Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-27

trade a piece of tin about fourteen
inches square, which. being cheaper
than paper, is used as a slate.
When you have your fortune foretoid
here YOU cannot take the written sheet
with you, as you can from old wong
who presents the red slip OF paper as a
luck charm, but your entire fortune is
upon payment of. your Is cents, i'm
mediately wiped off the slate. This ola
fellow answers to the euphonlous COM
bination Of Yen Sen, and he tells you
what the future holds by means OF q
tortoise shell and coins.
The shell used for fortune telling is
an importation from across the Paclhc'
for the sacred species of tortoise does
not inhabit the waters of America.
The shell has also to go through long,
monotonous ceremony, during which 1t
is scorched until all the veins are
clearly seen: then, after it is brightly
polished and anointed with a perfumed
paste. which soon hardens like cement,
it is ready for expectation to this coun-
try. The shells vary in size, although
the fortunes are the same. At most of
the tables on the street, should you like
your fortune told, you must first de-
post your 10, Is or 25 cents, according
to the way the willy diviner judges
your financial worth and your good
nature. If you should inquire the
price, and find it to be 80 cents, you
say, "All right, I'll take 10 cents
WORTH" and the offer will be readily
accepted. Many times, just in admi-
ration of the businesslike qualities sug-
costing a cut in the price, the customer
&1-av y ar
have heard.
The average Chinese will double the
price of anything for an American, but
his respect is considerably increased
when the latter regulates the fee as
Chinese would. The price being set
tied, the customer is given the three
Chinese coins and the tortoise shell
upon which he must rap three times
with the coin. The revealer then lights
| the punk at one side of the table, takes
| up his brush and proceeds to business.
| The customer must next place the coins
| inside the shell, shake them and then
| turn them out an a felt mat provided
| for the purpose.
This is repeated six times, the reveal
| er writing on the tin slate at each
| shake of the shell. The customer must
then ask what he wants to know. A
| Chinese will say Subject marriage" or
Subject travel or whatever it may
be. A long prayer, similar to the offer
| ing of Wong Gong, then if from the
| usual group of Chinese who are attrac-
| ted an interpreter is developed you will
| very likely hear long string of fortune
generally all sunshine, for the Heath
en- Chinee" is a Christian in a way, for
i he likes to send his customers away
feeling happy. If no interpreter is at
| hand, the wizard himself will tell you
| as best he can, that there is heap
luck,'' counting on his fingers just how
many days or weeks of luck you may
look for. Mex month strong money
strong heart strong JOY" &C., and this
is continued until you are satisfied with
your bargain. The Chinese customers
take their fortune very seriously and
are much interested in each turning
out of the coins.
On the opposite side to Yen Sen an
other table is presided over by a pale,
intellectual looking Chinese, who speaks
little English and who refuses abb
solutely to tell your fortune at any
price unless you first assure him that
you believe in him. If you should hap
| pen to laugh, it is all off-no, fortune.
His method is very similar to that of
his friend across the way, only he turns
out the coin in place Of the customer.
The fish method is the most popular,
but the diviner who works with this
outfit is to be found only at odd inter-
| walls. When he requires little extra
money. out he comes with his table on
| the sidewalk and is very soon sur
rounded by his own countrymen. For
a period of perhaps a week he will ap-
| pear every day at his old stand, then
| suddenly he will retire for weeks or
| months, according to his financial
needs. The fish is on a sort of dial
much like a mariners compass, and it
acts as kind of connecting link be-
| tween the phenomena of the heavens
and the regulations of the earth, and
| the state of man in his social and
| public relations. 1t is encircled by a
| wheel-like diagram upon which various
| symbols are marked. The inner circle
represents water, fire, metal, wood and
earth, each one of the five being a
| symbol of the five planets. Venus,
golden star; Jupiter wood star; Mer-
curry, water star: Mars, fire. and
Saturn, EARTH" According to the
Chinese, the only correct models of hui
man conduct and pursuit are five in
number, and they correspond In man
ner to the five planets. All the social
political and religious systems are re-
gulated by the influence of this ancient
belief. The fish, pointing to the vari-
GUS points upon the several circles. and
to the figures and characters painted
thereon. give a clue to the diviner, and
his imagination and eloquence do the
rest.
In some of the josshouses, divination
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 by the |
numerous OWNERS, the fortune told de- |
ponds largely upon the shrewdness, |
intellect, good nature and humorous
disposition of the fortune teller. How
ever it is all highly amusing fo op1y ona