National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-07-22
MoNaoLTAS aAMBLrRs.
Games OF Chance which Puzzle and Aggra-
vate tho Police Department.

A curious case OF gambling Is troubling GER
tain virtuous members Of the Metropolitan
police department, and until some OF the
players shall lose enough to make him willing
10 testify against the rest the game n likely to
go on. II " right under the shadow ofpQlicc
headquarters, or within stones throw nom
II, and this makes the thing AL the more ag'
graYating TO the officials and Interesting IA the
wicked lookcrs.on. Sam Lung, an almond.
eyed disciple OF COnfucius, Is the proprietor o.
the ''hclp' which IS located In the rcar OF his
The building Is little tunble-down two.
story frame sh9nty, the upper part being used
rs a store girls boarding house, while sam
irons industrioualy from early morning y late
nj night, the washing being meanwhile ~
progress al the hands Of a stout colorpd
woman who occupies the gambling room IN
the day time. This combination Uf tho African
and Monaghan races In business ornny other
enterprise Is an innovation, the heathens
usually selecting Caucasians for life partners
when they take Thorn, which IL seldom, al
though two Chino-Irish families arc growing
up In our midst, the union being very prolific
In both instances.
The gambling usually commences about II
o'clock at night and lasts until 3 or . O'clock
In the morning. Sam then turns into his bunk
and sleeps until his washlady wakes him,
about & o'clock in the morning. On sundays
the play Is about continuous. The freluenters
of the place are all Chinese, and mostly Nom
bers OF rival laundry establishments though
about the legation-are TO be seen passing In
| and out on Sundays. When once the game
opens, red curtains are stretched over the door
and window, and none are admitted without
an inspection under raised corner OF the our
tain Is satisfactory or they give peculiar pre-
| arranged knock.
What has boon seen OF the secret proceed
| ings has becn through defects In tho curtains,
| or when the door has been opened TO admit or
| let out visitor. Tho players arc gathered
about a table and display more eagerness than
| the most infatuated faro or poker players. All
that IL visible to the uninltiated is curlously'
shaped instrument, somewhat resembling II
tetotum, which Is turned, and It's fall In one or
others Of the marked squares OF the table
determines the direction In which tho money
staked shall 60
Another game, called 'tan," IS also played.
II consists In throwing the red and black
beans which do duty for chips upon the board
and the proportional location of these upon
the respective squares assigned to the players
makes or loses points for them. These points
| are carefully kept by marker with long
| strip of paper, wooden pen and small lap
board. lie also uses the Chinese counting
machine In adding and subtracting. The i'm
passive faces of the players as thoy emerge
from the place nj grey dawn, gives no indi-
cation ofwhether they have lost OF won. An
occasional game of poker Is INDUCED In, but
there being no foreign devils" TO face the
native games nrc regarded rs more interesting
and arc therefore played In reference TO the
one In which the sleight of hand and impas-
sive faces of the Mongolians are such II terror
TO even expert players of other nations.