The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-24
ROYAL GAMBLING SCHEME.
The Havana Lottery Which for Years
Has Been u Curse TO Cuba.
(Cuba Times. }

The Royal Lottery Of Cuba. with head
quarters in Havana, Is st II doing busi-
ness-sl ticket, and the king of Spain,
Us ever, winning the grand prize of $50.
900 at each drawing The royal milling
scheme. however, ID nearing the end ofsits
fortune promising, pauper-producing ca
reer In Cuba.
Here for many years this corporation,
OK listing by royal grant and under royal
ia vor. has con acted thoroughly honor
able swindling business. Its littls red
tickets have spread over the island, irri-
tatingly, like the signs OF prickiy heat
over the body. hi lettos de Loteria have
sold !, 00u, 600 month, at 81 ench And
twenty-five per cent, of this 81 900, 900 has
been paid monthly to the royal ruler Of
Spain But now that the said royal ruler
is no longer to rule Cuba, since his royal
army is to evacuate the island, his royal
lottery is in danger of eviction.
Hence, the corporations president and
all It's vice presidents have put their heads
together ana oonoooted:a scheme, by the
cooperation OF which they hope to continue
business at tho Old stand They have
planned 10 cut loose from the royal head
in spain, to drop from their concern S
name the word Royal ana substitute
the word Cuban. Moreover, the twenty
five per cent OF the gross receipts now
demanded and received by Spanish royalty
will he offered to.ths Cuban governments
The question now Is. will the Cuban gov.
arn haR t.nhAn
ernment, to accept the protfered bribe and
permit the lottery to continue business.
In Havana Santiago, Cienfuegos,
Matanzas, everywhere In the Island. lot
terry tickets are sold by every worthless
man, woman or child, who can secure the
confidence of a broker. he broker trusts
the peddler. with the tickets and the ped-
dler sells them for q certain commission.
Thus far. the lottery scheme is good-it
furnishes employment for the needy and
tbs meier -do-wsll. The peddlers stnfest
the streets, wharyes, and shops.
While you sit in a cafe, you are offered
twenty biiletes by twenty different ven
ders in as many minutes.
In the old prosperous times, the tickets
cost 81 each, in Spanish silver. But since
the beginning OF the Cuban war, more
than three years ago, the price has been
81 in paper. Two hundred and fifty
thousand tickets are issued and there Is u
drawing on the morning of Oct 10, the
bait offered TO the poor people of Cuba
consisted of the usual grand prize of $50 =
coo and, In addition. one premium of $40, :
600 one $1,000. four of IL .0oV each, two
of 800 each, two Of $500 each and seven
hundred and ninety eight Of 500 each,
making total OF 500 premiums amount
ing to Si50,0O0. Two hundred and fifty
thousand tickets were issue. and sup
possibly. all sold. Yet during the ten Gays
in which that quarter million pieces OF
worthless paper were sold at 81 each.
misery reigned In Cuba. People were
starving to death. Right cents day
would have saved and still save u life.
just before the war, when the United
States began the work of Cuban RELIEF,
money was sent to Consul General Lee,
The general distributed the necessary .
cents day to those of tina reonoentradoes
who were found worthy. still the starv-
ing starved. What did these people 90
with their cents? Gen. Lee inyestigateu;
He.found that the money went toward