The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-12-30
THE LOTTERY IN HAVANA.
Through the Invasion of
Americans.


One Of the most clearly marked in
dications of the coming Of American
rule in Cuba is the passing Of the Ha~
vana lottery. According to the govern
ment schedule the next drawing should
be held soon, but the exact date has not
ret been advertised, and 1t 10 accepted
as foregone conclusion by almost
every one that before that time arrives
LOS Yanlds" will have interfered and
driven the lottery from Cuba forever.
The two institutions which always
best illustrated the state OF the public
conscience and character In Cuba were
the bullfght and the lottery. While the
bullfiQht was national and traditionally
sacred, It was never governmental or
political. It's existence oould be ter
minated by single edict. But with the
lottery 1t was different, for this gam
bling institution was one OF the chief
Cuban sources of revenue for the Span
ish crown.
The lottery here was government
institution just as much as was the Gus
tom-house or post office. It's profits
were the most infallible Of the indirect
taxes. It's management and operation
constituted one of the departments OF
the colonial administration. Every
one of the million pesos that were an
nually derived from the Havana lottery
was turned over to the secretary of the
treasury, which is another way OF say
ing that they were sent to Spain, be-
cause the idea of spending in Cuba any
of the revenues that came from the is
land has always been entirely foreign
to the Spanish theory of governing.
The Havana lottery was founded In
1912 by government decree, which at
the same time prohibited private lot
teries and all other forms of gambling
in Cuba. In cauntry where there were
neither stock exchanges nor bookmak-
ers, the only vent for the gaming spirit.
always strong in the Latin race, was
the governmental lottery, which has done
a thriving business ever since II started.
1t is difficult matter to ascertain
the exact amount of revenue that has
been obtained from the lottery, because
both its prizes and income have from
time to time been paid in gold Or silver
or paper currency. as the price of the
different kinds of money was most ad-
vantageous for the government.
The accounts were last kept On gold
basis in 1892 During that year the
amount of revenue paid into the treas
ury from the lottery was $1,957,124.
Since then, according to the reports
in the treasury department, ths earn
ings of the lottery, paid sometimes in
silver and sometimes in paper, have
been as follows:
1898 81, ,S11, ,59s 1896. ....... 81 O36, ,76s
1894 .......... 15Ss.744 1897 .......... f446.56
lAAo ...-.-.-.-. lt2lS,42Z
Drawings usually took place three
times a month. For each 10000 tickets
were offered for sale at ten dollars each
for the entire ticket. or so cents eacL
for any one of the 20 sections into which
1t was subdiyided. Three-quarters OF
the receipts were distributed in pre-
miums and one-quarter was retained
by the government. which took also all
prizes drawn on unsold tickets. The
first prize at each drawing was s5o,0oo.
From that amount they ranged down
to 500 prizes Of $50 each.
By complicated system Of agencies
that reached to every village in Cuba
lottery tickets. were far sale every.
where. These agents hired sub-agents
to peddle tickets in the streets and pub
lie places.
One Of the favorite methods for re.
concentrate children to earn few
cents day was to sell tickets for some
sub-agent. Their shrill voices crying:
"Good numbers, sure to win prizes,
could be heard on every corner. Lot
terry tickets were far more easy to OBJ
tain in Havana than postage stamps.
1t is scarcely an exaggerat;on to say
that every one over Is years Of age in
Cuba played the lottery. In every posi-
tion Of the mercantile, professional, OF
social life Of the island one found the
same green and purple tickets, with
their Big black nambers Chicago m,
Ter Ocean.