Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-10-20
DAILY SHORT STORIES
LOTTERY m ITALY
Gambling Under the Auspices Of
the Government.
THE DRAWING IN PUBLIC.


Watches This Ceremony With In.
tense lntersst-rhs Prizes and the
Chances Of the Players.
King Humbert l. made the rules for
The public lottery Of Italy:
First-The public lottery is Temporal,
riiy maintained by the fnvor of the
state under the following laws.
Second.-It is administered by the
minister of finance. under whom the
chiefs are chosen for their respective
functions.
Third.-The lotto is formed by nine.
". numbered from / to 90. Inclusive.
five of which drawn by chance deter
mine the successful.
Fourth.-One can play the lotto" I'm
the following manner:
On one number very rarely payed).
On all i've numbers livery rarely
played).
On two numbers--the "ambo"
On three numbers. which is known
as the ''terno."
On four numbers. which is known as
the "quaterno."
Fifth.-When one number is PLAYED
the winner Is paid ten times and a
half his output; when two numbers
IRE played the winner is paid $50
times his output; when three numbers
are played the winner is paid $3.50
times his output: when four numbers
are played the winner Is paid 10000
times his output. Therefore II one has
by any chance bought n No. ticket
and wins the four numbers (quaternol
he wins 100000
At o'clock on every Saturday after.
noon throughout all Italy the drawing
OF the lotto takes place. la Maple,
the ceremony is held at the end of II
foul. filthy alley known ns the Impre-
sd, back I'm n great courtyard. I'm full
view OF the people on the balcony OF
nm old palace. From early in the aft
crnoon until the fatal hour the streets
OF Santa Chinra and the alley fll up
with the crowd whose hope on this
day is TO be deceived. The streets are
always so full OF life that for this
extra crowd. jostling. pushing and
eager. there would seem TO be- no place
IL is comprised of the very Door The
better classes watch for the telephone
or the showing of the numbers I'm the
various banks In the city to discover
their fate, but I'm the Jmprcsa the
crowd of people is as dense as II shad-
ow. There are many here who have
paid their last cent for ticket There
are many here who are I'm debt for the
shoes they wear and will never be able
TO pay for them. But at the stroke Of
the church clock the blinds OF the bal.
cony open and the paraphernalia OF
the lotto nre brought eut--a long
green table, on which Is placed crys-
tel ball bound with silver, and an iron
box containing ninety other little box
cs, In which the ninety, numbers are
locked by the state. The officers Of
this performance are coolly Indifferent.
and the only figure deserving OF note
is that of the little orphan child. dress
cd In snowy white. chosen by law from
the orphan asylum to draw up from
the crystal ball the five magic mum
bers.
At the sight of these familiar. looked
for objects the crowd begins TO cry
and chant, TO beseech and evoke. IL
begs the little orphan child to draw
well. And the child In his white robe.
his innocent eyes on the mass OF peo-
pie, looks down on the beggars with
their yellow locks and on the appeal
Ing mass. One by one the balls are
taken out from their sealed boxes, dis
played TO the people and dropped into
the big bowl.
They have blindfoldcd the little BAN
bino. and he stalds on chnir. for ne *
only eight years of age and is small. In
full sight Of the people. The balls hav-
ing been shaken around for the last
time. the child puts bis hand I'm and
draws. The first number that nc pulls
OCt is called fortli-"No. D." Now. every
italian who has bought No. for place
has either won or lost. No one holds
this number In this crowd. however,
and there Is murmur-md fresh
ndjuration for The child tu draw well
The people who have drawn for the
lcrnO and the quaterno still have iheir
chance. The child draws again. this
lime so. g.. and the holders Of the
tPruo are now the interested ones. for
The nest Will be their last chance. The
enthusiasm brenks forth again with
murmurs and cries and prayers. and
The quiet child before the urn in his
white dress hears them aud trembles.
for he knows that he Is menaced BE
fore the people there Is black board.
and man posts up the numbers as
they are drawn-5. a.. II, 10 ana 50.
And this series OF FIVE Is discussed.
yelled at. challenged. cursed FOR not
one in tho crowd has drawn fortu,
nate number. The child's eyes are un-
bound. and he Is put down and SGT
free. The balls are returned into their
boxes sealed mp and carried away un-