The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-03
CHINESE NEW YEAR.
CLOSE Up on oenouND uoe DAY.o
Two Very Peculiar Anniversaries, and the
Way they are Oslsbratsd-Aa Attempt to
Get some Idea of the Oriental Fss.
tiVAl to bs Observed To-day

This is the Chinese New Years day. II
the public had waited to secure this in.
formation until the resident natives OF the
great empire with the high wall made
it known, the public would have remained
in Ignorance y long while. But the fact
having leaked out, reporter called At the
Chinese lAundries on Market street to get
some particulars. 10 Lee, the only almond-
eyed son OF the Orient who speaks even
pigson-English had gone, his brother,
Wah Lee, said, "to Plittsbig to habse top
slide time" The most characteristic
point in the observance Of this
day is the absOlution Of debtors
from their obligations, Woe to the hard.
hearted landlord or master who on this
suspicious occasion does not fully and
freely absolye his creditors OF every cent
that Is owing, and woe to the debtor who,
taking advantage OF this time.honored cus.
tom, rails to pay up to tho best OF his
ability before the dawn OF the II inst,
There will, OF course, bs no legal proseGu-
ton, but he will be boyCotted and socially
ostraclsed forever among his CounIymen,
and lnight as well Immediately return 10
the land Of his forelRthers, for OF "'AIell-
can Doodle" he will accumulate not
enough to open up ahAeCond-hand "Jogs.
house" were he to stay in this country for
the next twenty years TO come, Such is
peculiar custom Of Chinese New Year,
This point was eXIorted from an uu-
willing Monaghan after halt.hour's
wrestls with his lingo by reporter aud u
German friend, the latter having offered
to act as interpreter,
"What do you do Tomorrow" asked
the newspaper man.
"No wakee."
"Iie means he gle nit nj Yorruk," ex-
planned the German.
At last the Chines became dsgusted
by the combination, and refused 70 say
anything but "Un," So the reporter re-
turned to Wah Lee, Wah said the prin.
cipal observance Of to-day by the Wheeling
Cinnamon would be In visiting back and
forth and eating big dinner, the pin.
cipal feature OF which would DO "loaat
plig," China style, lamb and rice. Wah
doesn't say rice when he means rice, but
it sounds better. The reporter was AZ
ilvat inclined to DO skeptjCsl as 10 the
statement that the art olroasting pigs was
Chinese accomplishment, until Charles
Lambs dissertation on Roast Pig" &C..
Cured to him, II Mr.. Lamb is entitled
TO credit, roast pig is Chinese
discovery, and like MANY other benetlCent
institutions, the result OF accident. He
AYERS that the first roast pig was cooked
in the burning house OF q Chinaman, aud
the savoTy flesh became 50 popular that
all the houses in China seemed doomed to
destruction till some bright tea.Culturlst
CHANGED to discover that there was another
way to roast pig than by burning n
house over 1t. Whether the "China
stylO" Wah speaks OF means a Ia burnt
house, the reporter neglected 10 inquire.
"Do you have any fun" the reporter
inquired.
''Littly. Play pIokce and llau.tan; YOU
gottee ten dolly, you come in"
The reporter thanked him and came
ont, after learning by tortuous inquiries
that fan tan" 10 u peculiar Chinese game.
Wah denies that the cinnamon here are
addicted to opium. Fan tan is played, not
with cards, but with Chinese brass coins,
nearly rs large as an old.iashioned copper
cent, and with gquare hole in the mid
die. In playing the game the dealer takes
u handful OF coins from the pile and places
them in the middle Of the table. Above
the pile lie places, opening QBRnward, u
bell.shaped cup OF brass. Then the play
eIs bet, The table is divided into spaces,
and the players object IL to guess how
many OF the brass Coins will be left In the
pile under tho bell when divided by four.
OF course, either one, two or three will be
left or tho division will be even without q
remainder.
The bets made the dealer begins with a
long, slender rod OF brass, the end OF
which no deity catches Ia the hole in tho
centre Of each coin. Hepulls four out OF
the pile, and then pulls them away to the
main pile. The coins are bright and
smooth and they slip easily over the mat.
ting. Four after four are tak0n, until at
last only o few arc left under the bell.
The excitement among the players Ia in.
tense. They watch the movements Of the
brasg rod closely. II one coin Is loft over
the lucky players who bet on one grin
with delight. The banker pays the bets,
which are paid either with silver or little
slips Of paper covered with Chinese char.
acters and the game goes on. AS the bets
are only even, while the banker has two
chances out Of three to win, 1t can be seen
that the banker must have the beat Of 1t
in the end,
Alter hearing the game described, the
reporter concluded not 10 take holiday
to-day, but 10 20 70 the matinpp. as usual.