Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-04-05

able trees, makes an ~arresting sill
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
1t was not until 1867 that Legaspi
established a permanent settlement
at Cebu.
In 1857 the unwelcome Portu-
guese invaders were officially given
permission to remain In Macao, and
In 1873 the Chinese government
built a barrier wall across the neck
of the island to fence them out. Six
times a 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 1849. when the Portu-
guese governor general refused to
pay rent any longer and elected
through the gate the Chinese Off
cials sent to collect 1t. The present
Barrier Gate was then erected to
commemorate the event.
With d guard of Portuguese sol
diers on one side of the gate and
representatives 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 Flreerackers.
Returning along the beautiful
driveway, you find 1t convenient to
stop at the outskirts of the city and
take a few lessons In the craftsman.
ship of firecrackers. The process of
manufacture Is SO simple that ever
the two-hour tourist may learn to
roll his own"
First, you make the tiny paper
tubes and paste red paper around
them. II Is like the traditional
method of making doughnuts-irst
make the hole and then mold the
dough around II. 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 q layer Of clay, then
the powder and the fuse and an
other layer of clay. Finally you
string together the required num-
Der, wrap them In a neat package,
afix your fancy label, and the work
is done.
Fan-tan is another monument to
the patience Of the Chinese peo-
ple. 1t Is one form of gambling
with which the Western World Is
not likely to become infected; 1t Is
too slow for the occidental, who
knows many ways of arriving at the
same results more speedily.
How Fan-tan 10 Played.
The paraphernalia Of the game Is
all downstairs, but the a%rlstocratiC
gambler prefers the second floor
In the center of the large room is O
sort OF light well surrounded by @
railing, over which a motley crowd
is always leaning. Since the gam
ing table is directly beneath. every
movement can be een
On the long table r charts bear
ing the numerous l. 2, 8, and 4, ant
the game is simplicity itself. You
may bet on any one oil all the nu
merals and you may wager any
amount you choose. Your stake |:
lowered to the table In a little bas
ket and placed on the mineral yoT
designate.
: When the crucial moment has ar
rived the master of ceremonies, wht
sits at the head Of the table, pour,
out a gallon or two of cash, the ia
? miliar Chinese coins with square
E holes In the center. Then, with
little rake, be begins rapidly Il
] draw them In, four at a time. The
] spectators on the mezzanine foo
: stop cracking watermelon seeds ant
eagerly wait for the last motion o
( the rake. It takes about five or tel
; minutes to reach the fateful termi
/. nation, and the issue depends upol
a the number Of cash left for the las
r move.
: II you have placed your bet o.
I number 3 and there r three casl
left, you have won twice the amour
g of your wager, less 10 per cent com
v mission. II there are ! or 2 on
cash remaining, you have lost.