The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-07
NONCOLIANS IN MOTT Street
Where tho Celestials Fight
the Tiger.
AND SMOKE OPIUM NJ.
The Pi-Pi" Game Of the
Pigtails.

The Chinese residents OF this city. unlike those Of
San Francisco, have no place Of their for
theatrical entertainments. and. IN fact. no place
whatever Of ordinary amusement Gambling aud
smoking opium are tho chief diversions in this city
OF the Chinamsn's leisure time. and sunday. being
an idle day. Is devoted mainly to these pursuits.
He frcauents no house OF worship, lecture
ROOM concert hall or beer garden. but gives him
self up either 20 tho scdativc charms OF the opium
drug or the exciting fascination OF tho game OF
Cpl p;-thc faro OF the celestial gamblers. good
many Cinnamon live I'm Mott street and tn ncigabor-
hood and are said TO be thrifty. quiet sober set of
people, Mott street has OF the characteristics OF
a London thosoughfaro. with It's numerous narrow
and sinister slcyways leading back TO crsmped and
crowded tencmcnts its swarming population aud the
ancient appearance Of many OF the houses and storcs
Almost every nationality IN tho world mas repre-
sentative who may be found in Mott street. Ameri-
can English Irish. Scotch. Cuban. spanish italian,
French German. Chinese. African and msny of non-
descript extraction. In Pei street of Mott largo
colony of negroes sojourns Though tho locality Is
thus Inhabited by people from all the ends OF
the earth it is said by the police to he one OF the
quietest posts any of the tenement house districts
Mott street is great thoroughfare for peo-
ple who live in Brooklyn and work In the
factories west Of Broadway. Many Of these
are young girls. and tho fact that thcy
take this street route to their work argues that its
character is not bad as 1t seems. The first thing
that strikes the attention of the visitor to Mott
street is the variety of features and complexons,
and the free and easy relations that appear to exist
between tho men, women and children Of diverse
races Italians and Irish don't agree rule. but
in the pacific atmosphere of Mott street they mingle
as easily as whiskoy and water. and Chinese and
croes preserve the most aiabe relations with each
other. The native OF China feels more OF home In
Mott street than anywhere else in the city. Emil
grants from China invariably mako their way there
to pay visits their countrymen. Every week goods
arrive from China consigned to several heather
merchants who occupy easements on the street.
REMARKABLE DRUG STORE
Tea, silks and y thousand knickknacks are i'm
ported by these resident Cclestials, some OF whom
are very comfortably fixed. In this street is the
drug Of DR.. Kop. who is regarded by his ccun
trymen as an eminent compoundcr Of prescriptions.
and, judging his thoughtful face and disingus
air there would appear to be some ground for their
estimate of his ability. It is unlike any other
drug store as night unlike day. Most Of the drugs
are in brown earhen jars and brown paper packages
covered with Chinese characters. There fancy
glass bottles with gilt labels and Latin inscriptions.
no soaps or perfumes any Of the attractive fea-
turos Of the modern American pharmacy. All the
brown paper packages and the brown earthen jars
look alike, and for all the unlnitated might know
they contain nothing but opium. but nobody wants
to be too curious about the mysteries OF Chinese
drug store; suffice 1t to say that IN the opinion OF
the Cclestals themselves there is everything neces-
sary the shelves OF that shop to cure Whatever
natural ills may befall them
THE "PI Pr GAME
The gambling done Of late by the piRtails Is car
ried on with great secrecy. few months ego the
police made q raid and arrested for gambling about
. dozen natives of the Flowery Kingdom one OF
whom convicted and sentenced to six month";
i'm d risonment and the rest discharged. That had
the effect of making tho Cinnamon very cautious
about how they ndugcd in their Illicit pastime there
AFTER The game OF .pi pi." which is the favoritc
one played in Mott street. ia conducted between the
limited number of five players with pack OF hfty
wide and three inches long. with various Chinese
characters one side. The player who succeeds in
number of cards OF denomination wins the
game. There is nothing complex whatever about the
game and 1t might be learned and played by chill
drep but il Yields abundant intellectual activity
tho Chinese mind. Tho counters used In playing
made of brass about the size OF nickel and with
o hole in tho middle. dozen or more Ceestias
will get together. generally of Sunday evening, In
the OF grocery store tho street and. squat.
there is larger number present than FIVE. cards
distributed all round and five players are selected
from the hi CHEST cards thrown. The one who wins
has to divide his pile With those who looked on At
the game and didn't play The stakes are never high.
but the cxcitement for Cinnamon often runs up to
fever heat.
THE CELESTIAL LOTTERY.
The Chinese lottery Is another source OF attrac-
ton to tho Acknowledged fraternity This has no
local abltaton the street. but 1t can be organ
lied and set going in three minutes. 1t consists in
placing on table square OF brown paper contain
cigar box is n number OF tickets with figures CORE
spending to those on tho square Of paper and GER
tam amount Of prize money attached The player
pays shis fee. and taking up pencil draws cross
over one or more figures on the sheet
are Draw drawn I from the box he becomes 's
winner. Simple as this lottery scheme appears
t.furnishes great oxcitement TO the hearts OF the
gambling like other nationaties, but 1t Ia easy to
detect their slnntendicuar eyes the perturbation
bling den is of tho most pensive kind. aud would
hardly fetch red cent ut auction. The police feel
such Zest in raiding the Chinese they do the
American tiger. In the den of the latter they en-
counter luxurious aud expensive appointments, but
in the former. beyond rough pine table and four
bare walls they meet with none OF tho paraphernala
of a regular gambling establishment. Sometimes
there strong and bitter feeling at these gatherings
of Chinese gamblers. for Ali Sin will reveal himself
with q smile that is childiikc and bland aud his
victims will forget their stoicsm and talk loud and
angry to him and perhaps punch him IN the head.
There cheats among the heathcn well as
among tho Christians. and in either case, human
nature being the same they are bound to be re.
scented. Very lately there was case in tho Court Of
General Sessions OF Chinanian named Chcung
against o countryman named Kan Sol for cheating
in game of cards. The evidence OF conflict
ina nature and Kan soi WAS acquitted tho jury CIV
ing him tho benefit OF tho doubt. When party
OF Cinnamon assemble for gambling pur-
poses those not nctvcly engaged in the
play pull out their pipes and smoke
the opium drug. The two forms Of recreation
constitute the highest intellectual enjoyment tho
natives OF the Celestial Empire manage to
this civilized metropolis Strangers rigidy cx.
Guided from these meetings. but Cinnamon from all
over the city come to them aud make night OF IL.
They don't drink and not quarresomc, and con-
scqucnty they have all the fun to themselves
disturbed.
sENs1BLE HAM wAH
Ham Wah, who keep. o cigar stand In Mott street,
soid. In answer to the question. Are tho Chinese
much given to gambling2 ''Ycs; Chinaman want
to win all no can, and don't to lose. but
be lose rvery time. and he never give it up. lilo
always think he must win"
docs he stake much money at q timer?
"Hc stake all he has IL he think lie goin' to win,
but Chinaman don't have much as Mclean man.