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On this Page 170
THE BALLARAT ART UNION.
The distribution of works of art by lottery
has ?;n^|ieirjp jb^eii recognised as possessing
gi^Qie^p .a^yv^tagesc'^p^|pp'tut artist and
Pti|^|ip as , to ( exempt i$ from legal prohibition ;
j|,nd tjijig,' 'id}i'ring the ^s'i'' few months,
a rj^tlior' gigantic enterprise'. in tjiis respect
has :peeriT ^successfully compassecl. Some
years jbaok^he management pf' the Ballarat
Mechanics' -'.Inst^ution complpted a. huge
biiildihg, '? .with '|ia}!, library; !?}nbl almost
countless cjjaij|beri, --;f ully adequate to tho
requirements of a groat mining metropolis :
and it was with a ?jfieWjtp .liquidating a- lin
gerine and encumbent debt tner eon that the
[trustees resQrfced.to this expedient, and in
vited BubsorjIj'llpnSttt)' '.a gra^d ayt union of
10,1)00 share's of £1 each. ^' S^he merits, how
eyer, of the ordinary arp,p.n?es did not seem
sufppionjjly attv*ac'tiy;'e l'n'a; 'golden district, so
it was ' 'resolved' 'tthat'i'tli^ 'foWt1 ' first prizes
should be of gtt»ariteed -? Sterling value,
in 'the fp'rm ' ' of ? 'Sfti^jiip' ' gplil 'vases,' and
jyhen.thb'.iiirst prize,*' jvqVth\£.2^pp,v was pub
licly exHibited ;iji thie' ;toWnj1'$t''''was evident
tliat tlie ' exgec.tations 'of ; .the ' most, san
^tin'ecpmrnittee-niSn\?pula be'fully realised,
?fth'e- great ' Hall: '6'f ^^''tfie'in'stitutibu. and ad
]p?niflg ?' rpoina ? liadJ'beeii'preyiously hung
^itli'-all 'the available' works of art, and ?
much speculation was rue as to which
Vifpiiid be' prizes'; .pictures were invited
?|rbin''all quarters, .either Ipr exhibition or
sal^' and '.attists'' an'cl 'Sealers 'readily em
^'rape611'fche' 'p^pjjojtiinityr.iiiid tempted tho
^purcHase'bf sl6w.'st!o'c{k:by offering at prices
!tliUjb'j'yrould give i'''an''ainple''in!argi.nf many
sending ' pioturea yith' the ' single ' object of
d|r4ctly benefiting''tfie insiiitutioii. Thus tho
management ' 'were 'enabled1 '; '£o give 1000
^riiies, ' ranging ' frorij' £l'5P cto :£1 ; and
aitlipugn it is possible that rtne.trustees ot a
raeciiaincs' instftijite';may n^t jbe the beat
judges 'pf piiptuf^s'xs'' workb* of 'art, there
were: oii jtnjH1' wall's, nfe^S.iftlieless, many
y'aluable' A^tu.res 'destined'? '-'fpf prizes.
To' place :5§.e;u 'drawing' beyond' all ques
tion ' Sb'd mkjyijiS^'^H'fiqvivaittee x-i gen
tleihenV ' -y.to apflpiiited,1 '''entirely outside
:t^Asol\int6tPstMp';Ui';'the 'arj;' union, and
jc'onsideya^le' expense jfas iHcjtrreil in ren
aering V|iie'' appriinPes^tlioyiuglily' complete.
ffhe'Wea't i}rajVing'''day :' w«i^ Jixeol for tho
,l'j^th?^ejiten|berjM'jvhfen the^iqueBtion as to
lucky 'nUmb^erswaS'iio.'be :decided, and early
Bn'^at' aay'the 'stage !pf t)ie'.Iarg6 hall was
occupied1! by Ithe'1 ift'embers 'prVtho drawing
ppm'ltoittee and' representatives .of the press,
tfi.e'ttiayors'Jof ',East'an^: -West Ballarat ? offi.
ciatirig on 'tha ^ioHfe'si1 ^rhicli had been pre
yibubly changed ivfth. the' respective num.
per3j 'and cfl/refully looked and sealed. The
real business commenced at nine o'clock, and
all interested inside and outside the hall
Were on . 'the tiptoe of expectation. Tho
globe, ?revolvipg'pn', meridian and polar axes,
worked'aidflair'ably'-^th'e young ladies beamed
on the expeotaiit ticket-holders,' and simul
taneously 'inserting' 'their' 'innocent hands,
drew forth 'tlie respective dies. These wero
taken by' ''^lie sorutirieers and the numbers
declared. '!Kt ien q'cl6-sk.ii'yyaa known, and
wired in ajl directions, that. the JS'o. 2 prize,
a gold cup value £750, had fa'Jldn to the lot
of Mr. 0. E.'-'Briay,1 pf 'Geelbng, holder- of
No. 9843. lBef Pre half -past' eleven the first
division of 256'(wei;e drawn, and tin interval
' bf fifteen minutes ': took' 'p'lao'e.' ' In rooms
contiguous io\&e'4tftgb'thorcgi8ter lists wero
; being filled' iri,' ''rpfreshmen'ts' supplied, and
the 'numbprs 'alrea'tty')^i!^wn furnished to a
special priirtei',' 'vihp soon' had liia prize lists
in circulation^ AndV'npV/'a's ,'tl^e morning
adVances, th'e exc'itern'ent increases. Knots
p'f jfosdously BDeculatiyb1 people arp devoutly
discussing their' ohances~or\e' expatiating on
the'mystpry of pdd'numbefs, .while another
of equivocal physio'gnPmy is 'earnestly pro
pitia^g the subtle destiny of 'chance by tho
most.. liberal overtures of charitable endow
ments ' 'should fortune befriend hiui with tho
cup.'' The click of the metal loots, and ano
ther number indrawn j a thrill of excitement
runs throughout tho' room', for, the scrutineer
has:b^e'd^'one'':frpni'tlie prize globe, but it
proves' to , be only 'the 'first numeral of 127.
The' great p'Hzeis still ontombed, and thore is
yet hope' urid'mpre ' 'excitement. ' Many Bal
la'rat iiotables rnay_ no^: be distinguished in
the '['cfofy'd,' BJi'ot '.ting \and mining men, to
^hpmtho actual winning oir losing of £2000
^vpuld*' be' ''a'J bagatolle, iirp' yet. in a
feypr. of suspense, as 'still the high numbers
irp 'drawn,' and' thp masBive1 cup remains
'Unclaimed. Here is ' a inerry party, for
a'ltnowing prizeholder is'';endeayoring to
negotiate his 'winnings— -he is' a Holder of a
co-pperauye twentieth interest in a £1 pic
ture ! On the' pther hand, a lady of severe
dounteuanoo i 'sits in tho front row unmoved.
ahe!;is detprinineid to see . fair'play, and for
tKat'J)urpose''^vas in' attendahce sinoo seven
mthe morning. She looks 'anxious as tho
_telejj£ajHb i.boy' makes his appearance with an
important message, seoHing'tlib'seorotary.
Is it an injunction from tho Attorney.
General V No. The globes again perform .
their complex gyrations, producing the over
curious grating sounds as the ten thousand
facet marbles whirl round in the most be.

wildering and satisfactory confusion — the
No. 1, the great prizo, still good naturedly
remaining in the whirl, till tho lust division,
and is only drawn at twenty minutes past live,
when the event of the day is declared, and
John Hauuoii, a farm laborer of tho district,
holding ' No.' 8G13, is tho unconscious' owner
of rnpro' than £2000. Mi*. Louis Loan, a
vWtdhalla miner, having previously ob
tained the third prize, ; a cup of
i'5':'6x., being No. S8L4. And now,
'although perhaps 200 numbers have yet to
be drawn, the interest is over. Foitune,
ever blind, was not to be conciliated, and
tho charitable endowments did not come oft*,
?lii a few hours four individual were en
riqhcd, and 905 people wore passive pur
chasers of pictures, while the 9000 havo the
consolation of feeling tliomselves contribu
tors to the liquidation of a- dolit on one of
tho most deserving of our educational insti
tutions.

$