The reader can infer that Old Man Warner represents the status quo or the way things have always been.
Old Man Warner is the oldest man in the town he lives in. He has participated in 75 lotteries and strongly opposes those who think that they would not be run anymore in town. He labels such people, which are normally of a much younger age, as "crazy fools". This attitude reveals the fear Old Man Warner has towards change, as he comes to accept the way things are because "it is how they always were". This is a dangerous point of view as it makes you to blindly follow traditions that may not necessarily be correct.
The article provided all the information needed in the first sentence so that people would have the knowledge necessary to understand the story being told in the article.
