The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-31

How 1T is Opcrated-Enormous Fronts
Demoralizing Tendency Of the Institu-
ton.
Havana correspondent of the New York
Journal Of Commerce writes:
Probably most Of your readers who have
been in this city, and many who have not,
know something OF the Havana Lottery, out a
brief description Of the Todus 0perG'ads may
not be amiss. 1t is an old institution, from
which the government bas long derived con-
siderable revenue. At present the drawings
are held every seventeen days, and the scheme
is as follows For each drawing there are is-
sued by the government $4,000 tickets, at $40
each, amounting in the aggregate to S52O, ,O0O,
of which snm seventy-ive per cent. is dlstrib-
uted in prizes. The tickets are printed IN
fractions, having on them the consecutive num-
bers from one to $4,000. The prizes are-one
of 500 600; one OF $4,000; one of $40, ,0OO:7one
OF $40, 1000; two of $4,000; twenty-four Of $1,000;
-feff..y-eight of $780,; one hundred and two OF
$40O and two hundred and twenty-five of $3.50.
There are, besideS,s approximation prizes, as
follows: The ninety-nine remaining num-
bers Of the hundred in which the highest prize
faces are each entitled 10 $500 (for o exam
ple, if number u .564 gains the S100, 600, the
numbers from Il, ,564 to u 600 each gain s200);
in the same manner there are ninety y-niHa ap-
proximation prizes OF $3.50 to the one of $780,
600, aud ninety-nine of $100to the $4,000, and
twenty-seven approximation of 5000 each to the
remaining number OF the tens in which the
prize of $40 900 and the two of $1,000 fall. Ihesc
,...ee 1919 IN au prz.s, amounting to 100000.
The tickets are bought BY the 6itleter0S or
street yenders from the Office at $40 and retail
ed at s21 Is. A considerable number OF men
and women, probably two or three hundred,
thus gain living in this city, where they are
to be seen IN all the prInclpal tnorongntares9, 9
cafes, and other places Of resort, as also IN AL
the cities OF the island. The day before the
drawing they are especially importunate In
their solicitations, flourishing their tickets.
and shouting Justify sic juega nsaaana"
played Tomorrow
The drawings are held publicly in the court
Of the treasury building, and are superlntend-
large globe (having sliding door big
enough to admit mans arm) are placed 2G,-
600 bits Of ivory Of the size OF dime, having
on them the consecutive numbers from one 10
twentS>six thousand. In smaller globe are
placed Similar bits of ivory having on them
the various prizes from 500. 900 down. After
the globes have been Teyolved and the bits OF
ivory well shaken, two small boys (from tho
orphan asylum) perform the drawing. One
boy inserts his hsnd into the large globe and
takes out a number which he exhibits to the
inspectors and then calls out. at the same
time the other boy draws from the other
globe . prize which BE also exhibits to
stands in readiness writes On blackboard,
placed in view of the spectators, zach number
and prize as they are called. And so-she draw
ing is continued until all the prizes are drawn
from the smaller globe. To q physiognouist
it affords no little amusement to watch ee
crowd Of eager expectants, and the boys them
selves so mechanically and indltterently 9faW
nd
tenor. Tres NIL ,toS cientos uienteocto pipe:
one; Cuatro cier,tos pesos responds the other
and instantly on the blackboard is written No
322S-$400-and so on to the end.
I have never heard any fraud charged, anc
do not think that any exists II the manage
is that the large prizes often fall to persons
who could not, by any possibility, be in collu
sion with the managers; and the fact that gov
ernment officials, merchants and others, WHO
would soon detect fraud if there were any
constantly buy the tickets.
/ have heard some curious incidents related
Of the lottery. commercial house Of this cit.
\had subscribed for several years for whole
ticket Of certain number. At length the.
became ipYoved, and having 70 pay suddenl,
about SSO,0Cos~were unable to command tn
amount. The Day, before the drawing tn
=tlcket sellor went as usual to their counting
room with the ticket. One Of tho partners toll
he<would not taxe.it any longer. He did So
and ~ next morning that icket dre'
Sl00, 900, Aod the house failed.
a man bouSat whole ticket, whicq he KEEP
for several days. but the day before the draw
Ing he met the man who had sold it to hin
and requested him to give him another Sar it
as ho thd not fancy the number. The veRde
exchanged with him, and the first ticket drew
$4,000
A gentleman of my acquaintance bought
whole ticket, whic:, he carried in his pocket
oook Tor several days, and then exchanged
tnree-fourths ot It WITH some of his frienGs 10
Other numbers. That ticket drew S1OO. .OOC. j
drss many any, strange stories are told Of rztpl
gaining prizev~ have known many nersons
TO To- ateam t aut snas csrsan naabers drew rr;zas
The net amount derived last year Tone, 4
source was s2,7S9, ,2SS; on the whole, tbcS; ;nt
terry may be regarded as one Of the worst nd ~
OF raising revenue. The tendency ia dem o,ssH
izine. and is particularly injurious to the ne!
groes, Chinese, and other poor people. By an