Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-12-19

viii be found one or more soothsayers
or fortune tellers. who, in return for
small coin, VIII send a fate seeking
Chinaman away either happy OF miser-
able. The Chinese quarter in New York
supports three Of these fortune jugglers,
who manage 10 make a fairly good liv-
ing out Of their patrons In this country
the soothsayer is not so important
parsonage among Cinnamon as he is IN
China, for the influence of Mclean "
man has affected even stohd John.
Many Of them boast of their Indifference
TO the auguries Of the "luck'' sticks
In China the lower classes never
take any step of importance without
consulting their favorite soothsayer, 50
that he exercises considerable influence
among his customers. The Chinese fes-
tival on their New Years day is the
great day TO take a peep into the future,
and the Chinese come into New York
from all the neighboring towns which
are not strong enough in Cinnamon TO
support fortune teller. One Of the
soothsayers plies his trade ON the side
walk in hot weather. Another has his
headquarters close TO the Chinese the
alter, while the third is in the josshouse
in Mott street Every josshouse has its
fortune telling appliances, which are
kept in front of the altar ready for the
use of the worshipers. There are sew
eral kinds of apparatus used to tell for
tunes. One of them consists of two
pieces of wood, which are round on one
side and flat ON the other
When some superstitious Chinaman de-
sires 10 have his fortune told, lie pays 10
cents to the soothsayer, aud asks the seer
what prospect there is for him i'll the
near future The man of fate mumbles
an incarnation over the two pieces of
wood, and then throws them upon the
ground. Upon their position depends the
fate of the anxious customer. Ii they
both lie with fiat side up, it il a mod
erately bad sign and calls for great eau
ton ON the part of the fortune seeker in
his conduct during che coming year.
When one is round side up and the other
fiat side up, the augury is extremely
favorable, and the Chinaman goes on
his way rejoicing. If both turn round
side up, the outlook is exceedingly
gloomy and something terrible may be
expected to happen soon. The idea is to
so frame the question that the position
of the sticks will give an answer one
way or another The customer asks, for
instance, whether tomorrow will be a
good day or not to open laundry bush
ness. If the answer is unfavorable, he
names a month ahead and awaits the
verdict OF the sticks upon that PROPOSE
ton. He continues until he gets one up
round and one flat and makes his plans
accordingly.
The instruments found in the joss
house are those most generally used and
consist of large number of bamboo
strips in handsomely carved cylindric-
al box. Each strip is about ten inches
long and a quarter of an inch wide.
They are all polished to high degree
of smoothness and squared off at one
end, the other end being round. The
strips are all numbered from one up
ward, generally running as far as 90.
Sometimes there are 100 in box, but
rarely more In this case the augury
costs 90 cents, but a fan and some joss
sticks are thrown in.
The Chinaman wishing to learn his
fate chooses at random one of the little
sticks, and reads aloud the number on
it. The soothsayer then goes to board
upon which are strung number of red
slips of paper, numbered in the same
way as the bamboo sticks. Upon each
ticket is written the fate of the Gus
toner and the one corresponding i'll
number with the number ON the stick
which he has drawn is detached from
the board. When translated, lucky
ticket viii read something like this:
Though dark clouds now roll over your
head, the fates will ultimately smile
upon you. All your undertakings will
prosper and your path through life will
be strewn with the flowers of peace.
A Tribune reporter drew one which
was interpreted as meaning Riches
and good fortune will be your torch
bearers throughout your career, and in
the smile of Buddha shall you bask.
Your heart shall glow with happiness
even as the steady glow Of the joss
stick
1t is not absolutely necessary that the
Chinaman wishing to have his fortune
told should be present. Many customers
remit the fee, and the fortune teller
draws for them and mails the little red
ticket which contains the result The
results are not always favorable and the
most CHASTITY predictions are contained
on some of the slips, which greatly re-
semble laundry tickets.
The higher grade of Soothsayers pre-
dict fortunes by means of casting a
horoscope which is something like that
employed by astrologers. Another meth
cd is by means of an ordinary magnetic
compass, which is set in round disk Of
wood. Around the compass little squares
are marked out ON the wood containing
numbers. After giving the date of your
birth the numbers are shifted around to
correspond with your age and by some
occult reasoning on the part of the
soothsayer tine direction of the needle in
dictates what fortunes you may expect
The fees are not arbitrary and vary &C
cording TO the means of the customer.
They begin at l cent for the fiat and
round sticks and run up to 81 for the
horoscope. New York Tribune.