The evening times., 1896-10-31
CHINESE FORTUNE TELLER
Arrival of the Celestial Seer
on FOur-and-a-Half Street.
FINDS MANY CUSTOMERS
Countrymen Regard Him With Great
Reverence and He Shuts Ont For
eigner5 Queer Things at the
PIace-Ihe Curious Articles Used
During a Sitting.
has a new sensation.

Chinatown has n new sensation
Several weeks ago there came CHINESE
barber from Chicago, who set the Celestial
Gossips abuzZIng. Now it is professional
| fortune teller, originally from the orient
but more recently sojourner ON Mott
street, New York. The newcomer Is Yuene
Tong, IL tall, consumptive-loDkIng individ-
uai, much given to breezy gowns OF pale
blue and pink and a mysterious manner,
as though he had some hidden motive.
Yueng has taken up his abode at No. IL
Four -and-a-hair street, where he Is pre-
pared To DO business Tor his fellow country
men in the most approved Celestial Iish-
ion. He claims to be able To stralShten out
tangled love skenS, settle business troC-
bles, bring about prosperity, remove the
condemnation OF the desperate highbind-
| ers' organization and do many other things
/ for a fee.
| In China a fortune teller is regarded with
| awe and reverence, and his chamber Of
| necromancy is as sacred at the tomb OF IL
Mofa nmedan priest. Consequently, the
! local laundrymen approach iCenS Tong
with fear and trembling, and regard his
! little apartment on Four-and- a-haif street
! with a sort OF religious reverence.
FOREIGNERS EXCLUDED.
| No foreigner is allowed To set foot within
there wnere rethefuturcisunvcilcd. There
called lie was met at the front door by Il
| reception as chilly az a breeze from the
! Arctic region.
"Yuepg Tong no inec. You no see him, v
saIu Il short Chlnaman. whose bloatcd fed-
lures indicated that he had been floating
through dreamIaDd for several hours on u
cloud of opium smoke.
Then, without more ado. the door went
shut with u bang. Several loosely -attired
citizens of Chinatown were interviewed by
The reporter. but all that could be got from
them III the way of Information was a series
OF gutteral grunts and the expression. ac-
cOinDanied by a shrug of the shoulder:
y ueng Tong niece feller."
From Il colOred woman, who is employed
aud trusted by the ChinaIHeu. il was learned
that the fOrtune-teiicr has his room fitted
up in the most fantastic manner. On the
walls are dragons heads IN fiery red sharks
teeth, queer pictures and Inscriptions il
Chinese hieruglyphics.
Standing in the center of the room is a
large concern which resembles a tele-
scope. Then there are bamboo baskets
with swdn>town covers, odd-IoOking boxes.
containing punk, fire crackers and Greek
iire- These pyrotcchniCs are used while
Sueng is doing the revealing act. and. as
the ColUTed wonian described it, each of his
customers are treated to a Fourth Of July
celebration in addition TO the revelations
'4'AN-A AAN bpl'tAiNHAaS ~ IN Ip' ltNs-
THE CEREMONY
The telescope -lookin. arrangement also
plays an important part in the weird ccre-
mo1y. II is prcha bbly employed 10 give the
Customer peep into the future.
The average Chinaman is as SuperstiiIous
is he is fond of fan tan md lottery. a nj this
accounts for the steady stream OF pat rons
who pour into Yueng's apartments dur
NJ the twilight hours, and after dark.
Each Chinaman. aIter his fortune Is told.
Is handed slip Uf pink paper, containing
Chinese characters, and telling him. it is
believed, whether he is going to have good
or bad luck, or whether the evil spell has
been lifted from the caller.
just what Yueng's rates are could not be
learned, but they are probably moderate.
One of his spcclalties is to give tidings Of
relatives and friends ill the faraway Flow
cry Kingdom.
The Chinese fortune teller Will only rc-
main here FOR few days longer. He is
making tour of the Southern cities and
Will stop in each onl Y 50 long as he can find
patrons for his art. His headquarters on
Mott street, New York, are eiaburateIy
fitted up, and the telling If fortunes there
Is accompanied by more spectacular effects
than he can provide while ION the road"
In the Chinese tongue Yueng Tong and
his ilk are termed 'Karjars."