A Visit to Tatts" In Sleepy Hebart-Town

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 January 1929, Page 9

A Visit to Tatts" In Sleepy Hebart-Town

- - participation in a sweepstake is contrary to the laws of QyWlRkO New Zealand, the O' Cmklwi ceremon i° us drawing of jy AwW the largest annual sweepstake south of the Line, is of more than passing interest. Let us suppose the sweep is to be drawn on Thursday; on Wednesday morning an engraved card appears in the letter-rack of the Highfield Hotel (Tattersall’s property) requesting the pleasure of the company of any visitors interested in the ceremony of drawing the numbers for the Winter Sweepstake. Tattersall’s Buildings in Collins Street is the address, and 9.30 the time at which the drawing commences. As one of the first things done by the tourist on arrival in Hobart is to visit “Tatts,” and make an investment in the current sweep, one naturally appreciates an invitation to witness a scene that has the attraction of personal interest, as well as the charm of the unusual. Notification of our intentions is conveyed to the management, and Tattersall’s reserve for us excellent seats, from which we can view the proceedings in comfort.

On Thursday morning we don coats and gloves, in a vain endeavour to keep warm, and venture in search of experience.

When the swing doors of Tattersail’s Buildings are pushed aside, we enter a long lobby, similar in some respects to a suburban telegraph office, only designed in a more’ costly and graceful style. On one side are the desks at which the prospective ticket-holder fills in his entrance form, and addresses two envelopes, each bearing his own name and full address. One envelope will be stamped and posted, and contain his ticket, the other will be forwarded at a later date, containing the prize-winning numbers.

Along the opposite wall of the lobby runs a desk, behind which stands a woman, busily engaged in taking money from, and issuing tickets to, the people who flow in a never-ending stream, in and out of Tattersail’s offices. Day after day, year after year they come, and buy, and lose . . . then buy again. Our destination, however, is at the end of the building, where an obliging official ushers us to our seats. Here is a long hall. A table and chairs are at one end, presumably the

official table. On either side of this, and close to the wall, are rows of “tip-up” seats, on which we seat ourselves.

Strange Contrivances

At one end of the table stands an unusual object. It has the shape of a large barrel made of highly polished wood, slung along an axle, underneath and on either side of which are two cranks, connecting with cog wheels to the barrel axle. Around the barrel are huge leather straps. On the table stands a replica of this in miniature, without, however,' the straps, cogs, or crankshafts. Hung on the wall are two ladles of polished metal, and a number of tongs of unusual pattern. Punctually at 9.30 a.m. the various “Tatts” officials, the Government supervisor, and Press and police representatives, seat themselves. When all is quiet, the chairman announces to his confreres and the assembled public in general that the drawing of the numbers for the Winter Sweepstake is now about to take place. He explains that 100,000 tickets have been sold, and that in the large cask are a corresponding number of marbles, numbered from 1 to 100,000. The first draw is for the horses. There are 15 horses entered for the race, so 15 marbles, each bearing the name of a contestant, have been placed in the barrel on the table, under strict Government supervision. A marble is picked out of the large barrel, another out of the small one. The first fifteen numbers will receive the 15 horses, in the order of drawing.

He now requests that some member of the public should come forward and draw the marbles from the small cask. While he is delivering this little speech the Government supervisor and a Tattersail’s official are breaking the Government seals on the small trap-door openings of both casks. The small cask is revolved a number of times, two men grasp the cranks attached to the larger one, and this, too, is revolved. Tongs are lowered into the large cask, and a marble is extracted. The number with which it is marked is called, and a “horse” marble is drawn from the small cask by a woman volunteer. The name on the marble is read aloud, and the number of the first marble and the name of the horse are noted by two officials, and a member of the Press. This is repeated until all the horses have received numbers. The marbles are then replaced in the casks, the smaller cask is removed, and the drawing for the £lOO, £5O, £3O, £lO and £5 prizes proceeds. The large cask is again revolved, the marble* drawn, and the numbers noted. With the drawing of the 200 prizes of £lO and the 350 prizes of £5, a ladle is used to extract the marbles, as the use of the tongs would prove too tedious.

To avoid all possibility of error, each drawing is checked three times by the assembled officials. At the conclusion of the ceremony, under a clause in the will of the late Mr. J. Adams (Tattersall’s), cigars and refreshments are offered those assembled in the hall. Without exception they avail themselves of Tattersall’s hospitality. GREER BICKFQRD.