The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-15
SYNDICATE OF GAMBLERS
A Man With a Scheme After
Butte Capital.
HE SEES MILLIONS IN IT
His Plans Involve Concessions From the
Central Amer. can Republics-A
Fergus County Man in
San Diego.

Ed Johnson, young Fergus county
product, who played the races here last
fall and won enough to take a trip to
Southern California, was in the city
yesterday, having arrived on the de-
layed Oregon Short Line passenger the
day before. Mr.. johnson advises every
body to go to Los Angeles and San
Southern California is the only place
on the map where the weather is per-
feet. But Montana, winter barred, he
says is the only money making place
Il met and enjoyed the company of a
unique character in San Diego. He was
from San Juan del NOrte in Nicaragua,
and registered at my hotel as Rafael
Miguel Perez. He is a dead game
sport and is out for all there is under
the sun. He was going to New Orleans,
he said, and from there to New York
to interest capital in a scheme he had
up his sleeve. He asked me If l thought
Butte would be a good mark for him
on his TOM of capitalization and
urged him by all means to visit Butte
before he returns to his southern home.
He promised me that he would come to
Butte.
His business in this country is to
dispose Of for a syndicate, a concession
for gambling, faro, roulette, poker,
craps and all the good things on an
elaborate scale at San Juan del Norte
and at other points along the line of the
proposed Niearaguan canal, which he
and his colleagues are confident will be
built.
Perez says that the syndicate he rep
resents is composed Of N.caraguan poll.
ticians in Leon, Grenada and San IVAN
del Norte, and that they possess full
authority to enter into the necessary
negotiations. He told me that his sub
ject had been regarded with favor by
Americans who had visited Nicaragua
during the past year About 100000
soils. or S55, 900 in our money, is the price
asked for the privileges. Perez told ME
that he was interested in the conces-
sions at Colon, where the Panama canal
was projected, and that several large
fortunes were made by those who i'll
vested. Regarding his project he said:
THE Colombian concession, how
ever, was a small affair compared with
what it is proposed to carry on in Mic
aragua. Our plan is to become regu-
larly incorporated as bankers and
brokers' association dealing in privi-
leges, and to put in stock tickers, just
as they have in New York
Perez did not exhibit any document
airy evidence that he possessed the pow
ers which he claims he has. AS to
whether the Nicaraguan government
would guarantee protection to a syndi-
cate of gamblers he was evasive. He is
confident, though, that he is the head of
a big snap and that the Americans Will
fall all over one another in the scramble
to secure the privileges.
But the senior was not the only
schemer I ran across in San Diego.
There are all kinds of good things Of
fered down there by men who register
from all parts of the United States and
Europe. One ambitious young man
from somewhere came within an ace of
organizing a company for the purpose
of canning rabbit meat. He argued that
of the millions of rabbits killed every
year in California 80 per cent could be
with profit converted into canned beef
and chicken. l didn't know how it
came about, but the young man assur-
ed me that his plan has gone fuzzy
'.Of course there is no gambling in
San Diego. But week ago last Satur-
day 1 was playing cards with tourist
and when got up from the table l had
$500 more than | could scrape together
the day before. l have seen as high as
$4,000 in chips on one table in back