Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-27

Chinatown, the old Chinatown Of the
early days, when the celestlals held
full sway and carried things with
high hand, has returned, and although
the plain clothes officers of the local
police force tramp the streets Of the
little settlement by day and night the
click, click of the fan tan buttons and
the soft whisper of the dominoes goes
on unheeded and good celestrial money
changes hands with every bet.
For weeks the condition has existed
and Is still unheeded, but since the
arrival of the San Francisco refugee
Chinese the local celestials have begun
to polish up on their old tricks.
Fan tan outfits that had been stored
away for many day were brought to
light, the lottery companies have bios
somed forth in full blast until there
are now fifteen companies represented
among the yellow men of the Chinese
quarter. All are doing a rushing busi-
ness and at no time in its history has
the local settlement been so thoroughly
besieged by gamblers as 1t is today.
Merchants Appealed to Police
Back in the early days the celestials
were allowed to work out their own
sweet will and and rattle the buttons
about their queer carved tables to their
hearts delight. The people of Los An
geles did not care. Their officers were
needed to keep the white population in
good behavior and 1t did not matter
as to whether a Chinese desired to
spend his hard-earned money in an
| illegitimate way.
Then came the appeal from the mer-
chants and residents of Chinatown for
a better condition of affairs and Of
ficers were sent there to watch the
places. From time to time lottery
games were raided. Fan tan outfits
and their manipulators were captured
and heavy fines registered.
But lately there has been a change
and the celestials go about with smil-
ing faces and play away their money
to the sharks who rob them.
The lights Of the narrow street blinked
away over the old time Chinatown last
night The curiously worked patterns
of the dragons and the loved Of the
gods shone forth with tender light
from the great silk lanterns hung
above the doorways. In the windows,
like officers of the law, the plaster
| images of the great joss dozed away
| in fierce-faced slumber, nodding their
| Skewered heads as some soft-footed
celestial stole across the floor of the
building.
There was little or no secrecy. The
night was a good one and the games
going full blast From the doorwa VS.
of the tiny shops and residences came
| the soft flowing sound of Chinese voices,
that is music to an outcast's ears.
The lookouts dozed sleepily at their
posts and sucked at their bamboo pipes.
| From the interior of the building came
the crisp sound of the fan tan buttons
and the soft voice of the dealer as he
called the fours and registered the bets
of the members present.
The thick smoke of the water pipes
| flooded the doorway, the rattle of the
| buttons became louder and the excited
voices of the players more insistent.
and yet there was no sign of inter-
ference.
| In many places the fan tan rooms
were within three feet of the outer
doorway and a single curtain of thin
calico was the only partition between
| the gambling rooms and the public
gaze.
| From the outer street a celestial
shuffled toward a fan tan game. The
| lookout at the door scarcely noted him
l as he called sleepily 1.-The game is open,
the game is open" Other figures moved
silently toward the same place They
| looked neither to the right nor left and
their hands, folded within the front
pockets, kept the money from clinking.
| For a Chinese has an adherence OF
| American paper money. 1t doesn't look
good to him and it forms no part of
| his every day life. He carries silver
when he can get it and the finer the
change the better he likes 1t.
There were dozens of such celestials
worming their way toward the gambling
rooms last night and they all carried
plenty of money with them.
| Into one of these rooms, selected be-
cause of the fact that an occasional
white player was admitted, a repre-
sentative of The Herald made his way.
The lookout made no challenge, for
| the clink of the money told we'll of the
visitors intentions, and as a visitor
rarely beats the bank at fan tan, the
more the merrier.
The table was full and the players
were leaning far over watching the
dealer It was not more than dozen
| feet away from the main street Of the
settlement, yet the celestials played
without fear
| The dealer crafty and cool, nodded
to his players and they placed their
| bets. zone, two, three, four" called
the dealer and the players made their
bets accordingly.
The game as played by the Chinese
was as follows:
First the dealer placed the piece of