The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-23

| Sticks at Cost OF Cent-NIoro Elnb-
orate and ProportionateIy More Expen-
| sivo Methods.
| In every Chinese community there
| will be found one or more soothsavers
or fortune tellers, who, in return for a
small coin, will send a fate seekino
Chinaman away either happy or miser.
able. The Chinese quarter in New York
supports three Of these fortune juRelers.
who manage to make fairly good liv-
ing out of their patrons. In this country
the soothsayer is not so important q
parsonage among Cinnamon as he is In
China, for the influence Of "Melican"
man has affected even stolid 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, so
that he exercises considerable influence
among his customers. The Chinese fes-
tival on their New Years day is the
great day to take 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 III 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 arc round on one
side and fiat on the other
When some superstitious Chinaman de-
sires to have his fortune told, he paws 10
cents to the soothsayer, and asks the seer
what prospect there is for him in the
near future, The man Of fate mumbles
an 1ncantation over the two pieces of
wood. and then throws them upon tho
ground. Upon their position depends the
I late or the anxious customer. If they
both lie with fiat side up, it is mod
erately bad sign and calls for great eau
ton on the part Of the fortune seeker in
his conduct during the coming year.
When one is round side up and the other
fiat side up, the augury is extremely
lawn siDlt, anu tut Ouiuulllau ROtS OIL
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 bust
ness. If the answer is unfavorable, he
names month ahead and awaits tho
verdict of the sticks upon that PROPOSE
ton. He continues until he gets one up
round and one fiat and makes his plans
accordingly.
The instruments found in the joss.
house are those most generally used and
consist of a 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 us 80.
Sometimes there are 100 in O box, but
rarely more. In this case the augury
costs 90 cents, but 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
1t. The soOthsayer then goes to board
upon which are strung a number Of red
slips Of paper, numbered in the Same
way as the bamboo sticks. Upon each
tinlyot icx c. e ~
toner and tho one corresponding in
number with the number on the stick
which he has drawn is detached from
the board. When translated, a lucky
ticket will read something like this
Though dark clouds now roll over your
head, tho fatcs will ultimately smile
upon you. All your undertakings will
prosper and your path through life will
be strewn with tho flowers Of peace
A Tribune reporter drew ono 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 jess
stick"
1t is not absolutely necessary that the
Chinaman wishing to have his fortune
told should be present. Many customers
remit tho fec, and the fortune teller
draws for them and mails the little red
ticket which contains tho result. The
results arc not always favorable and the
most CHASTITY predictions arc contained
Oh some OF the slips, which greatly re-
semble laundry tickets
The higher grade Of soothsayers pre-
dict fortunes by mnons of castinc, Z.