The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-20
CHINESE OWNERS.
The Almond-Eyed Fortune Tellers of
San Francisco.

Few tourists pass through San Fran
cisco without having explored the mys-
teries Of Chinatown, the largest in the
United States. and few consider that
they have ACCOMPLISHED this until they
have heard what fate holds in store for
them from at least six different wise
men" and by as many methods of diyin-
ing. In fact. it is an amusement IN
which the old residents of Frisco never
tire, for almost every Chinese prognos- {
ticatOr has his regular white custom.
ers, many times men Of high position
who claim that the "Chink" fortunes
bring luck
There are at least fifty fortune tellers
in the forty blocks of Frisco's China
town, 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 deserted his native
SOIL Wong is an astrologer, cIairVoy-
ant, physiOgnOmist, palmist and all
round wizard and he holds forth in the
Welrdest 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. although
pelow there are several underground
stories of mystery His transparent
sign lnflames your curiosity and invites
you -.
A rap upon the yellow and red decora-
ted door brings response. The Rem
Ter as we'll worth the price of the for
tune. At round table in the center of
q 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 send squeer shadows over the re-
naming portion of the room. You are
already fascinated by the mystery of it
as you inhale the faint odor of incense.
and look about at the odd assortment Of
pictures
Presently you are recalled to earth by
the soft voice and howery speech of the
revealer. asking whether YOU will have
the past or the future. whether you
want him to read your palm. or Just to
cnOOSe 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 a 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 fell
low in a communicative mood told me
that he would never tell any red-haired
persons fortune. Titan locks and bur
nished copper do not appeal to the ar
tistic soul of the Chinese. Priests. min
lsters and doctors are tabOOed also un-
dertakers, if by chance their identity
and profession are disclosed. Their mon
hOOdOO the purse.
Tourists visiting Wong generally take
so cents or 81 worth of past or future,
but those who know are more apt to
dicker for a quarters worth, for for
tunes in Chinatown are sold singly or in
quantity, like fish or yegetables-10
cents a question, three for a quarter. or
seven for a half-and it is vastly more
fun than buying it in wholesale quanti-
ties
The stick process Of divination goes
something like this: The customer is
requested to choose from a small Jar
fun of sticks. which are about a foot
long. pointed at the ends and painted
red at the tips. The symbols and Chi
nese characters upon these sticks deter
mine your fate. There are in all twen-
ty-six of the sticks, each one represent
ing a block upon the shell of a terrapin.
a certain species of which, from a Chi
nese point of view, is symbolic of all
that is good. Some of the spots painted
words strongly expressive of evil, as
"6end, " "dra gOn," 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 pa
per before him and has prepared the
brush and spot of paint or Chinese ink.
Then. as he looks over the symbols and
sorts the sticks. he mumbles a sort of
prayer. meanwhile writing Oh the red
slip. The prayer, as near as it can be
I 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. -
/ New York Evening Post