vertiser, and saying that "it will be all right."

I have already given an account of the way in which lottery dealers
operate. From among the same pile of documents which I used then, I have
selected a few others, as instances in part, of a class of humbugs
sometimes of a kind even far more noxious, and which show that their
devisers and patrons are not only sharpers or fools, but often also very
cold-blooded villains or very nasty ones. Some of them are managed by
printed circulars and written letters, such as those before me; some of
them by newspaper advertisements. Some are only to cheat you out of
money, and others offer in return for money some base gratification. But
whatever means are used, and whatever purpose is sought, they are all
alike in one thing--they depend entirely on the monstrous number of
simpletons who will send money to people they know nothing about.

Of the nasty ones, I can give no details. Vile books, pictures, etc.,
are from time to time advertised, sold, and forwarded, by circular, and
through the mails, and for large prices.

There have been some cases where a funny sort of swindle has been
effected by these peddlers of pruriency, by selling some dirty-minded
dupe a cheap good book, at the extravagant price of a dear bad one. More
than one foolish youth has received, instead of the vile thing that he
sent five dollars for, a nice little New Testament. It is obvious that
no very loud complaints are likely to be made about such cheating as
that. It is, perhaps, one of the safest swindles ever contrived.

The first document which I take from my pile is the announcement of a
fellow who operates lottery-wise. His scheme appeals at once to
benevolence and to greediness. He says: "The profits of the distribution
are to be given to the Sanitary Commission;" and secondly, "Every ticket
brings a prize of at least its full value, and some of them $5,000."

If, therefore you won't buy tickets for filthy lucre's sake, buy for the
sake of our soldiers.

"But," somebody says, "how can you afford this arrangement, which is a
direct loss of the whole cost of working your lottery, and moreover of
the whole value of all prizes costing more than a ticket?"

"Oh," replies our benevolent friend, "a number of manufacturers in New
England have asked me to do this, and the prizes are given by them as
friends of the soldier."

One observation will sufficiently show what an impudent mess of lies
this story i