The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-22
National Lottery In
Rio Weekly Feature
600 Which Goes to Holder of Lucky Ticket, to
Buy Which They Scrimp, Save, and Borrow.
By H. B. ROBERTSON,
United Press Correspondent.

RIO DE JANEIRo. Sept. 10 (by naiD.
With 250,0 imaginary dollars ono may
build a fairly good Air castle; and the
Brazilian Is a great air castle architect.
His material. always at hand. Is the
lottery ticket. The lottery In Brazil Is
as much an Institution as the daily
newspaper or the milkman, Just as 1t
once was more or less so In the United
States.
A Spanish immigrant woman bought
lottery ticket as she walked down The
gangplank Of the steamer that brought
her to the new world. When she ar
rived In the city she found that she had
won the big prize OF the days drawing.
She returned to Spain on the same ship,
richer than her widest dreams.
Pedro Silveira. workingman.
dreamed that he was to win the Christi
mas lottery prize. His dream told him
the winning number. He sold all his
possessions to obtain the number! His
extraordinary faith was communicated
to his ne!ghbors and friends. The day
OF the drawing he was accompanied 10
the chapel OF chance" by thousands OF
| friends and curious who had heard his
| story. AS the six little girls spun the
fateful wheels the number that turned
up was not that held by Pedro. Pedro
| died In an asylum.
Extrayagant hope and tragedy is the
story OF the lottery In Brazil. The rich
Brazilian buys his lottery ticket as he
takes his morning coffee-by habit. The
poor Brazilian saves and skimps and
| often goes in debt for his chance"
One wins ever day. Hundreds of thou
sands never win.
Drawn Every Week.
Although several states have their own
lotteries. the big game Is the federal
lottery. operated by an anonymous cor
poration on n government concession.
The government supervises the draw
ings and sale OF tickets and takes per
cent of the receipts. There is a draw
ing every week day, with special prizes
for holidays, ranging from $1,000 to
$50. 900. American money. The prices of
the tickets are fixed In accordance with
the days prize-from % cents to so.
In the trail Of the lottery follow other
gambling devices. chief OF which Is the
"bicho" (beasts) which Is similar to the
| policy" played In the United stated.
The terminal numbers of the winning
number q the days lottery determine
has laid his money on this terminal
number he wins. The blcho is even
: more insidious than the lottery. and
there are few Brazilians. men or
do not play the bicho. Bioho players
have a distinct jarson in which they
exchange their ,palpites" (hunches)
and speculate on their ''sorte' 1uck).
Although the police have made desper-
ate attempts TO break up bicho playing
the game fiourishes. There are thou
sands OF bioho houses In this city alone.
A local newspaper recently conducted
and after weeks, Of vain endeavor "a
break II up the paper announced that
they would give a handsome prize to
find a single case OF where a man OF
consistently. The paper promised "a
investigate each purported winner thor.
oughly and publish the results.
The first story published was about
young man or prominent standing In
sent him to jail as a defaulter. The
second article told OF wife who ex'
planned her supply Of cash to her hus'
band by the bicho. The Investigation
resulted in a divorce. There was mo-
a single winner unearthed In more thar
a months search. Sc. 49,. --.-s
All Gambling "Wide Open"
BUSINESS houses often sell their warei
by the aid OF the lottery, Pianos
watches, motorcycles, clothing. evel
houses, are sold on the Club plan" b!
which the buyer pays In installmenta
receiving a number with the first In
stallment. II this number comes on
in the lottery before he has complete,
his installments he wins his purchas
| without further payment. It n needles
/ to add that the .prices are made TO cove
Losses by this system. ......
Tho sale OF lottery tickets gives EN-
ployment to several thousand men
There arc lottery ticket houses in ever,
block, often operated In conjunctioI
With the bicho game, and agents max
Il a house to- house canvas. crying thei
numbers I'm the street and seeking
III patrons ON the street cars. The lotter
!. ticket verder - o picturesque fgup o