The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-19
POLICY, CHINESE FASHION,.


 Much Like. the American Game, but With, Characters in Place of Numbers.
 It is a curious thing, says the Hawaiian Star, that here in a com- munity where the Chinese gambling game of che-fa has Sfiourisfed for many years comparatively few outside of those who are deyotees at the shrine of the goddess of chance have even the faintest idea of how the game is played.
 Che-fa is a very simple game, indeed, and in it's very simplicity lies the diffi- culty which the authorities here, as elsewhere, find in suppression, It needs no apparatus or Hay out as do roulette, faro and other games of chance. It does. not even need a pack of cards CT supply of chis. ..-...
 Simply judged as gambling game and conceeding for the moment that it is played on the square, che-fa has it's allurements, for it is, on that basis, a game in which every player has an equal chance and the bank simply col- lects percentage of the monye staked. Unfortunately for the players, however, there is not the slightest resaon for doubting that the game as ordinarily conducted is as eroked as the tradition al dogs hind leg. . 9=,
 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, centiped dog, rat are among these, but many of the character represent things which are not generally discussed in polite society. A person who wishes to play the game seeks an agent and gives him what sum he wishes, from five. cents up at the same time indicating what character he choose. This character off on the agents ticket and the fortune seeker receives a slip acknowledging his bet or stake. Should the particular character prove at the drawing to be the winning number the lucky player wins thirty times the amount of his stake. Thus. if he stakes five cents he wins $1.5O, or if he p1unges heavily with say a dollar, he wins $50 But eidoes not get all that he wins. Theresis} the agent to be considered and he collects 10 per cent. of the amount of the winning, so that the man who won $S6 would receive only v$27 from the hands of the agent. .<,#4 ....
 It is one of the odd trains in the Chi nese character that make che-fa SO popular with them, They are devoted believers in dreams. If Chinanan dreams of a rat, for instance, he will lose no time in seeking a che-fa agent and backing the rat to win and, no number of recurrent losses seems to upset the Chinese faith in this heaven sent sign for success. Of course it is apparent that if a man played on ev- cry one of the tlirty-f1ve characters he would in all probability win, but his win would be a loss, for he would only receive thirty times the amount of the single bet on the winning character less the agents commission of 10 per cent.
 Such is the game of che-fa. Barring only the dream portion of it, it does not seem to possess any particular al lurements. and to some people even the chance of betting that their dreams will come true does not seem attractive. Possibly the average American does not have the same kind of dreams as does the mild eyed Chink. That can easily be imaged from casual glimpse at a Chinese meal and a reflection on the possibilities of what even simple Welsh rabbit can accomplish