book-keepers, mechanics,
liquor-dealers, bar-tenders, peddlers, insurance agents, etc. Gamblers,
as a class, are very superstitious, and the white policy-player is
hardly less so than his colored brother. The latter dreams a good deal,
while the former divides his time between trying to guess the lucky
numbers and avoiding evil omens. Bad luck walks arm in arm with him
beneath every ladder, and below every safe that is being hoisted to a
top-floor room. If he forgets anything when he is leaving home in the
morning, and has to turn back, he is ruined for the day. If he washes
with a piece of hard untractable soap, and it darts from his hand and
scoots along the floor, his "luck has dropped" and "slidden" likewise.
If he, by some malign fate, meets a cross-eyed person, especially the
first thing on Monday morning, he is plunged into despair.

It is estimated by an old policy-player that every dollar a man gets out
of the game costs him at least five. To show how slim is the chance of
winning, it is only necessary to explain that many men play the numbers
4, 11, 44 every day regularly, and this well-known "gig" only comes out
about once a year, or say once in every 600 drawings. This is especially
the negro's "gig." He watches for its coming day after day with fond
anticipation. He would rather "ketch dat 'ar gig" for five dollars than
receive a present of ten.

The lotteries now sold surreptitiously in New York are supposed to be
drawn in Kentucky; but years ago numbers were drawn from a wheel on the
steps at the old City Hall in the park. When the State Legislature
annulled the charter of the lottery company and declared the game
illegal, it moved over to New Jersey, where it was drawn as late as
1850.

"It was a standard joke in the old time," said an experienced operator
recently, "to find out what numbers a man had played, and then to
volunteer to stop at the City Hall and take a copy of the numbers drawn.
A false slip was invariably brought back, and when the player examined
it, seeing all the numbers he had bought, he generally dropped his work
and went to collect the winning. When the lottery was driven from New
York, interested persons used to cross over to New Jersey to witness the
drawing, and the numbers were taken from the wheel amid the greatest
noise and excitement. Some numbers were received with derisive hoots and
howls, and others applauded; and all through the drawing certain
favorites would be lou