The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-07
THE TOPER'S PARADISE.
Yokohama. The City Where You Do
Not Pay for Drinks.
From the Chicago Tribune.

N0 fhy tOr -Dr1nks.
From the Chicago Tribune.
For man with a thirst and no
money Yokohama is a joyous place.
The combination so trying in America
is of no inconvenience whatever over
there--rather the reverse, because the
petty annoyances incident to having
money always in ones pockets are done
away with.
You are always good for drink
or anything else, and If you do not
look too much like a sailor--"a Dam
youreyes San as the natives say
and are able to write your name, you
are good" for wha you may wish.
The secret of all this is chits. Chits,
being interpreted. means drinking
made easy'-drinking and other
things.
Chits in Yokohama constitute one of
the pleasantest curses known to man.
Great and wicked was the brain that
invented them. The owner of this
brain is already responsible for a thou
sand merry wrecks. Ten thousand
men have drunk themselves to death
on his ingenious plan. He killed them
manner that robbed death of its sting.
Public opinion in Yokohama is not
pronounced enough to emphasize the
line between the use and abuse of chts.
And so it happens that men, partic-
ularly young men, do not feel the re-
straint they would were they at home.
They are jolly lot, fond of outdoor
life, well travelled generally, and well
read, with charming manners, and
IN 10 wit frs haf
wins al once.
They have leisure beyond the dreams
of toilers in America-coming down to
work at 10 a. m. and quitting usually
at 3. Out of these five hours at least
one and half are spent at the United
Club or in the Grand or the Club Ho-
tells. whose chit signing is INDUCED IN
as a liberal art.
They ride their own horses in the
races twice a year. When the races
are on all business, even banking, is
at a standstill. Wine flows like water.
but no money is in sight. If you are
thirsty you sign a chit. The boys who
serve the drinks are not to be trusted
with money. They push the bottle to-
wards you and some one signs.
If, a few months later, you wish to
pay, you'll have some trouble in finding
the slip to which you put your name.
You'll go from one hotel to another,
and at each the man will say:
Il don't know. That may be here
If l find them I'll send them up 10
you"
If you are sure that they should be
with him you may give him money and
he will credit you. Then you own the
place. Whatever. you buy thereafter lie
will not charge against you, but viii
say: THAT goes to square us for what
you paid against the chits / never
found"
He who has looked on the wine when
it is red and had studied the mockery
of strong drink need not moan in his
first waking thoughts with despair
brought on by the recollection that his
last penny went the night before un-
less, alas. he is too shaky to hold the
little pencil But even then a prom
Use to sign later on will bring him
what he needs
There are settling days, Of course.
when the residents Of Yokohama and
OF the other ports like ii in the Far
East arm themselves with courage
and go forth bravely to pay their
chits Some men do this once every
two years. Others. who consider them
selves patterns of regularity, square
up the first of each January. Then
there are men who have the names of
the places where their chits are held
arranged in groups and each group as
signed to a particular month of the
year. At the first. of each month they
settle a part OF their debts. The system
keeps chit holders guessing. though.
for establishments in the scheme of
sorting will occur even With the best
intentioned men. So that holder who
thought his money would come in jan
uary may find himself mysteriously
moved into the December class.
Besides these ANNALS. bi-annuals
and monthlies there is "a class made
up it is said. of those who do not pay
until they die. These. men have life
insurance policies, or assurance poll
cies. 10 speak with local accuracy. and.
being thus assured, they do not bother
VINO holds their cnits OF whether the
chits were signed ten days or ten
years ago. Three years IS said to be the
average. A man can sign barrelful