The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-06
PLAYING FAN.TAN.
HOW THE GAME is CARRIED ON IN
THE CHINESE DENs.
4 Pssp into One Of the Queer Haunfs
Of the Quaker City : Celestial
Gamblers in an Inner
Rendezvous.
Irhiladelphia Times. !

Gamblers in an Inner
Rendezvous.
Philadelphia Timssl
GDil Won ever see Cinnamon gamblei
Come with me, and TIL show you. Ihsy
are the most invsterate gamblers 10 the
world. ACanton Chinaman would sell his
enc 10 raise stake to gamble with.
Rxrressing desire to sec this exhibition
az Oriental dspravity, my cicerone, VINO
seemed b 10 well acquainted with tho queer
haunts of the city, taking car to one 81
ths down town wards, on Q side street not
more than mils from the central station,
sepppei before the front door Of house, IN
h wind Tvs Of which hung the tawdry reu
saYtsias tstokenins Chinese laundry.
&Chin- Chm said he, as we entered tne
isssrios, 10 an almond-eyed Celestial on
rsxed in polishing up the bosom OF q linen
shirt that was spread out ON narrow
countcr behind the dingy curtain.
aChin. CHM responded the Chinaman, ~
y locked up TO take In the features OF ms
visitors. awhat can do for Mclean man no
dsya'
THE PASSWORD.
nv guide stepped up TO the son OF the
tlovsry Kingdom and laying bis hand
D9htiy On his shoulder. whispered some
rsosS informal teabox gibberish in his ear
Our hundryman appeared 20 catch on SAT-
isfactoriiy. for be Immediately said;
sAllee lits; CLONE this side" showing US
"a way intn the interior heather sanctum
hung with more red curtains and where the
n9ht was dim and tho smell mora thsn aro-
matte. aMe 20 catchse Ah-Kee Back bly,
end bly,. Slit down. motioning US 70
ricksty rattan sofa. which from It's age
might have been used in ths Confucius
homestead, and ten leaving Us for q
rsmotar part OF the house, passing out
through more red curtains, which con,
trastsd periodically with ths immaculate
whits Of his paiama and the Llue nankaen
ot his Trousers
In ! little whils Ah-Kee. who appeared to
b. sort Of mandarin In the place and who
was rather large framed Chinaman, with
kssn cbliqus black eyes. cue tied up on top
of his bead and dressed in semi-European
costume, returned. A short confab took
place bstwssn him and the guide, and turn
ing, he said: aAllse lite, you fsnd wantee
~ Chinaman glambls, play fan-tan- Alice
lie. clone along with which he lei the
way through the red curtains, along baSk
~ narrow hall. way. up flight Of stairs
% door leading 10 rear room Of the den.
AZ Mis- DO stopped. aMs lap giving q
mystic wink Of his eye and an esoteric crack
= two with his long bony fingers on the
pamela 4Ah-Foo, velly much fade, Nell
sAs dlsstsctive No wanchee get pulled"
INTO THE INNER Den.
In few seconds the door was quietly I'M
boltsd on inside and with Messrs. Alike,
and Ah-Foo and the guide, who had suct
intimate acquaintance with them. the re
portr was carried through another room
eAxnishsd with more red curtain AMI an
other door where queer sight met hi
gsss. Gathered about large round tabl
= csntsr OF room were some ten or twelv,
Cinnamon, al 20 apparently intent on wha
wss going on there that they scarce notices
Or hooked up at the intruder. The RON
wss aimo-t dark, tho light was s, dim. o
~ nantsi over disussi fireplace, wa
hlus Canton jar, In which wers burning
aDms taperx Most OK the Cinnamon ha
littls long bamboo pipes the small bowls 9
which we're incsssanty tiled. On som
couchss or hunks in q far corner Of th
rocn were huddlsd two or three sleeper
Who sithsr from opium or fatigue at ID
esns, or both, had snccumbeL In d
e csntsr Of the table was . huge pile Of bra
scAshs-ths Chinese penny, with square hols
n IL
On man, who was introduced IS Hon
La, aotsd - banker, and In drawer b
Nh vss quits comfortable pile OF Units
0nsss coin and role OF notss Toe gam
sssnssd y -rsqurs eGch Celdssssl rounl d
nhis h me play to raks out Of tn, larc
anRG piis . smaller pile. Than they
h11aa - a9owt thsir lssssr piles, tozeths
VIA ~ banksr, into small groups Of fot
oSh This counting Of Of fours Was dor
uita marvellous dextJrity. As the 10 : VI
psachsd ths payment Of the debt depsnds
q how many Of the cash we're loft in q
tpnksrs group !, 2, or four. and the
incidence of the Individual better's gre,
with ~
THE GREAT CHINESE GAME.
sThh 4 thu great Chin ess gambling gam
hnMn Evsrybod In China plays
frem Prince Kung down 10 the cooliei
snid ths guide 1T ID vsry simple ram
Sus The combinations Of betting are We
grsst Thsy do not all bet that the last
naming count OF the cash Id their groups
Tours win coincide with tho Lankeris, B
that there will be 1, or cash left In
group ~ four, which makes II coma 0
svsn, and on this they can wager, AM,
dssd, many other ways At Macao, I
Portuguese concession across the bay fro
Hong Kong, ID q fan-tan house. where
heavy gambling Is dons a. any place In !
world. There d o large ons at Canton, .
oshsr Il Shanghai and one at Foo-chu-
Every little placs In China has lbs "a
tan hen like tina They gamble, smc
opium and tobacco In these places and Oh
stay days At sitting It's q comparative
square game. bsing 80 simple y would
hard 70 practice skin game on Chi
man. A European, however. could
skinned BY . Chinaman every day In
week 81 ~ Tor, a. you see. they play
sort the cash with wonderful rapidity
EuropsAn y as dexterous ulgtahy or
such ssnss Of touch as Chinaman.
latter can tell BY feel and balancing on
fingers the slightest differences q wsight
- - e.1s,s-.'t. 49, .