The Caldwell tribune., 1905-11-25
onlNEeE GAME OF eHE.EA.
10 Very Similar TO American Method
Of Policy PLAYING.

Fl .f. (. A. .r e.
ES Very Similar to American Method
Of Policy Playing
1t is curious thing that here in a
community where the Chinese gam
bling game of che-fa has hourished
for many years comparatively few out
side of those who are devotees at the
shrine Of the goddess Of chance have
even the faintest idea of how the game
ls played. LIZ SID. 4s-.s.t,..s
Che-fa is very simple game indeed,
and in its very simplicity lies the diff
Guilty which the authorities here, as
elsewhere, dnd in suppression. 1t
needs no apparatus or Layout" as do
roulette, faro and other games of
chance. 1t does not even need pack
Of cards or a supply Of chips.
Simply Judged as gambling game
and conceding for the moment that 1t
Is played on the square, che-fa has its
allurements, for it Is on that basis q
game which every player has an equal
chance and the bank simply collects
percentage Of the money staked. Un-
fortunately for the players, however,
there is not the slightest reason for
doubling that the game as ordinarily
conducted is as crooked as the tradi-
tional dogs hind leg.
There are thirty-six characters on
a che-fa ticket, each representing some
familiar object. The lion, tiger, moon,
mouth, silver money, gold money, box
but many Of the characters represent
things which are not generally dis
cussed in polite society.
A person who wishes to play the
game seeks an agent and gives him
what sum he wishes, from cents rD
at the same time indicating what char
acter he chooses. This character II
marked off on the agents ticket and
9 the fortune-seeker receives a slip &C
S knowledging his bet or stake. Shoult
y the particular character prove at tn
drawing to be the winning number tn
q lucky player wins thirty times tn
9 amount Of his stake. Thus If he stake
g 5 cents he wins $15O or If he plunge
y heavily with, say dollar he wins $3C
But he does not get all that he wins
There is the agent to be consldere
4 and he collects 10 per cent Of tn
amount of the winning, SO that tn
j. man who won $50 would receive onl
B. $27 from the hands Of the agent.
n 1t is one Of the odd traits In the Oh
" nese character that made che-fa s
popular with them. They are devote
believers in dreams. If a Chinama
dreams Of a rat for instance, he wi
lose no time in seeking che-fa age1
- and backing the rat to win and I
number of recurrent losses seems
upset the Chinese faith in the heave
- sent sign for success. OF course, it
- apparent that If a man played on e
~, cry one Of the thirty-fve characters
-. would in all probability win, but h
win would be loss, for he would on
~ receive thirty times the amount Of Il
single bet on the winning charact
less the agents commission of 10 p
= cent.
4 Such Is the game Of che-fa. Barr1l
m only the dream portion of it, 1t do
for not seem to possess any particular 1
DC lurements, and to some people even t
:. chance Of betting that their drear
Iafy will come true does not seem attrat
i've. Possibly the average Americt
ll'' does not have the same kind Of drea1
as does the mild-eyed chink. That c.
,au ee, easily be imagined from cast
glimpse at Chinese meal and a
70 decton Of the possibilities of VII
even a simple Welsh rarebit can 1
complish.-Hawaiian Star.