The Russellville Democrat

FORTUNE FINDERS.

The Luck of Some New Orleans Men in the June Drawing of The Louisiana State Lottery.

About noon on Wednesday three men stepped into the private office of the Louisiana State Lottery Company, and their smiling faces betrayed their errand. They were John W. Tenny, an engineer, and Charles Dennis and John Moran, watchmen, all three at present in Government employ, the latter on board the United States Government boat General Newton, and Tenny is engineer of the Ruby, the boats now lying near the Exposition grounds, preparing for a trip to the Atchafalaya.

Dennis had a twentieth of the ticket which won the $300,000 prize, rolled up carelessly between his fingers. He straightened it out on the table, and said:

"There it is boys; we've got it."

"You see," said Dennis, "this is a combine.' We each buy a ticket every month, from a pool, and divide the profits. We have been buying tickets for several years, and at last we struck it."

"It was his ticket that did the business," said Tenny. "Moran and I bought ours, but Dennis did not have a chance to go down. He finally asked a friend of his to bring him up a dollar ticket. Dennis got his dollar ticket and put it in the pool. I thought no more of it until the morning after the drawing. I had the blues, but when I saw the Picayune—you can guess the rest. There on top of the column were the figures 52,749, and opposite them the $300,000 prize. That is number, and so Dennis, Moran and I told the boss that we had important business down town, and here we are."

"What are you going to do with the money?" asked the reporter.

"This is in confidence. We intend to deplete our finances considerably by having a good time, and after that we may go back to work just the same as ever. In fact, we may not quit work at all."

Just then a check for the money they had won was brought to them, and the trio departed rejoicing. Dennis is from county Clare, Ireland, 33 years of age, has been in America since childhood, and in New Orleans for five years. One of the first habits he acquired was to buy a lottery ticket monthly, and now he is glad he did it. Moran is an Orleanian bred and born. Tenny is from North Carolina, and says it is the first time he has had his name in the papers. All three are unmarried, and jolly good fellows.

The little office had not been long vacated when in came another caller. It was letter carrier P. J. Mooney without his uniform. Mooney had found his luck at last and he found it with a dollar ticket in the June drawing of The Louisiana State Lottery Company. He is a native of New Orleans, 27 years of age, is married, and lives with his family at 420 Ursulines street. In 1884 Postmaster Merchant appointed him to carry mail and he was retained under the Democratic administration.

Mooney did not believe much in lottery. He bought one ticket for dollar and won nothing. This confirmed his belief or rather lack of it. A few days before the June drawing he determined to try again among the five tickets he bought was one bearing the magic figures, 52,749. They were magic to him for they opened the gates of fortune in a day and made him comparatively rich man. Mooney bought his tickets two days before the drawing, and when he saw the Picayune on Wednesday morning his joy can well be imagined—No. 52,749 had won the $300,000 prize.

Mooney says he will invest money and carry his mail bag with lighter heart.

There were no other capital prize holders who called that day, the other fractions being held in distant parts of the country, but the action of smaller holders continued until the doors were closed, tickets were presented and cashed, and the June drawing had been a lucky one for many. No matter in what mood the callers came, they all departed smiling.—New Orleans (La.) Picayune, June 18th, 1887.