Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-09-25
PLAYING FAN-TAN.

A Fayoriie Game Carried on In Chinese
Dens-Some Features of the Play Which
is Always n Puzzle to Foreigners-rhe
Passion OF the Monaghan for Games OF
Chance,
Philadelphia Times.
Did you ever see Cinnamon gambler
Come with me, then, and I'll show you.
They sre the most in7etsrsts gamblers in
the world. A Canton Chinsmsn would
eel his queue to raise 8 stake to gamble
with"
Expressing 9 desire to see this exhibition
Of Oriental d~eprayity, especially in Phila.
delphis, my cicerone, who seemed to be well
acquainted with the queer hsunts Of the
city, taking q car to n of the down town
words, on q side street, not more than q
mile from the central station, stopped before
the front door Of q house, in the windows of
which hung the red curtains and other dec
o~ratiops b~etokening q Chinese laundry.
"Chin-Chin," said he, as We entered the
interior, TO an slnon eyed Celestial engaged
in polishing up the bosom of q linen shirt
that was spread out on a narrow counter be-
hind the diDgy curtain.
"Chin-Chin," responded the Chinsusn as
he looked up 10 take in the features Of the
visitors What can do for Mclean msn
today"
any guide stepped up to the son Of the
Flowery Kingdom and laying his hand
lightly on bis shoulder whispered some
most Internal tesbox gibberish in his ear.
Our lsundrymsn appeared to catch on salts
isctOrtly, for be Immediately said:
ALE lite, CLONE this side" showing US
the way into the interior heather ssuctum,
hung with more red curtains, and where the
light was dim amp the smell more than aro-
matte. Me go catchee Ah.Kee. Back
bIy and bly,. Shit down. motioning Us to
q iiekety rattan sofa, which from Its age
might have been used in the Coufucius
HON estoad, End then leaving US for q re-
moter part of the house, passing out
Through More Bed Curtains,
which eontrasted periodically with the i'm
maculste white Of his psjsms and the blue
nsnkeen of his trousers.
In a little while All Kee, who appeared to
be q sort of Mandarin in the place and who
was q rather large framed Gilman N, with
keen, obhque, black eyes, cue tied up on
top his head and dressed in semi-Europesn
costume, returned. A short contab took
place between him and the guide, and turn
ing. he said: "Allee lite, you hend wantee
see Chinaman glsmble, play tsn-tan. ALE
lite. Clone along" with which he led the
way through the red curtains, along back
By a narrow hall way, up 8 flight of stairs to
q door leading to q rear room OF the den.
1t this he stopped. me LAP" giving a
mystic wink of his eye and an esoteric crack
or TWO with his long bony fingers on the
pal els. "Ah-Feo, velly muchhsde, Mclean
dlecteetye. No wsnchee get pulled" 10
a few seconds the door was quietly unbolted
on inside and with Msssrs. Aa-kee and
Ah-Foo and the guide, who had such inu
mate acquaintance with them, the Times
mau was carried through another room,
parnished with more red curtain and al
other door, where q queer sight met his
gaze. Gathered about q large round table
in centre Of 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 intruders. The room
was almost dark, the light was 50 dim. On
the mantel over q disused fireplace wa q
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 q far corner OF
the room were huddled two or three sleepers,
who either from
Opium or Fatigue at the Game,
or both, had suecumbed. In the centre Of
the table was q huge pile Of brass cash
the Chinese penny, with square holes IN IT.
One man who was introduced as Hong
Lee acted as banker, and in q drawer BY
him vss quite q comfortable pile OF United
States coin and q roll of notes. The game
seemed to require each Celestial round the
table in the play to rake out OF the large
central pile a smaller pile. Then they all
began to assert these lesser piles, together
with the banker, into small groups Of four
each. This counting of of tours was done
with marvellous dexterity. As he last was
reached the payments of the bets depended
on how many of the cash were left In the
bankers group, /, 2, 3 or 4, and the coinci-
| deuce Of the individual better's group With
il.
This is the great Chinese gambling
game, tan-tan. Everybody in China plays
n from Prince Kung doRp to the coolies"
said the guide. ut u = very simple game,
but the combinations OF betting are very
/ great. Thsy 40 nOt FL S s5t mat the last re-
naming count Of the cash in their groups
nv tours win coincide with the bankers,
Int that there will be one, two or three
cash left in bis group or four, which makes
n 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 q fan tan
house, where n heavy gambling is done IS
apv place in the world. ThTe is 9 large
one a. Canton, another one at Shanghai,
and one at Foo-euh fu. Every little place
in China
Has It's Fan-tan He'll Like This.
They gamble, smoke opium and tobacco
in these places, and often stay days at q
sitting. Tie 9 comparatively square game
being 90 simple thar it would be hard 10
practice q skin on 3 Chinamsn. A Euro.
pean, however, could skin the Chinaman
every DAY IN the week at il, for, a. you see,
they play snd sort the cash with wonderful
rspidity. No European "a . dexterous
dienitslly or has such sens of touch ss .
Chinsman. The httsr can tel BY feel and