The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-31

dDle trees, makes an arreSJlnS SlI-
houette, especially when you pause
to consider that this Is the only
place In the world where Portugal
is bounded by China.
The spot Is more historic than
the average visitor realizes. This
little neck of the island is the place
where. in 1887. the Western World
secured its first fOothOld in the Far
East. 1t is true that Magellan had
landed in the Philippines earlier, but
it was not until 1867 that Legaspi
established a permanent settlement
at Cebu.
In 1867 the unwelcome Portu-
gueSe invaders were officially given
permission to remain in Macao, and
in 1873 the Chinese government
built barrier wall across the neck
of the island to fence them out. Six
times month the gate was opened
to permit supplies to be imported
by the isolated foreigners, who held
tenure by virtue of the payment of
an annual rental.
This arrangement was abruptly
terminated in 1910, when the Portu-
guese governor general refused to
pay rent any longer and elected
through the gate the Chinese Off
cials sent to collect it. The present
Barrier Gate was then erected to
commemorate the event.
With a guard of Portuguese sol
diers on one side of the gate and
representative of the Chinese re-
public on the other, the Barrier
Gate reminds you of the neutral
strip at Gibraltar, with Britain and
Spain on guard at each end.
Making Firecrackers.
Returning along the beautiful
driveway, you find it convenient to
stop at the outskirts of the city and
take q few lessons in the craftsman
ship of firecrackers. The process of
manufacture is so simple that even
the two-hour tourist may learn to
roll his own
First. you make the tiny paper
tubes and paste red paper around
them. It is like the traditional
method of making doughnuts-first
make the hole and then mold the
dough around it. Next, you take a
double handful of the little tubes,
stand them on end, and tie a string
around the bundle. Then you paste
white paper firmly across the top
and the bottom, so that the openings
of the tubes are covered.
With a crude instrument that
looks like a nail punch you perforate
the top paper rapidly to admit to
each tube first layer of clay. then
the powder and the fuse and an
other layer of clay. Finally you
string together the required num-
her. wrap them in a neat package,
affix your fancy label. and the work
Is done.
Fan-tan is another monument to
the patience of the Chinese peO-
pie. It is one form of gambling
with which the Western World is
not likely to become infected; it is
too slow for the occidental, who
knows many ways Of arriving at the
same results more speedily.
How Fan-tan Is Played.
The paraphernalia of the game is
all downstairs, but the aristocratic
gambler prefers the second floor.
In the center of the large room is
sort of light well surrounded by a
railing, over which a motley crowd
is always leaning. Since the gam
ing table is directly beneath. every
movement can be seen.
On the long table are charts bear
ing the numerous l, 2, 3, and 4, and
the game is simplicity itself. You
may bet on any one or all the nu-
merals and you may wager any
amount you choose. Your stake is
lowered to the table in a little bas-
ket and placed on the numeral you
designate.
When the crucial moment has ar
rived the master of ceremonies, who
sits at the head of the table. pours
cut a gallon or two of cash, the fa-
miliar Chinese coins with square
holes in the center. Then, with a
little rake, he begins rapidly to
draw them in, four at time. The
spectators on the meZZanine floor
stop cracking watermelon seeds and
eagerly wait for the last motion of
the rake. 1t takes about five or ten
minutes to reach the fateful termi-
nation, and the issue depends upon
the number of cash left for the last
move.
If you have placed your bet on
number and there are three cash
left, you have won twice the amount
of your wager. less 10 per cent COM
mission. If there are / or 2 or 4
cash remaining. you have lost.