The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-17

Up a fortune out of American money.
| He has for stock in trade a piece OF tin
about fourteen inches square. which. be-
Ing cheaper than paper. he uses for a
slate. When you have your fortune told
here you cannot take the printed slip
| with you. as you can from old Wong.
who presents the written sheet as a luck
| charm. for your entire fortune. after hav-
| ing been Interpreted and upon payment
| OF your fifteen cents, i Immediately
wiped OF the slate The Old fellow an
swers to the euphonious combination of
Yen Sen. and he tells you your future
by means OF tortoise shell and coins.
At most OF the tables on the street
| should you like your fortune told. you
| must first deposit your ten, fifteen, or
| twenty-five cents. according TO the way
| the willy diviner judges your financial
worth and your good nature II you
| should inquire the price and find il to be
thirty cents. you answer. "All right; !
| will take ten cents worth" and your offer
will be Immediately accepted. Many
| times, just inadmiration OF your business
| like qualities in suggesting cut in price,
you will in ell probability hear a better
| fortune than you would of otherwise.
| The average Chinaman will double the
price of anything for an American, but
his respect is considerably increased when
the latter regulates the fee as China
| man would.
| The price being settled. the customer is
given the three coins and the tortoise
shell. upon which he must rap three
times. The diyiner then lights punk at
| one side or the table, takes up his brush.
and proceeds TO business. The customer
| must next place the coins inside the
shell, shake them. then turn them ont
| on felt mat provided for the purpose.
| This is repeated six times. the revealer
| writing on the tin slate with each turn
ing out of the coins.
The customer must then ask what he
wants TO know 4 chinaman will say
Subject, marriage" or Subject. travel, -
or whatever the matter may be. a long
prayer. similar to the offering of Wong,
follows Then. If from the usual group
OF Chinese are attracted. an Interpreter
is developed. you win very likely hear q
long string Of fortune. generally all sun
shine, for the heather Chinee" is a
Christian in a way, and he likes 10 send
his customers away feeling happy. II
no Interpreter is at hand. he will tell you,
as best he can. that there is heap luck, =
counting on his fingers just how many
days of luck you may look for. Mex
month, strong money-strong Joy-eoly
ting heap good, ale same clatchem lot
tley. maby you go him Journey" etc.
and the volley of good fortune is con-
tinued until you are satisfied with your
bargain. or some customer appears on
the scene. The Chinese take their for
tunes" very seriously. and are much in
terested in the turning Of the coins
on the side opposite TO Yen Sen, an
other table is presided over by pale.
intellectual looking Chinaman who speaks
little English, and who refuses abso-
luteiy to tell your fortune at any price
unless YOU first assure him that you be
lieve in him. If you should happen to
laugh ii is all off-nO fortune.
The fish method Of divining the future
is the most popular, but the diviner who
works this outfit is TO be found only at
odd intervals. When he requires little
extra money, out he comes with his table
rounded by his own countrymen- For a
period of perhaps a, week he VIII appear
every day at his old stand, then suddenly
he will retire for weeks or months, ac-
cording to his financial deeds. The hsh
is ON a dial. much like a mariner com
pass. and it acts as kind of connecting
link between the phenomena OF the heaV-
ems and the regulations of the earth. 1t
Is encircled by wheel-like diagram, upon
which various symbols are marked Inc
inner circle represents water, fire, metal
wood and earth, each Of the five being
symbol of the five planets. Accord
ing TO the Chinese the only correct mod
els Of human conduct and pursuit are
five and they correspond TO the FIVE
plauets. All the social, political. and re-
ugious systems are regulated by the IN
huence Of this ancient belief The hsn
pointing 10 the various points upon the
several circles and to the figures and
characters painted thereon. gives the clue
to the diviner. and his Imagination and
eloduence do the rest.
In most of the Joss houses oivinauOn
is made by reeds carved and painted IN
symbols. the Interpretation Of which dis
closes the mysteries OF life. But OF all
the various methods used by the numer-
Gus OWNERS. the fortunes told depeni
largely upon the shrewdness. intellect.
good nature, and humorous disposition OF
the fortune teller. However. 1t IS al
highly amusing TO any one with an eye
FOR color. a sense Of the ridiculous, and
a DISPOSITION 20 study the characteristics
If the quaint Oriental foik.-Harriet