THE LOLLTPOP SWEEP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 5, 5 January 1877, Page 4

THE LOLLTPOP SWEEP.

. The Melbourne Herald writes :—- --(Visitors to the Victoria Arcade have .been startled by tbe appearance of tw.o men, dressed in a maouer so fearful aod wonderful as t.o attract general attention. |The same men .io the same costumes have occasionally . been, seen in the suburbs. Tbeir dress consists of a loose suit and soft hat, with tbe addition ot an umbrella carried open in all weathers the whole being completely covered by small colored handbills. It seems that this is a mode Mr Henderson, of the Victoria Arcade, has adopted of advertising an American notion which he haa just introduced to the Melbourne public. In the United States the confectioners import a mild element of ■gambling into their business. They make op a large number of packets of confections from whioh the purchaser selects 6a he or she pleases. In a certain proportion of these are placed coins of different values, so that some purchasers get their confectiooa foi: nothing and others are considerably in pocket, the majority of course getting i nothing but the lollies they purchase. Mr Henderson has adopted this plan, and.,: witb success apparently., He : places coins of all values, from 3d to a sovereign, in his packets, 1 the smaller ones necessarily being greatly in preponderance. The vendor alleges that liis parcels of lollies, which are sold for a. shilling, contain full weight, and are according. to the the present state of the lolly market in Melbourne, full value for the price oharged. His version is, that it is the profits arising from purchasing largely, and selling expeditiously, that enable him to offer the inducement, of; prizes to his customer*. | The police bnve been looking into the matter, but so far,, do not appear to have discovered tbat any law is broken by the transaction.