1857, however, there was an attempt made to pass a bill in the Legislature prohibiting the business, but it signally failed, as at the same session there was presented a bill providing for the raising by lot- tery of one hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars, to be applied to the completion and extension of the Delaware internal —im- provement system, and such other purposes as the Legislature might direct. In Louisiana lot- teries were for many years legalized, but were ay abolished. The sale of tickets for lotteries in other States was so extensive, however, in spite of the laws, that at the last session of the Legis: ture the constitution was proposed to be so amend- ed as to give legality to the sale. The following is an extract from an article in the New Orleans Picayune on the subject, advocating the amend- ment The conetitu'ion, in abolishing lotteries, meant todo a good thing, but bas failed, as such prohibitions will fail util there is a very different #tate ot feeling on the sud ject much more widely diffored. The laws which have been enacted to carry it into execution ars broken hourly, snd noone dreams tha! they could be enforsed. The remody {oy tis anomaly of « covetitution and !aw, which are trosted wi‘ habilual diareapset, is to alter both— to pay: nother plan is for the blackmailer, (Stun a person of good address, to get acquainted with some newly elected official, anxious to make a display of virtue, and offer to assist him in forays on ‘lot- tery managers. Perhaps he aids him in two or three operations. He then goes to the man- agers of some large concern and makes a propo- sition, either for a salary or a portion of their rofits, to secure them against all police inter- jeer and lawsuits, or to pay their expenses in such an event, If the letary man is frightened, he makes an agreement of this kind, understanding, as the blackmailer does, that the latter shall neither make any complaints himself nor allow others to do so. In this way vast sums of money have been drawn from lottery men, and sometimes by those in small offices where they hold a little power. LEGALIZED LOTTERIES. Notwithstanding that there are but four States at present legalizing lotteries, it is stated that tho: business is now almost as extensive as whem it was thrown open free in all the States. The total amount of moey invested in the business is estimated at $5,000,000 annually. The profita: are by no means so extensive as many imagine; as, for instance, the immense firm of Wood, Eddy & Co., after paying all expenses, is said to realize but about six per cent of profit on the sales of ticketa. As stated previoasly, the only legal lot- teries now in operation are in Georgia, Mis- souri, Delaware and Kentucky. The Georgia lotteries monopolize the Southern market, and have greatly injured the sale of tickets for the Havana lottery, which was formerly very popular atthe South. ‘The following statement is made of the sales of tickets of the legalized lotteries in the United State: Sales in the Wood, Eddy & Co.’s lotteries in Dela- ware, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri and Mary- land, per year. $5,000, Sales in the Havana lovery.... ++ 1,500,000 THE LOTTERIES OF WOOD, EDDY AND CO. By the above statement it would appear that the lotteries of Wood, Eddy & Co. comprise all the legal grants but one, and the great bulk of the business in this country. We propose to give brief history of the firm of Wood, Eddy & Co. as far as practicable from accessible materials. An application was made five years since to the Legislature of Alabama for the endowment of the Southern Military Academy, of that State. Ac- cordingly a tranchise was granted for a lottery, and §. Swan was selected by the Military Academy to. mauage their business. This was conducte for three years, the drawings taking place at Montgo- mery and Mobile, in public. The grant expiring in 1857, Samuel Swan & Co. leased the Fort Gaines and ‘Sparta Academy Lotteries, in Georgia, which have been drawn uniaterruptedly without doubt of their legality up to 1857. i The following is a copy of ihe. original grant ou which the Georgia lotteries of Swan & Co. were De ar aearaih linen oraecsi a An act 10 authorize the trustees of Sparta Academy, in the county of Hancock, to raise by lotsery the sum of five thout ana dollars for the benefit of said Academy. Be it enacted by the Senate aud House of tives of the State of Georgia in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same that the trustees of the Sparta Academy, in the county of Hancock, apd their successors in office, ‘be, and they are hereby autrorized to raise oy lottery a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, for the bevefit of aaid academy. ‘And be it further enacted, tnat Wm. Jerrill, Robert W. Aleton, Thomes S. Martin, Nathan O. Sayre, fhomas A. Smith, James H. Jones avd Joel Crawford, or a mejority of them, be, and are hereby, appointed commissioners to superintend and cenducteatd lottery ; and the said commis- gioners are hereby authorized to divide said lottery into ‘ag mapy separate sepemes or drawings ag in their judgment sball best suit the interest of said academy; and ‘any sum or sums of money woicb may be raised by said commissioners, under aod by virtue of this act, after deductiog the expenses of said lottery, shall be by them id over to the trustees of said academy for the use and efit thereof. ‘Araented to Dec 28, 1826. It was alleged by Mayor Tiemann and others, that this grant expired by act of the Georgia Legislature of 1833. That act, however, read ag follows:— one to prevent the drawing of lotteriés, or for the sala of lottery tickets in this State, approved Dec. 23, 1833. Sec. 1. From and immediately after the firat day of May next, all and every lottery and lotteries, and device and devices in the nature of lotteries, shall be uiterly and entirely abolished, and are hereby declared to be thence- forth unauthorized and unlawful, Bec 2 describes tne nature of the misdemeanor, the drawing and selling, &c., and fixes the penalty on convic- tion not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 for each and every offence. Sec. 3. In default of payment of fine, imprisonment six months. Sec, 4. All laws and parts of laws militating against this act are hereby repealed: Provided, That this act eball pot apply to any lottery heretofore authorized by ube General Aseembly. It was claimed by Swan & Co. that the last clause kills the whole bill, and makes the conti- nuance of their lotteries, now owned by Wood, Eddy & Co., legal. The other ground for the alleged illegality of their lottery was that the franchise was originally given to the trustees, and that they had no right to assign a trust to other parties. On the other side it was claimed that this trust could be assigned, and that the grant was a vested right which could be takenaway. This is apparently an intricate point of law, which would be more appropriate to settle by a Court of Ap- peals than by atrial for misdemeanor. The advo- cates of Swan & Co. stated that if the Georgia lot- teries were illegal, the authorities could easily stop the drawings ut once, but that the rival lotteries who backed up the onslaught dared not bring the matter in any other shape, because they would have to give bonds to secure Swan & Co. against damage to their business, whilst they ran no risk in the trial for misdemeanor, and had the chance of the damage which they expected to do to Swan & Co.; they also said that the fact of the arrest of Swan & Co. was telegraphed to all parts of the country at the expense of rival lottery concerns, so as to be published in the next morning’s papers, as soon as the Georgia paper could publish 1t; bat whatever might be the facts, Swan & Co. were undoubtedly able to take care of themselves. Benjamin Wood and George P. Eddy, formerly with the Maryland concern, having been for over two years connected with the firm of Swan &Co., at last, in connection with C. H. Maury, of the firm of Gregory & Maury, purchased an interest in the concern, Which is now known as the firm of Wood, Eddy & Co., and which, as we have already shown, monopolises nearly the entire lottery business. Mr. Swan retained an interest in the firm which hag infused the energy which has lately characterized the business. They enlarged the capital, purchased all the legal grants but one in the country, and pre- sented large schemes to gratify the taste of Southern patrons, who had been accustomed to patronize the extensive lotteries of Havana, They first commenced the drawing of the single lottery, on a plan similar to the Havana, having a drawing every Saturday, The State employed Commis- sioners of acknowledged respectability to superin- tend the drawings. For the gratification of Northern buyers, who favor the ternary combinations introduced by Yates and McIntyre, they established in September, 1857, a combination lottery on that plan, drawing twice every day. Specimens of the schemes on each of these plans were given in the first part of this article. The numbers drawn in these lotteries are imme- diately telegraphed to all the dealers in the United States, and, in order to prevent any mistake, a check word is sent with each number. The ex~ penses of this firm in telegraphing alone have been estimated at $25,000 per year. They employ fifteem: or twenty clerks in their office, and besides their lottery business have an extensive exchange and banking business in Augusta and Atlanta, and they have a large printing office, employing thirty or forty hands to print their tickets, schemes, &c. ae have an extensive correspon- dence, and three clerks are kept constantly busy, answering and filling orders for tickets. Their postage expenses stimated at $25,000 per year, and their advertising at $70,000 per year. The tickets for each scheme are sent out at east one month before the drawing, and must be all accounted for by the dealers be- fore the honr of drawing. Each dealer is com- pelled to deposit in the express office, before a certain hour, all unsold tickets, with a list of those sold and unsold, and take a receipt for the Pee and the exact time of its delivery. As an additional check, he is required to deposit in the mail a statement drawn up in a similar man- ner, for which he takes a receipt from the BPost Office clerk, with the time of its delivery. If this is not done before, or by the specified time, the dealer is responsible for the unsold tickets, and unless he pays, can get no more- —thus the dealers are prevented from selling or keeping unsold tickets which may draw prizes, All unsold tickets returued are taken by the managers. Some innuceat people might remark that this gives the managers the best chance; butit must be recollected that they might keep all the tickets if they chose and draw all the prizes, while, at the same time, they would have noreceipts. The unsold tickets are so much subtracted from their receipts. Their principal sales of tickets are in the country, through which they are distributed freely, though, of course, the large cities lend a helpin; hand. Many orders are sent from California and Burope, and it is by no means an uncommon thing, to receive orders for $500 to $1,000 worth of tickets from one individual. Southern planters very often during ON season, when they have no ex- citement of the city, send for large wake. They like large prizes and heavy risks. The most numerous class of buyers, however, are from country towns, where they have no theatres or places of amusement. ‘The most fabulous: stories are told of the drawing of large prizes from this lottery. One gentleman in Philadelphia is said. to have drawn a $50,000 prize, another one in Georgia a similar amount, and prizes of a few thousand dollars are claYnled to drawn by a great number, and no #mstance of their refusal to pay a prize has been recorded yet Certainly, with their extensive business, even the »'x per cent profit would yield a handsome revenue without re- sorting to illegal or criminal practices, wich would inevitably destroy their business at onve