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The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, July 29, 1891, Morning, Image 7

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025308/1891-07-29/ed-1/seq-7/

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WHERE THEY ALL GAMBLE
The Chinese Are the Most Inveterate
Sports of the Whole
Earth.
Games Most in Popular Favor
With Inhabitants of the
Celestial Kingdom.
The Law of the Laud Forbids Gambling
OfiLolasl Are Human, and Flesh
Is Corruptible.
A Hong Kong correspondent of the Chi
ago Inter Ocean says: The favorite recre
ation of the Chinese Is gambling. They
are passionately fond of games of chance of
every description, and the most trifling
thing Is frequently made the occasion of a
bet. This passion is so deeply rooted that
not only men and women of all ages and
lasses, but young boys and girls are invet
erate gamblers. Everywhere are to be
found gambling houses, and they are filled
with players from early morning till late at
-ight. Even the fruit stands are used for
gaming, and you seldom pass one without
seeing children playing some trivial game
of chance, in which the stakes consist of
fruit.
As in other countries, the laws of China
forbid gambling. But corruptible officials
permit it everywhere, and supposably share
in the profits of gambling establishments.
It would seem, therefore, that China is not
altogether behind the times in some re
spects. Many a high officer in this flowery
kingdom is corrupt enough to allow a part
of his official residence, usually a house of
many rooms, to be turned into a gambling
hell. For the most part, however, such
places are found in the back streets and
alleys, beeause merchants will not permit
them to locate in the neighborhood of their
own shops and stores. Not because the
merchants condemn gambling, oh! no, in
deedl but because they do not wish pros
peotive purchasers to be stripped of theif
money before they reach the shops and
also because they fear that the poor
wretches, who are turned penniless into the
streets at night, might be the more
tempted to break into the unguarded
shops, if they found them right at hand.
Some years ago all of the shopkeepers in
one of the chief streets in Canton closed
their doors and kept them closed until the
governor general compelled the looal gov
ernor, who permitted the gambling houses
to flourish openly, to shut up all snob es
tablishments in the neighborhood. In Eng
Chon-fu the citizens petitioned the prefect
to suppress the gambling-houses; the peti
tioners were so numerous and influential
that the request could not be denied. Yet
the gamblers were allowed to establish
themselves in boats on th6 river, where
thev continued to do a thriving business.
houses. The so-called "tankoon" consists of
two rooms. In the first "china-tan" is
played, a game similar to the "fan-tan"
of the Chinese in America. It is played
on a high table, in the center of which
lies a square board, the sides of which
are numbered from one to four. One acts
as croupier; the second weighs and counts
the stakes; the third simply watches the
course of the play and pays the winner.
The players arfange themselves about the
table, and the croupier lays a handful of
coprer coin before him, and instantly covers
the little hean with a tin Lowl, so that the
players can not count them. Now each
gasester beta on how many pieces will be
left after dividing the total number of coins
in the pile by four. lie places his money
on one side or another of the square board,
according to his estimate of the remainder.
After the bets are made the croupier re
moves the cover, takes a little ivory wand.
and counts the heap four pieces at a time.
Take a player who had put his money on
No. 1. If one coin remains he wins the
amount of his stakes; if two or three are
left he retains his money; if none are left
over he loses his stake. In this game the
bank has apparently no advantage when the
same amount is bet on each number.
Another game played on the same table
is called "iNim." A player at "Nim" stands
to win double his money, but has one
chance only of getting back his stake and
two of losing it. The name is played in a
similar manner to,"'Ching-tan." If two
"cash', rempin over after dividing the total
number by four, those who played No. 4
receive double the amount of their stakes.
A "fan" as played here (the same, I believe,
as "fan-tan") the player wins a triple stake
if he guesses the correct number, and loses
on all the other numbers than his own. At
"lok." another game of the same class, the
player puts his money between two num
bers, and wins if either corresponds to the
number of coins left over; in any other case
he loses. In the first room of the "tan
koon," the stakes are small copper coins.
The second room is for the more aristo
cratic and wealthy players.
The games are similar to those in the first
room. The stakes are not placed on the
table, for fear that some of the rabble from
the other salooon, driven to desperation by
losses, might be tempted to take the place
by storm and make offi with the money on
the board. Playinz cards are used to dis
tinguish the players and the amounts of the
stakes. Although for further p ecaution
the proprietor enters in a books the bets,
there are frequent disputes. A friend tells
me that the only prize fight that he has
seen in.China was between the prop, itor
of one of these places and a drssatisled
player, who thought that he had been
cheated.
In all games the bank has no advantage
over the players. If the stakes are evenly
distributed the honse wins nothing. The
profits come from a commission deducted
from the wi nnings. This is nusunally seven per
cent. As the gambling houses are crowded
daily the eat nings are therefore considerable
but the greedy officials, who countenance
such infractions of the law, are insatiable
and come in for a large share. So far as
the players are concerned, they are often
ruined. Many a one not only loses his
money, but his clothes. sometimes a man
is turned out of a gambling house naked or
merely wrapped in a piece of jute.
Another class of gambling places is de
voted to a game of riddles. The game is
curious, and, so far as 1 know, this form of
gambling is pecunliar to the Chinese. It is
called "old I eople." By this term is signi
fied n series of names, uuder which thirty
six persons were formerly known. The
names are divided into nine groups:
1. The names of four men who achieved
the highest literary distinction, and who in
former stages of existence were, respect
ively a fish, a white goose, a white snail and
a peacock.
2. The names of five military worthies
who were once a worm, a rabbit, a pig, a
tirer and a cow.
3. The names of seven successful mer
chants who were formerly a dragon, a fly,
a white dog, a white horse, cn elephant, a
wildcat, and a was-p.
4. Four persons, who enjoyed on earth
uninterrupted happiness, formerly a frog,
an eagle, a monkey, and a dragon.
5. Four women; formerly a sparrow, a
jewel, a white swallow, and a dove.
ti. Five beugars; formerly a sea gull, a
snake. a fish. a door, and a sheep.
7. Fontur Buddhist priests; formerly a
turtle, a hen, an elk, a calf.
8 Two Tanist oriests; formerly a white
hen, and a eat with yellow stripes.
9. A Buddhist's nun, who was once a fox.
The game is played as follows: The own
er of the gambling house engages the ser
vices of a man who is very clever and
Ingenious in constructing riddles, and he
has to pay him a good stiff salary, for such
talents are in great demand. ' he fellow
has to devise innumerable riddles, for the
place is open twice each day.
Each riddle must relate to bne or another
of the persons who are referred to in the
albove list, in one or the other of their steps
of existence. As soon as a riddle is written
it is printed in thousands of conies often
ones. The copies are sold. Not only does
the prooprietr reelive a considerable in
some from the sale of the riddles, hut the
solutoli of the paslel brings. him still
more. A purchaser, who thinks he has
guessed the riddle, writes down his answer
and the amount he is willing to back it
with as a bet, and hands in the paper and
stake to the master of aeremoplne at the
time appointed for the drawing, as one
might call it. After all the answers are re
ceived and bete made the managers with
draw to count the money and look over the
answers. The riddle-maker selects the cor
rest solutions, The prise, which is a con
siderable amount usually, is divided
among those who have hit upon
the right interpretation. This species
of gambling gives rise to many disputes and
much dissatisfaction, but that it unavoid
able. The amount df the bet is limited, and
yet many persons. especially women, lose a
a great deal at this game. Ladies of social
standing do not appear at these gamblina
houses, but they are represented by their
servants and slaves.
Another curious gambling device is called
'!Tapakopoo." It shows what a strong
and simple faith the people have in man's
honesty. Indeed most of the gambling
games of the Chinese furnish ample moans
of cheating, but there is in reality very lit
tle complaint on this score, considering the
number of gambling dens. In "Tapakoo
poo" one of the managers takes a strip of
paper on which are written eighty charao
ters, signifying, for example, the sun, moon,
earth, stars, etc. He is carefully shut up
for several hours in a room to
which no one is allowed access.
During this confinement he marks
with red ink twenty of the characters
on the strip. As soon as the door as opened
the paper is put immediately into a box,
whiohts looked. In the meantime a sim
ilar list of characters has been struck off on
a press and copies are sold. The buyer
marks ten characters and hands in his copy
at the appointed time, when all copies of
competitors are compared in public with
the original marked copy. You muss guess
more than four characters right to win; if
you get five you receive seven "cash;" if
eight seven dollars; if ten, $15. One per
son is permitted to buy as many as 800
copies of the characters, but he must mark
the same ten letters in each. To judge
from the number of copies sold every day
the profits of the managers of this game
must be immense. Women and children,
as well as men, are devoted to this form of
I lottery.
The Chinese make a bet of everything. It
I is a very common practice for the ownersof
fruit stands to run a small gambling busi
ness. One favorite scheme is to bet on the
number of seeds in an orange. A passer-by
I stops before a fruit stand and bets against
the owner, who is the bank. The player
picks out an orange; the amount of the i*t
is fixed; the orange is out open and the
seeds counted. I the man guesses right he
I gets five times his stake and the orange be
sides; if he loses, the stake goes totheshop
keeper. In winter they gamble on the
weight of fish and pieces of meat hanging
in the shops.
dnt time changes minds as well as man
aers, though even now when making
ehanges from one oircle to another, it often
requires that adaptability which could be
said found in one who has automatic man
ners. However, such radical changes not
only appear in drawing-room repartee,
street dress, etc., among people, but also `.s
the conveniences and lnxnries affordej
mankind. Railroad travel is one instance.
A few years ago, comparatively, one had to
-onsnme much valuable time in an uncom.
9nrtable way to make what is now thought
• othing of as a nglht's journey in a sleeper.
The most modern equipment and trans
eortation faoilities can be found on the
mast trains of the Minneapolis & St. Louis
railway to Chicago, ht. Louis, Hot Springs,
Kansas City, eta, Inqaire of any agent of
the company, or O. M. Pratt, general tiolot
iad peasenger agent. Minneanolis. MinYa
go confident are the manufacturers of Dr.
I._g's Catarrh Retuody in their ability to curs
Chronic Catarrh in the Head, no matter how
bad or of how long standing, that they offer
in good faith, the above reward, for a case
which they cannot cure.
SYMPTO;CS OF CATARRH.
Headache, obstruction of nose, discbarge:
falling into throat, sometimes profule, watery,
and acrid, at others, thick, tenacious, muoous.
purulent, bloody and putrid; eyes weak, ring.
Ing in ears, deafness, ilffilculty of clearing
throat, expectoration of offensivo matter
breath offensive: smell and tasto impaired,
and general debility. Only a few of these
ymptornms likely to be present at once. Thou
sands of cases result in consumption, and nl'
ln the grave.
smellBy its mild, soothing, antiseptic, cleansing
catarrhal headnache Is relieved aund cured
as if by magic. It removee offensive breath,
loss or impairment of the sense of taste
smell, or hearing, watering or weak eyes, and
Impaired memory, when caused by the vio
lence of Catarrh, as they all frequently are.
Cold by druggists, at fifty cents. Manufact.
ured by Wonr,D's DISpa.SARY MSDICAL As.
soowaiON, 663 Main Street, Buffalo, N. Y.
DR. PIERsE'S PELLETS t.'ey Gently
Laxative, or Cr.thartic. according to siz of
aose. ' By dr!inrista. 2s6 ents a vial
Aor'S Go1deo rfenla ie
SFor Femalo Ire,..
Itlrn; 110.Il ' Ieit
S ion the tillltl .i .
/ Lu relieven sUPlr
mounstruatiou.
SUREI SAFE! CERTAI.i
Don't be liltmlmtir-.
Savo iTi ime., t,,t,
audmoney;tae u i,;l
ei.
Sent to anm la-ire'
,res blr y eail ,
cr1 I alprice,>,_.,.
Address,
ThE APHIO PSr 's.i Cor';vý
iold by R . IWale & (i.. arugglsts
lbns. Mont.
The elebrated French gure,
warr",, d "APHRODITINE" -f. . ded
Is Soon oN A
POSITIVE
OUARANTEk
to cunre anllV
fol a nl ervon us
Sdisease, or lly
dlisnr of the
- gnus of elther
w.ux whether ar
SEFO Iaina rom the AFTER
exceemlvu Ieue of Stllllullats, Tlobsa(co or i()lIm.
or throlgh yotttullll adlscrcetloE, over iit0llfg
T.Ec, Sc., snch as losEs e.Braiu Power, WaketOl.
nets, Ilensring dWta 'lain ii tilhe Halck, SeInalll
Weaknues, L)alel- a Nc vonus ProalltraUiii Neturl'
lI Etnielols, leeuc.'.r1hica, lsalllres, Weak Meam:
cry, I.on of Power Osad ltnpoeeyol, h 'ichl if o.
slected often lad to prematureohl ienl ilsan.
lty. PriieeS.Oea box. bxes for ..00 S.lt by
mall ow receipt of price.
A WliIT'I'ICN (PUARANTEIt lforetery S.lS
order, to relusl the moaey if a Psrlsase,lnt
iurs Is not eflheted. Tlioue.ansi ol testllionlals
from old and youltng, of hbelth sexes, lermaneltly
cured hr AiRaoolTINs. Clrculllar tlce. Alddress
THE APHRO MEDICINE CO.
wasr"aN saiANcI.
n-v '' PORTLAND, OR
.. ben IL L Zako a t.. d 9ql.
bus'rkrr
DRS. LIEBIG & CO.
Will open obee at
IERCHANTS -:- O TEL,
t0g i, rsomrain to Aug. 7, 11g1, and on sanmim
later will visit I elona each mouth thereafter.
The Oldest, Most Successful, and
Only Reliable San Francisco
Specialists, Surgeons
and Physicians,
Who havethe majorltv of Patients under treat
meat in San Franalsi o and on the Pacific
Coast for the followiug diseases,
are now in UItte City.
Ul requiring expert medical or surgical mervies
an be treated by the great Pacific Coast
Doetors, now in Butte City, with
out having to visit San
Franoisco.
Entrance to Liebig Vurld Dispensary, 8 Eas
Broadway, orner Main Street.
Drs. Liebi & Co. are regular graduatee in
medicine auT surersy and eseciai pactitionere
authorized by the states of Miouarl. Californi·
and Montana to treatall chront, nervous and
prirte diseases [whether caused by imprudencer,
excossor conta.lonl, oeminal weakne s, night
losaes, sexuel deb ity [loae of sexual lower1
nervous debility lose of nerve foree], disaasea of
the blood leyphlise gonorrhoea, gleat and stric
tore] curead. Curabl cues guarnteed or money
refunded. Chartee low. Thousands of casew
ured. All medicines are especiallyprepared for
eah ,ndividual case at laboratory. No injurious
or poisonoue compounds used No time lost
from bueiness. Patients at a dictance treated by
mais and express. Medieis sent everywhere
trec from ga.e or breakage.
In diseases of the blood, orain, heart and neors,.
one eysten, as well as liver, kidney end gravel
emplajints. rheumatism, paralysis and all other
chrorsle diseases.
Write for illustratd otl apers on Deformities,
Club Feetl, Curvature of tke Sp.vne. Pile, Tumore,
Cancer, Catarrh, Bronhetils, Inhalation, Eleetric
, Magnetistm, Paralysis. lpilapsy, Kidney.
ldder, Eye, "er, Skin and Blood and all urgl.
pal opratLions.
Dineames of women a specialty. Book on dis
Ieesc free.
'lbh only reliable Medical and Surgical Inti.
tute mnking a sl:e^ially of private diseases.
All blooddaewaes .ruceosfully treated. Syphi.
litie Poisons removed from the system without
morcury. New restorative treatment for lose o
Vit .1 l'ower. PI'rseus unable tovisit us may he
treated at homs by correspondence. All com.
muuications confidential. Medicines or Instre.
menlts sent, by mail or expres securely parcked.
One personanl interviow preferred. (Call and con
uit us, or send history of your case and we will
send in plain wrapper our book free explainine
why ttous.and cannot be cured of Private. Ipe.
caland Nervous diseases, Seminal Weakness,
Spermatorroea. Impotency, Syphilis, Oonorrhcs,
Gleat.Varicocles. etc.
Drs. Liebig & Co, are the only qnalified or re.
eponsible specialists left in Montana since the
new medical law.
Office hours fromi to 8 and 7 to 8 p. m.; or bi
appointment in obscure or urgent oae.,
CONSULTATION FliE5.
Agene3 for Dr. Liebig's Invigorator at Boon
L ]rt Broadway. Butts.
LINNEAFOLIS & ST. LOUIS
* tRAILWAY, •
-AND THE
* FAMOUS
ALBERT LEA ROUTE.
Through Trains Daily From St.
Paul and Minneapolls
* . * * TO CHICAGO . * * *
Without change, conneoing with the Fast Trains
of all lines for the
EAST AND SOUTHEAST.
The Direct and Only Line running Through
Cars between
Minneapolis and Des Moines,
Iowa, via Albert Lea and Fort Dcdge.
Solid Through Trains Between
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. LOUIS
and the principa! cities of the Mireisippi, and
connecting in Union Depnts for a.l
points South and Southwest.
Many Iours Fared, and the only line running
two troains lail; to ItANSAS CITY, IJEAVt,.
WOe;'tit, ATCHISON, moakilg connoetion with
the Union fPacific and Atchiso. Topeka & Panta
Fe railways. ClorFe connections mrnd in Union
Depot with all trains of the St. Paul. Mlinneapo
lie & Manitoba, Northern l'acific, St. Paul &
Duluth Railwayt, frcm and to all points North
and Northwest.
REMEMBER!
The traine of the Minneapolis i St. Louis Rail.
ways are comtpocd of Comfortable Day Coaches.
ltlerificont Pullman Sleepilng Cars, horton Be.
olining Chair ('arn, and our justly celebrated
PALACE DINING CAR .
150 lbs, of Itagega chocked FRIEE. Fare al
ways as low as the lowest. For Time Tables,
T'hrough 'icket, etc., call upon the nearest
ticket agent or write to
C. M. PRATT.
General Passenger and Ticket Agt., Minneapolis,
Ij?,(t'ElVER' 5AILE-NOTICC 1. IERlEBY
ietar taint the unlwersigned receiver by virtue
if a decree marie and entered in the rtnitei Statee
'ircait conrt, of the :vnth Jtudcial circut in and
:'or the district of Momnana. c Wednesday, July
i. 18:0. In which Gilhrisi t i'rothere & Edgarareo
tlaintiffst against Helena, ]lot Springs and Sime'
iot Ralilroad co rotiany. et al , clpefndants. will sell
aIt iu.lic scO itoll. to the h'gltest bidder on tihe
let day of Septtmbtr 189l. at the linrth door of tihe
nourt lhonse. in the county tf Leowis anti Clarke.
state of Montana, at 1 o'clock in.. of said day,
all the right, title and interest of the parties in
,id suit to the following described property to.
wit:
'Tht certain railway known as the Helena, Hot
Sprine. antd Snelter railroato, commentcing on the
boitndare linc between the Ilroadwat:r ilot
crinc )hotlc proptray and the premises ofthe
a:e iwight . Godell, running thence in an
eartorly direction to, and through the city of
lleutia. to tlhe Northern I'aci tiec ,pot. 'Togettr
with all t he u lalle, tenemeolt and hereditaentet,.
acquiled or approprihatsd for the ridelt if way ofa
ii railroad and branchks. And all the ease
tetIts. rights, liberties. privilegeR , franchise, im
an itnitisa and exemptions of sairadtrilro d coc
plan aptportaining to the ownii.g, maittiaicilig
operating tusing anti en jying the same; togethor
with all the railroad trKike, right of way, dolowct
grounds, otation ground and other landt, etruc
trtte, s:ation hause. engine louse, eor ihon ,. fitt
housel, a. a shop,. machine hoaesa tttrn
tattles. seperetrtc'ture, roiliong Locks, cara, fur
niturti, tools. implement', maeloinly, of eaid
railroa crl opa. and all other property.renal,
peorsonal and mioel.
W' ritten bids will also te received by the under
signed for said Vpopirte. which cad bits will lie
opened at the place and upon Ite day of sale anti
openly read as the bids of parties making the
eamo. The sale tshall Ie made subject to tho ap
provci and contirmation of the abovers caled
ccourt.
The propertr will not be sold for less than
f.wi,0ll), of .hlch m'c at, least $12,000 dial] be
paidi in, ash, and the balance mays be aid in six
arid sine months, securedi by a mortgage lieu
tullton the property, or psuch tl thr acccleity as may
he utprovIed by the court, all dttftr'red paymentst
bearing Interest at the rate of eight per oeunt per
annum. WILLIAM II. CrAIIRK.
Iteceivor.
New Sioux City Route.
P'assengere for the East from Helena and
other Western points will find the NEW
ItOU'l'E via SIOUX CITY and the ILLI
NOIS CENTRAL R. R. not only desirable
as to time and equipment, but one of the
most attractive, passing through Sionu City
the only Corn Palace City of the worldi
Dubuque, the handsome Key City of Iowa:
Rockford, Illiaois, a new manufaoturing
oity, that has beome a "world within it.
sell," and Chicagol, whosa growth and en
terprise is tihe wonder of the world. With
elegantfroe Chalr Cars, and Pullmnn Pal
sceSleeping Carl on every train between
iioux OityJand Chioago, and with olose eon
nertion with the UNION PACIFIC trains
at Sioux City, the
ILLINOIS CENTRAL R. R,,
respootfutly presents its claims for the new
and every way desirable SIOUX CITY
ROUTE.
For folders and further particular. call
upon local tiaket agent, or address the uny
dearsiued at Manchester, Iowa.
J. F. MERRIY,
ss't. Gee Pas. Mt.
•+: WM. WEINSTEIN & CO. +,
FRUIT JARS
FRUIT JARS PINTS, - - $1.25
FRUIT JARS
FRUIT JARS QUARTS, - $1.50
FRUIT JARS
FRIUT JARS
FRUIT JARS HALF-GAL., $2.00
FRUIT JARS
FRUIT JARS JELLY GLASSES, - 50C.
•* WM. WEINSTEIN & CO. +
THOS. GOFF,
Hardware,
Stoves
and Ranges.
Mine and
Mill Supplies.
22 NORTH MAIN STREET.

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