The Washington times., 1902-10-12

+, sc-at-Carkness Of the alley, and the
smoke of the burning punk zig-zagging
with each breath of wind. They say
the night customers are more generous,
and the wizard of Bartlett Alley does
quite thriving business.
Chinese Humor.
Although somewhat sedate in manner,
there is considerable humor in the ma
tive Chinese, as the following will show.
Two Americans, evidently new arrivals
on the coast, and sightseers in China
town. were wandering along Waverly
Place, apparently enjoying to the full
the Oriental display of color. when sud-
denly they spied one of the fortune
tables and we're at once all curiosity.
Now, sometimes these tables are va
Gated by the owners for half an hour
or more. while dinner or luncheon Is
eaten, but the outfit. minus the sacred
shell, is left without fear of molesta-
ton. 1t chaneed to be one of these for
saken tables that attracted the atten-
ton Of the tourists, and they were
AOohih6 aOOuI III SCdiCu VI SOIu6 OH6
who could relieve their curiosity. Just
then group of Chinese filed out of q
club near by, took in the situation at .
glance, and crowded around. jabbering
and laughing. OF course. the Americans
wanted their fortunes told. so. amid
much laughter, one young wag came :
forward and said he was the man they
wanted. He Immediately jabbered some
thing in Chinese that appeared to con-
vulse the crowd, and then, after wayinR
some punk about. he inquired what it
was they wanted to know. The an
swers to the questions, the fake re-
vealer being prompted by the crowd.
were most unique. The Fasteners were
enjoying themselves hugely. as were all
the others, when the genuine fortune
immediate trouble, and the situation
was becoming serious when oil was
poured on the waters in the form Of q
few dimes. The Americans felt that
their amusement was cheap at half a
dollar. and as they thoroughly appre-
cited the fact that they had been made
the butt of a Celestial joke. the affair
ended satisfactorily. with much laughter
and no police whistles.
Joss House Fortune Tellers.
In almost every joss house fortune
teller can be found. The methods gen.
orally adopted in the temples is by two
piaco, of wood or hanhoo poda round
and in the form of a crescent. probably
an allusion to the new moon. whose fig
ure it resembles. The crescent is di-
vided into two parts. to which there 10
both a round and fiat surface. The
fortune teller kneels on the floor and
throws the two pieces in the air. Their
position when they fall determines the
fortune. II both fiat surfaces lie up
permost. it is considered infelicitous.
II both round surfaces are upturned. It
indicates peace and rest. If there 10
one round and one riat surface. it Is
much Joy and all-round good luck.
Also, in some of the joss houses, di-
vination Is made by reeds carved and
painted in symbols. the Interpretation
Of which discloses the mysteries OF life.
But of all the various methods used b.
the numerous OWNERS. the fortune told
depends largely upon the shrewdness,
intellect. good nature and humorous
disposition of the fortune teller. How
ever 1t is all highly amusing to anyone
with an eye for color, IA sense of the
ridiculous and disposition to study the
OF the quaint Oriental
folk.