The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-12-07
Policy, Chinese Fashion,

1t is curious thing, says the Ha-
waiian Star, that here in community
where the Chinese gambling game of
che-fa has flourished for many years
comparatively few outside of those
who are devotees at the shrine of the
goddess of chance have even the faint
est idea of how the game is played.
Che-fa is very simple game. in.
deed. and in its very simplicity lies
the difficulty which the authorities
here, as elsewhere, find in suppress
sion. 1t needs no apparatus or LAY
OUT as do roulette, faro and other
games of chance. 1t does not even
need pack of cards or a supply of
chips.
Simply judge as a gambling game
and conceding for the moment that It
is played on the square, che.fa has its
allurements, for it is, on that basis,
game in which every player has an
equal chance and the bank simply col.
lects percentage of the money stak.
ed. Unfortunately for the PLAYERS.
however, there is not the slightest
reason for doubling that the game as
ordinarily conducted is as crooked as
the traditional dogs hind leg.
There are sc characters in a che-fa
ticket, each representing some fa-
miliar object. The lion. tiger, moon.
mouth, silver money, gold money, box.
centiped, dog, rat are among these,
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 such he
wishes, from five cents up, at the same
time indicating what character he
chooses. The character is marked off
on the agents ticket and the fortune
seeker receives a slip acknowledging
MS bet or stake. Should the partic.
ular character prove at the drawing to
be the winning number the lucky play.
er wins 30 times the amount of his
stake. Thus If he stakes five cents
ne wins $l.5O, or If he plunges heavily
with. say a dollar, he wins $50. But
ne does not get all that, he wins.
There is the agent to be considered
and he collects 10 per cent or the
amount of the winning, so that the
man who won $50 would receive only
s27 from the hands of the agent
IL Is one of the odd traits in the
Chinese character that make che-fa so
popular with them, They are devoted
believers in dreams. If a Chinaman
&eams OF rat, for instance, he will
lose no time in seeking a che-fa agent.
ana backing the rat to win, and no
number of recurrent losses seems ia
upset the Chinese faith in this heaven.
sent sign for success. OF course, il
Is apparent that if man played on
every one of the 35 characters he
would in all probability win, but his win
would be loss, for he would only re.
ceive 30 times the amount or the sin.
gle bet on the winning character less
the agents commission of 10 per cent.
such is the game of che-fa. Bear.
ing only the dream portion of it, It
does not seem to possess any partic.
ular allurements, and to some persons
even the chance Of betting that their
dreams will come true does not seem
attractive. Possibly the average
American does not have the same kinG
OF dreams as does the mild-eyed Chink.
That can easily be imagined from the
casual glance at Chinese meal and
a reflection on the possibilities OF
what even a simple Welsh rabbit can
accomplish.