Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-10-22
PLAYING FAN-TAN.

gamble WIN
Expressing desire to see this exhi-
bition of Oriental depravty, my cIce-
rome led me to the front door of a
house in the windows of which hung
the tawdry red curtains and other dec
orations betokening 4 Chinese laundry.
"Chin-Chin, said he, MS weyentered
the interior, 10 an Acknowledged Celes-
tial engaged in polishing up the bosom
of linen shirt that WIS spread out on
4 narrow counter behind the dingy cur
tain.
"Chin-Chin." responded the China
man, as he looked up to take in the
features of his visitors. What can do
for Mclean man to-day?'
Nv guide stepped up to the son of
the tiowcry kingdom, and laying his
hand lightly on his shoulder whispered
some most internal tea box gibberish
in his ear. Oar laundryman appeared
TO catch on satisfactorily, for he imme-
diately said:
Alice lite; CLONE this side show
inr us the way into the interior heath
en- sanctum hung with more red cur
tains, and where the light was dim and
the smell more than aromatic. ME
20 catchee All kce. Back bly, and bly.
Sit DOWN. motioning us 10 ricketv
rattan sofa, which from its age might
have been used in the Confucius home
stead. and then leaving us for the re-
moter part OF the house, passing out
through more red curtains, which con-
trasted periodically with the immacu-
late white of his pajama and the blue
nankeen of his trousers.
In little while Ah-kee, who appear
ed to be a sort OF mandarin in the
place, and who was rather large
framed Chinaman, with keen. oblique,
blacG eyes, cue tied up on top of his
head and dressed in semi-European
costume, returned A short coufab
took place between him and the guide,
and turning he said;
"Allec lite, you ilend wantee see
Chinaman glamble, play fan-tan. Alice
lite. CLONE along" with which he
led the way through the red curtains.
along back by 4 narrow hallway. up
flight OF stairs to Il door leading to a
rear room OF the den. AT this he stop
ped. "Me lap, giving mystic wink
of his eye and an csotcric crack or two
with his long, bony fingers on the pan
els. "All-too, veiiy much fade, Moli-
can detective. No wanchee get pail
ed, " In few seconds tue door was
quietly uibolted on the inside, and
with Messrs. Ah-Kec and Ah-Foo and
the guide, who had such intimate ac-
quaintance with them, the Times man
was carried through anotherroom, gar
nlshed with more red curtains and
another door whore a queer sight met
his gaze. Gathered about a large round
table in the center of the room were
some ten or twelve Cinnamon, all so
apparently intent on what was going
on there that they scarce noticed or
looked up at the intrudcrs. The room
was almost dark. the light was so dim.
On the mantel over dlsused fireplace
was blue Canton jar, in which were
burning some tapers. Most of the
Cinnamon had little long bamboo pipes
the small bowls OF which were being
necessarily filled. On some couches or
hunks in Il far corner of the room were
huddled two or three slecpers, who
either from opium or fatigue at the
game, or both, had succumbed. In the
center OF the table was Il huge pile of
brass leash the Chinese penny, with
square holes in it.
One man, who was introduced as
Hong Lee, acted as banker ard in a
drawer by him was quite a comfortable
pile oil United States coin and a roll of
notes The game seemed TO require
each Celestial round the table in the
play 10 rake out OF the large central
pile Il smaller pile. Then they all be-
gan TO assert these lesser piles, togeth-
er with the banker, into small groups |
OF tour eacl. This counting off OF fours |
was done with marvellous dexterity. |
AS the last was reached the payments
OF the bets depended on how many OF |
the cash were lett in the bankers |
group, I, 9, 3, or 4, and the coincidence |
OF the individual better's group with |
it.
This is the great Chinese gambling
game, fan-tan. Everybody in China |
plays it, from Prince Kung down to the |
coolies, said the guide. ut is very
simple game, but the combinations of |
betting are very great. They do not |
all bet that the last remaining count of /
the cash in their groups by tours will |
coincide with the bankers, but that
there win be one. two, or three cash |
LETT in his group or four, which makes
1t come out even, and on this they can
wager, and indeed, many other ways. |
AT Macao, the Portuguese concession
across the bay from Hong Kong, is a
tan-tan house, where as heavy gam
bling is done as any place in the world.
There is large one at Canton, anoth-
er at Shanghai, and one at Foo-chu-fu.
Every little place in China has its fan
tan hell like this. They gamble, smoke
opium and tobacco in these places, and
often stay days at sitting. It's a
comparatively square game; being SO
simple it would be hard to practice a
skin on a Chinaman A European,
however, could be skinned by China
man every day in the week at it, for, as
you see, they play and sort the cash
with wonderful rapidity No European
Is as devterous digitally or has such
sense of touch as Chinaman. The
latter can tell by feel and balancing on
his fingers the slightest difference Of
weight in a silver coin. Chinese