Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-04-19
are unconsciously spirited away through
other avenues, and

are unconsciously spirited away through
other avenues, and
TAE SECRET SIGNALS
that gave warning OF your approach
cause sudden transformation In the
ground plan Of the Establishment. You
were fooled, my good sir, and in the
most ingenious fashion. Gambling aud
opium.smoking are the ruling passions
among the Chinese. A coolie will pawn
any thing and every thing 10 obtain
means with which to indulge in these
iniatusting games Of chance, There are
many games played publicly, at the
restaurants and in the retiring rooms of
the mercantile establishments. Not
only cards, dice and dOminoes are CON,
mon, but sticks, strawS, brass rings, etc,
are thrown in heaps upon the table, ard
the tate of the player hangs literally
upon o breath. Tan, "or " Fun,tan,'
literally meaning "the funds spread
out" is popular game, resembling faro
Among the boat. people in China it is
the custom to spread Tan Layout,
printed on hide, while a plscard an,
nounces Today we spread the hide
This sign is not intrequent in the streets
Of the Chinese quarter There are more
than a hundred establishments under
the eyes of the police, some of them
employing private specials and paying
ter the. privilege OF secretly breaking
the law OF the land. These haunts are
seldom rsided by the officers of justice,
for 1t ia almost
IMPOSSIBLE 70 STORM THE BARRIERS
in season to catch the criminals in the
very act To-day you approach one
gambling-house by this door; tomorrow
the inner passages are mysteriously
changed, and it is impossible to track
them without being frequently misled,
and meanwhile the alarm is sounded
throughout the building, and very speeds
lily every trace Of guilt has disappeared
The lottery is another temptation. Most
oi the very numerous wssh-houses are
said to be agencies for the sale of lottery
tickets Enter one OF the pawn shop3
licensed by the city authorities, and cast
your eye over the motley collection OF
unredeemed articles There are pistols
Of every pattern and almost every sge,
the majority OF them loaded daggers in
infinite variety, including the ingenious
fan-stiletto, which, wnen sheathed, may
be carried in the hand without alou.ing
suspicion, for it bears an exact resem-
blance to a closed tan; entire suits OF
clothing, beds, bedding, tea, sugar, clocks,
Ornaments-some Of them possibly looked
! Tor in vain by the white patrons OF Chi.
nese cheap lsbor-everything in fact,
save only
THE PRECIOUS QUEUE,
without which no Chinaman may hope
/ for honor in this life or salvation in tie
next The numerous customers WHO
keep the pawnshops crowded with
| pledges are probably most of them vic.
! Tins Of the gsmhling.rabln or the opiun
habit. ey come iIom every house that
employs them; your domestic is impa'
tient of all delays and hastens through
his work in order that he may indulge
his darling sin. Follow him some night
and see him at the playhouse or the
clubhouse, the gambling hell, the opium
den OF st the window OF her whore paint
and tiDsal dazzle and confOuud him. You
may have observed that he seldom stops
within doors when it is not absolutely
Necessary fer him to do 80. You pay
him small wage and congratulate your
self upon obtaining help at 20 reasonable
figure His nightly diversions must
soon depete his purse; whence come his
revenues? Look again at the pawn,
shops; search Tor the articles missing 8.
home, There il doubtless much petty
thieying among the Coolie domestics
There are, OF course, exceptions to the
rule, but ss class, the house laborers
NOT BE TRUSTED
with impunity. They are clannish these
Mongoians; they feed the hungry and
clothe the naked at your expense They
have their friends out OF work among the
masses that swarm in the heart OF the
Chinese quarter, Small as the room may
be-, crowded as it is, every cubic inch OF
il must be paid for. When Chinaman
pa rchases real estate, he does dream o.
improving it; he houeycombs the dwell
ings and multip!ies its capacities by ten
! In dOrmitory eight feet square, without
light or air, dozen men will sleep with
a resignation that has every appearance
OF being bred in the bone. The Globe
Hotel, corner OF Jackson and Dupjni
streets, which was built to accommodate
200 guests, is now occupied by ! 500 Chi.
nese. Another building, but 4 little
larger, shelters 1900; but it would be
no satire were the proprietOrs OF those
ests blishments 10 hang out the piacaId
which is the pride OF all managers
Standing room only!" But for his
opium dream, what a lite would the
c0ole lead Let US peer into the charmed
circle Of smokers aud watch them as
they suck poetry and poison from theiI
flute like pipes,