The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-27
JOHN CHINANAN TALKS
Of HIS LOTTLYS
NO GRAFT, SAYS oNE-THERE
IS, SAYS ANOTHER
CELESTIAL.


lection there Is no graft in the lot
terry busincss--and besides there is
no money in the lotteries for the
seven companies which conduct
them"
Such in brief. was the statement OF
Hop Yik, one Of the leading Celestials
Of the city yesterday. Mr.. Yik drop
ped into the Astorian Office yestcr-
day on some trivial enand, and Incl
dentally while there he was willing
to talk about the Chinese lotteries.
Or course, they are running, he adj
mitted-eyeryone knows that, but Yik
protested high, low, jack and the
game that no Chinese was being blk.
cd by any set OF white men into pay
ing for protection Of the games.
Once they used to do so, when
they paid SIS monthly into the city
treasury as fines, but since that time
the Chinese have been left entirely
alone, to run their lotteries as they
see IT, Thus ayerred this man. who,
is at the head of the leading tong.
and consequently the head OF the
leading lottery. He also ayerred that
there is no money in the business
now; that the games are 50 small and
so poorly patronized that really it
hardly pays to keep them going.
Only few dollars come in; little bit
of a game Ten cents chance-it
would take a hundred chances a day
TO make up $40 Not worth while
bothering about.
"rhe police-no. they never stop.
Policeman comes in give him cigar.
He say, how business2 We say busi.
ness poor"
"Not much business he say.
"No; business poor; take cigar"
we say.
He take um, look at wrapper.
"All right" he says, smoke him
after supper"
But why the policemen didn't stop
the games the Chinese leader didn't
explain very we'll.
mot worth while; games so little,
business so poor, too much bother
Policeman don't stop games because
not worth while bothering about"
Now, when a Celestial starts out to
tell the truth, or to idly toy with the
truth. as it were. there is no need Of
trying to get him to back or gee or
haw. Past master of the art is he,
at telling the truth-or in idly toying
with the sacred prophecies Of truth,
Mr., Yik was absolutely convincing
He told the truth, all the truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help him
joss and consequently there is no
graft being paid by the seven tongs
for protection.
But by one of those peculiar tricks
of fate-which happen in story
books as we'll as in actual life-an-
other Chinese happened to be talk
ing with another representative of
the Astorian at the very same time.
This was in another part Of the city.
BY a most peculiar chance he hap
pened to be talking about the same
subject. And he-this other Chinese
told story which did not agree
with the story told by Mr., Yik. He
said there is graft-but what he ac-
tually said is too good to tell now.
He also said that the Chinese mer-
chants make big money; "hve, six,
seven thousand year-out of lottly."
OF course it is really too bad TO
have one prominent Celestial tell one
story, and to have another equally
prominent Celestial tell another story
at the same time, 1t is apparent that
both stories can't be true, The As
torian does not wish to interfere with
John Chinaman and his lottlys; as
long as there is gambling going on
in the city the Chinaman has as much
right to run his games as do the
white men, The position of the As
torian is we'll known-stop gambling
or let everyone gamble that wishes
TO. The present question Is different
Grating from poor Cinnamon is
pretty low business and the Astoriar
proposes to stop it if it can, and il
thinks it can-if there is grating
and it thinks there isa
Meantime the police officers needn'
worry; no one suspects them Of get
ting anything-as long as they ge
good cigars no one will blame then
for accepting them
Mr. Yik also said games stopped
now. As a matter of fact the game
ran as usual yesterday and last night
Fan tan stop. Lofty not stop.