—­> The highest prize being so fixed as to come out whenever
Chance shall direct it, it stands purchasers in hand to be
seasonable in their applications.  July 24, 1807.

Lottery Price Current.—­In Boston, Amoskeag Tickets,
warranted undrawn, 6 dolls.  In Salem, at Russell’s 5.50—­at
Cushing and Appleton’s, not warranted, 5.

* * * * *

Further Information.—­The Amoskeag highest prize, of Eight Thousand Dollars, is still undrawn, and the wheels are extraordinarily rich, having gained, since the drawing began, upwards of Six Thousand Dollars.  There is therefore every probability that the scrip will soon rise.  Those who intend to purchase for the sake of a chance for the highest prize, are advised to do it before it is drawn out of the wheel, which may be to-morrow.  Those who purchase for the sake of a cheap ticket, would do well to wait till afterwards. July 24, 1807.

* * * * *

*** If any body wants
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,
they are requested to call on
JOHN RUSSELL,
who will, for a trifling consideration, put them in a
way to realize that, or another sum of less
magnitude, in the course of September
next, when the rich Wheels of Hatfield
Bridge Lottery will begin
to move.

—­> Tickets will rise on the first of September to
5.50—­Prize Tickets exchanged. (1807)

In 1776 the Continental Congress endeavored to raise a large sum by means of a lottery.  On the first of November of that year the following Resolve was passed,—­“That a sum of money be raised by way of lottery, to be drawn at Philadelphia.”  A committee was then empowered to manage this lottery, and agents were appointed in the several States to sell the tickets.  From causes difficult now to explain, the drawing, which was to have taken place in 1777, was postponed from time to time, until finally, it is said, the whole scheme proved a failure.  Many of the adventurers being large losers, much bad feeling was produced towards the Government.  The design was to raise the money in the way of a loan.  There were four classes of tickets, a hundred thousand in each,—­$10, $20, $30, and $40; in all $10,000,000.  In Lossing’s “Field-Book of the Revolution,” from which we derive this account, may be seen a copy of one of these lottery tickets.  Probably the people were too poor at that time to furnish the requisite sum of money, and so the tickets did not sell readily; or the lottery may have been badly managed.

Congregational Churches used to raise money by lottery, as appears by the following advertisement in the “Columbian Centinel,” May 5, 1792,—­

NEWPORT LOTTERY TICKETS.

—­> A few TICKETS, in the Newport Congregational Church
Lottery, which commences drawing the 10th instant, may be had
at No. 61 LONG-WHARF if applied for immediately.  May 5.