Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-27
OLD-TIME CHINATOWN
ONCE MORE WIDE OPEN
GAMBLING RAMPANT
FAN TAN GAMES RUN FULL BLAST
Fifteen Lottery Companies Issue Tickets and
Make Almost Hourly Drawings -Celestials
Cheerfully Lose Their Money to Sharks
Who Apparently Do Not Fear Police

blue denim on the table. The Chinese
always play their games on piece Of
blue cloth with one end made into
big pocket because in a flash they can
whisk the entire outfit from the table
and secrete It away among their many
belongings of that color.
Details Of Game
AS soon as the cloth was unfolded
the buttons were placed on It. They
were just the ordinary common white
bone buttons used in every household.
In this particular game the tin lid Of
coffee pot served as a counter.
With deft hand the dealer placed
the tin lid over the buttons and drew
1t hard toward him, carrying a portion
of buttons beneath the lid. Then he
raised the lid and picked UP a thin
piece of bamboo. 1t was shaped like a
butter knife and with it the dealer
began to divide the buttons taken from
the cup. His long yellow nails and
thin fingers moved with remarkable
skill as he whisked the buttons away
| In groups of four. +
Finally all had been taken away and
| three buttons remained, and the man
who had placed his money on No. 3 had
secured his winning with a good per-
centage for the house. Time after time
the buttons clicked and the dealer,
without ever a change of countenance
raked in his winnings.
Twenty-Five of these fan tan dens are
now running full blast and If the de-
| tails of certain collections made by
| celestial well known in Chinatown and
| his subsequent deposits in a certain
safe in one of the downtown saloons
might be made known to the public it
would make an interesting story
Lottery Games Wide Open
The lottery games in the Chinese dis
| trict are as open as the fan tan. Yes
terday fifteen companies had their
agents working among the Chinese,
| and the men went from door to door
slipping the bills Of the game under the
| doors or putting them in the celestials'
pockets. These bills were marked by
the victims, who then returned them to
the headquarters of the company. The
drawings occurred at the times stated
on the cards.
Following is list of ten different
bills given a Herald representative by
| Chinese yesterday:
High 10y company, drawing at 2:30
p. M; Quong Tai, drawing at 2:30 p.
M; Foo Quai Tong company, drawing
at p. M; Lee Yuen company, drawing
| at 4:30 p. M; Shang Hal company,
| drawing at 2:3O p. M. TIoa XII company,
| drawing at D. M; Quong Ching COM
pany, drawing at 2:30 p. m; Henrie
company, drawing at 2:30 p M; HE
Hing company. drawing at p. M; Boy
Chong company, drawing at p. m.
Highbnders In Evidence
! Many of the Chinese complain of the
conditions brought about in part by the
San Francisco visitors. Formerly there
were but two Chinese of the old school
| who were proud of the distinction of
being the last of the highbinders of
Los Angeles.
They were happy in the knowledge
that they had survived and could die in
| peace. But recently there has been an
addition and yesterday fifteen high
| binders, pledged to the various blood
| thirsty tongs, were pointed out as they
strolled about among the Chinese and
! looked at their countrymen with the
! full knowledge of their power.
The local Chinese of peaceable char
acter fear these men and do not want
/ them around yet they fear the conse-
| quences if they turn them out.
chinatown is divided" said one of
| the celestials yesterday. lone set of
my people believe in building up the
| local settlement until it is in good con-
dition. They believe in having the
| streets improved, IN SenulnS tnelr chill
dren to American schools as well as to
F.! Chinese, and above all they believe in
| fair dealing with their countrymen or
with the Americans. as the case may
require,
Better Class Progressive
"They do not like the dark, secret
style of the ordinary Chinese in this
county and they are doing all they can
| for reform and better living.
| But they are opposed at every step
by the other class, a class that holds
on like grim death to the old traditions.
that hates all white men and would
rather fool the people than receive a
present from home.
"They hold festivals at all times of
| the year as their traditions demand.
deal in smuggled opium, plan fan fan
| robbing their own relatives if con-
venient and, in fact, indulge in every
kind of vice they can think of. 1t is the
latter class that is now harboring the
highbinders and whose members are
nightly talking affairs of the local
settlement over with these tigers of the
| north
1--WE are strong and can meet them,
but we don't want any blot on the good
reputation so long sustained by our
! people in the city of Los Angeles"