The Butte inter mountain., 1902-02-11
GREAT KENO GAME.
MANY THOUSANDS TEMPT FOR
TUNE I'm ROME SUNDAYS.
PLAYERS ARE OF ALL CLASSES
Laboring Population Regularly Waste
Their Savings in the Purchase of
Tickets-Description Of the
Exciting Game.
(BY Associated Presa.l

! Rome, Feb. 11.-Every Sunday after
noon a big keno game Is played in the
Piazza Cavour, near the Vatican, for a
prize of 5000 lire--$600.
They call it Tombolla, and you can
see announcements on big red posters
pasted upon the dead walls OF Rome. At
| 3 o'clock In the afternoon people gather
by thousands in this open square, where
three rude stagings are placed for the
cfSers. 1t costs franc to enter the
game, and anyone with that amount Of
money and the proper disposition may
buy at the agencies, which are scattered
all over the city, cards containing five
rows OF numbers with five numbers on
each row. Everybody knows the game.
Children play 1t under the name of
lotto. Gamblers call 1t keno.
City Officials.
When the bell in church near by
strikes 3 committee of citizens, at
tended by representatives of the munich
pal government of Rom6 and inspectors
of police, mount the scaffolding, where
large glass affair, shaped like water
melon half-flled with marbles and ar
ranged upon the axis between two
wheels, has already been placed.
The manager bows to the people po-
litely; soldier beside him blows bugle
to secure silence and the immense au-
dience stand staring with their mouths
open, while the conditions of the game
and the amounts of the prize are pro-
claimed In stentoran tones. The first
prize of 1000 lire-$200-wil be awarded,
he says, to the person who first fills
line of numbers upon his card. IL more
than one person fills line at the same
time the prize will be divided among
them.
The second and grand prize of 1000 lire,
will be paid to the person who first fills
the entire card, and it will be divided in
case of a tie.
This announcement is repeated from
the other two stands, and the trumpet
blows again warning to make ready.
Child Does the Drawing.
A child 6 or Z years DID, loaned by
neighborng asylum, now appears upon
the platform dressed in white and blind
folded and turns a crank which whirls
the glass watermelon around and mixes
up the marbles inside Then, when they
are thoroughly mixed, the top is un-
screwed, the child reaches in his hand
and picks out marble, which Is passed
along to the crer.
He shouts the number at the top of his
voice and repeats 1T three times. 1t is
then echoed from the other stands, and
everybody sticks a pin through that
number If 1t appears on his card.
Other numbers are called In the same
way, amid breathless excitement, until
somebody who has filled a line begins to
yell and dance like a lunatic and breaks
through the crowd toward the stand,
where the inspectors examine his card
and call off the numbers to verify it.
1t 1t Is correct, hisname andaddress are
taken and he Is told that he can call at
headquarters in the morning and get
his money, less 20 per cent tax, which he
must pay to the municipality.
If more than one person fills a line
simultaneously there is intense excite
ment and sometimes a small riot among
their friends until the authorities on the
platform have verified the cards and de-
cded the claims.
Then the confusion subsidies and the
people settle down to business again
while the calling of numbers continues
until some fortunate fills a card.
Then the scene of verification is re-
peated, the names of the winIb,rs are
proclaimed and the announcement of the
next drawing Is made.
Pay City Tax.
lHlS OCCURS every ouludy, except WHei
ii rains too hard to allow the people to
stand outdoors. In that case there is n
postponement
There is also postponement on some
pretext or another whenever the number
! of gamblers falls short of the amount Of
| the prize.
| The company which runs the game
pays a heavy tax to the city for the
privilege and must sell at least 1000 cards
| to get even.
The prizes alone require the sale of
5000 cards and the 30 per cent tax re-
quires another thousand.
Sometimes as many as 1000 or 5000
cards are sold, not always to that num-
ber of people, for many buy two, three,
four and sometimes five cards each to
! increase their chances.
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