The Olden Time Series, Vol. 1: Curiosities of the Old Lottery | Page 3

advertisement. Our observations have been confined chiefly to Boston and Salem prints, but we have no doubt that similar matter could be found in other papers. We propose now to give liberal extracts from some of the old advertisements of the different schemes, which will, we think, confirm what we have already said on the subject. Let us take first from the "Boston Gazette" of May 19, 1760, the lottery to raise $1,000 towards building a bridge over the River Parker, in Newbury. The managers were the first men in the place, and the tickets were sold by men of excellent standing in Boston.
[Illustration]
NEWBURY, May 17, 1760.
SCHEME of a LOTTERY,
FOR raising a Sum of Money for the building and maintaining a Bridge over the River Parker, in the Town of Newbury, at the Place called Old Town Ferry (in pursuance of an Act of the General Court, passed in April 1760) Wherein _Daniel Farnham, Caleb Cushing, Joseph Gerrish, William Atkins,_ Esq., and Mr. Patrick Tracy, Merchant, (or any Three of them) are appointed Managers. The acting Managers are sworn to the faithful Performance of their Trust.
Newbury-Lottery Number Four, consists of
5000 Tickets, at Two Dollars each; 1655 of which are Benefit Tickets of the following Value.
1 of 500 Dollars, is 500 Dollars. 4 of 100 are 400 5 of 50 are 250 6 of 40 are 240 10 of 30 are 300 14 of 20 are 280 45 of 10 are 450 75 of 8 are 600 1495 of 4 are 5980 ---- ---- 1655 Prizes, amounting to 9000 Dollars. 3345 Blanks. ---- 5000 Tickets, at Two Dollars each 10000 To be paid in Prizes, 9000 ---- 1000 Dollars.
Remains to be applied for the Purpose aforesaid.
Two Blanks only to one PRIZE.
_THE Bridge aforesaid is already built, and upon a Settlement of the Accounts, and Demands relative thereto, the Managers of the former Lottery for that Purpose, were found to be greatly in Debt: The Charges of building the Bridge, and prosecuting the Lottery, amounting to much more than what was allowed to be raised by the former Act of the General Court--therefore the present Lottery is allowed._
_AND since the said Bridge so well answers the Expectation of the Public, and the Travelling that Way thereby is rendered much more easy and pleasant; the Managers doubt not there will be a great Demand of the Tickets, from a Principle of encouraging and promoting a Work of such general Utility, if there were no other Inducement. But when they consider how much this Scheme is calculated in Favour of the Adventurers, there being many Prizes of great Value, and but two Blanks to a Prize; they doubt not of a very speedy Sale of the Tickets._
Tickets purchas'd at Boston, _if fortunate, will be paid off there. Public Notice will be given of the Time and Place of Drawing; and as soon as finished, the Prizes will be published in the Boston Gazette and Country Journal. Gold as well as Silver will be received for Tickets; and the Prizes paid off accordingly. Prizes not demanded in Twelve Months after Drawing, will be considered as given to the common Stock for building and maintaining the said Bridge, and will be so applied._
Tickets are to be Sold by the Managers in Newbury, by Ebenezer Storer, Esq., and Son; Mr. Timothy Newell; William & James Jackson, and the Printers hereof in Boston.
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The town of Taunton, Mass., was favored by a lottery grant in 1761 to aid in clearing the Great River.
Taunton, March 16. 1761.
PUBLICK NOTICE is hereby given to all Persons who are so disposed to encourage the Clearing of Taunton Great-River, (so beneficial to the Trade of this Province) by adventuring in the LOTTERY granted for that Purpose, That the Managers of said Lottery have determined to begin to draw the First Class on Tuesday the 27th Day of April next; the Town of Taunton having voted to take off all the Tickets that shall remain unsold at that Day;--And all Persons who have taken Tickets to dispose of, are desired to return them, or the Money for them, by the First Day of said April.
--> Tickets are yet to be had of Messir's Gould and Company, and of Green & Russell, Printers in Queen Street, Boston.--As also of the Managers at their respective Dwellings in Taunton.
Next we will take from the "Boston Post Boy" of November, 1762, the scheme to raise money to rebuild Faneuil Hall, after the fire of 1761. It will be noticed how small an amount was reserved for the purpose for which the Lottery was granted,--only $1,200. It seems as if a very small sum subscribed by every freeholder would have produced more money. If the population of Boston at that time was, say, twenty thousand, or