Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-07-15
CHINESE FORTUNE-TELLERS.
San Francisco MongOIfans Do a Pros
porous Business with Curl
Gus Tourists.

the mysteries of Chinatown, the
largest in the United States, and few
consider that they have accomplished
this until they have heard what fate
holds for them from at least six diff
ferent wise men, and by as many
methods of divining. In fact, it is
| an amusement in which the old res
| idents If Frisco never tire, for al
most every Chinese prognosticator
has his regular white customers,
many times men of high position,
who claim that the "Chink" fortunes
bring luck, says the New York Post.
There are at least so fortune tell
ers in the 40 blocks of 'Frisco's China
town, and they all seem to make
! good income. The favorite with tour
lists, and also a big man among his
own people, is old Wong Gong, the
most aristocratic prophet that ever
deserted his native soil. Wong is
an astrologer, clairvoyant, physiog-
nomist, palmist, and all-round wiz
ard, and he holds forth in the weird
est sort of a little den in the most
| exclusive portion of the quarter. He
hangs his sign at the entrance of the
Chinatown palace Hotel" Wong is
on the ground foor-that is, the floor
| on the level with the sidewalk, al
though below there are several I'M
derground stories of mystery. His
transparent sign infames your GU
riosity, and invites you in.
A rap upon the yellow and red
decorated door brings a response.
The Rembrandt which meets your
eye as you enter is well worth the
price of the fortune. At a round
table in the center of room about
| 10 by II feet sits the twin of the
| doctor in "The First Born" A small
| kerosene lamp radiates light for
| space of perhaps two feet, and sends
! queer shadows over the remaining
! portion of the room. You are al
ready fascinated by the mystery of
| it, as you inhale the faint odor of in
cense, and look about at the odd as
sortment of pictures.
Presently you are recalled to earth
by the soft voice and f1owery speech
of the revealer, asking whether you
will have the past or the future,
whether you want him to read your
palm, or just 10 choose your own fu-
ture by selecting sticks. There is
one peculia,ity in all the various
methods OF Chinese fortune telling
you must ask plainly just what you
want to know. You announce the
subject, and the prophet will do the
rest. And a great many times it de-
| pends upon the color of your eyes
and hair, and the tilt of your nose,
whether the answer be propitious Or
not. One old fellow in communica-
tive mood told me that he would
never tell any red-haired persons
| fortune Titan locks and FURNISHED
copper do not appeal to the artistic
soul of the Chinese. Priests, minis
| tiers and doctors are tabooed, also
| undertalSers, if by chance, their iden-
! tity and profession are disclosed.
Their money. according o the Chi
nese idea, will hoodoo the purse.
Tourists visiting Wong generally
| take so cents or one dollars worth
of past or future, but those who
know are more apt to dicker for a
quarters worth, for fortunes in
Chinatown are sold singly or in guam
tity, like fish or vegetables
cents a question, three for a quar-
| ter, or seven for half-and it is
vastly more fun than buying it in
wholesale quantities.
The stick process of divination
goes something like this: The GUS
| toner is requested to choose from
small jar full of sticks, which are
about a foot long, pointed at the
| ends, and painted red at the tips.
| The symbols and Chinese characters
upon these sticks determine your
| fate. There are, in all, 26 OF the
sticks, each one representing
| block upon the shell of a terrapin,
a certain species of which, from a
| Chinese point of view, is symbolic of
| all that is good. Some of the spots
| painted upon the sticks are asso-
| ciated with words strongly express
| i've of evil, as "fend,' dragon"
| "devil," etc Others are spirits Of
dead friends, God" Heaven"
| .'earth,'' 'sfire," water" etc.
After choosing required number
OF SUCKS Uuty dIt do1Uly Sdlnc1Su up
by the taper fingers of the diviner,
who has in the meantime placed
slip of red paper before him and has
prepared the brush and pot of paint
or Chinese ink. Then, as he looks
over the symbols and sorts the sticks,
he mumbles a sort of prayer, mean
while writing on the red slip. The
prayer, as near as it can be trans
lated, goes something like this:
"May the felcitous star answer to
it's change without resting. May it
dispel diabolical influences and bind
monsters, preserve life and protect
the person. In wisdom, intelligence,
splendor and purity may the heart
and spirit have rest and peace. May
the three souls of which man is con-
stituted endure forever"
The CannfbaPs barbecue.
J. l.