Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-12
CHINESE OWNERS
THE ALMoND-EYED FORTUNE
TELLERs OF SAN FRANCISCO
Do Prosperous Business With Curious
Tourists-Trusting Celestia.s nd
Superstitious Natives.


Hio" the new 1Ork Evening Post.
Few tourists pass through San Francisco
without having explored the mysteries of
Chinatown, the largest in the United States
and few consider that they have accom-
plished this until they have heard what
fate holds in store for them from at least
six different wise men, and by many
methods of divining. In fact, 1t is an
amusement in which the old residents of
Frisco never tire. for almost every Chi
nese prognosticator has his regular white
customers, many times men of high posi-
ton, who claim that the "Chink' fortunes
bring luck.
There are at least fifty fortune tellers in
the forty blocks of 'F,risco's Chinatown and
they all seem to make a good income. The
favorite with tourists, and also big man
among his own people, is old Wong Gong,
the most aristocratic prophet that ever de-
serted his native soil. Wong is an astrol-
oyer, clairvoyant, physiognomist, palmist,
and all-round wizard, and he holds forth
In the weirdeSt 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 fioor-that is, the floor on the level
with the sidewalk although below there
are several underground stories of mys-
terry. His transparent sign inf1ameS your
curiosity and invites you in.
The Leer's Den.
A rap upon the yellow and red decorated
door brings a response. The Rembrandt
which meets your eye as you enter is we'll
worth the price of the fortune At round
table in the center of a room about ten by
twelve feet sits the twin of the doctor in
THE First Born" A small kerosene lamp
radiates light for a space Of perhaps two
feet, and sends queer shadows over the re-
naming portion of the room. You are al
ready fascinated by the mystery of it, as
you inhale the faint odor of incense, and
look about at the odd assortment of pic
lures.
Presently you are recalled to earth by
the soft voice and f1owery speech of the re-
vealer asking whether you will have the
past or the future, whether you want him
to read your palm, or just to choose your
own future by selecting sticks. There Is
one popularity 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 great many times it
depends upon the color of your eyes and
hair, and the tilt of your nose, whether
the answer be propitious or no. One old
fellow in a communicative mood told me
that he would never tell any red-haired
persons fortune. Titan locks and bur-
nished copper do not appear to the artistic
soul Of the Chinese. Priests, ministers and
doctors are tabooed, also undertakers IL
by chance their identity and profession are
QlSclOSeO 1nelr money, according TO the
Chinese idea, will hoodoo the purse
Buying Prophecies at Retail.
Tourists visiting Wong generally take so
cents or 81 worth of past or future, but
those who know are more apt to decker for
a quarters worth. for fortunes in China
town are sold singly or in quantity, like
fish or vegetables-10 cents a question.
three for a quarter. or seven for half
and 1t is vastly more fun than buying 1t in
wholesale quantities.
The stick process Of divination goes some
thing like this: The customer is requested
to choose from small jar full of sticks,
which about a foot long pointed at the
ends and painted red at the tips. The SYM
bols and Chinese characters upon these
sticks determine your fate. There are in
all twenty-six of the sticks, each one rep
resenting block upon the shell of ter
rapin, 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 associated with words
strongly expressive of evil "fend,' -
| dragon, devil" etc. Others are spirits
of dead friends-"God," heaven" earth"
fire, water etc.
After choosing a required number of
sticks they are deftly gathered up by the
taper fingers of the diviner who has in the
meantime placed a 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 sort of prayer, meanwhile writ
ing on the red slip. The prayer, as near
as it can be translated, goes something like
this: May the felicitous star answer to
its 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 constituted endure forever"