Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1908 — Policy, Chinese Fashion. [ARTICLE]

Policy, Chinese Fashion.

It is a curious thing, says the Hawaiian Star, that here in a community where the Chinese gambling gaine of che-fa has flourished .for mapy years comparatively few outside of those who are devotees at the shrine of the goddess of chance have even the faintest- idea of how the game is played. Che-fa Is a very simple game, indeed, and in its very simplicity lies the difficulty which the authorities here, as elsewhere, find jn suppression. It needs no apparatus or “lay out” as do roulette, faro and other games of chance. It does not even need a pack of cards or a supply of chips.

Simply judge as a gambling game and conceding for the moment that it is played cm the square, che-fa has its allurements, for it is, on that basis, a game in which every player has an equal chance and the bank simply collects a percentage of the money stak ed. Unfortunately for the players, however, there is not the slightest reason for doubting that the game as ordinarily conducted is as crooked as the traditional dog’s hind leg. There are 36 characters in a che-fa ticket, each representing some familiar object. The lion, tiger, moon, mouth, silver money, gold money, box, centlped, dog, rat are among these, but many of the characters represent things which are not generally discussed in. polite society. A person

who wisiies to play the game seeks an agent and gives him what such he wishes, from five cents up, at the same time indicating what character he chooses. The character is marked off on the agent’s ticket and the fortune seeker receives a slip acknowledging his bet or stake. Should the particular character prove at the drawing to be the winning number the lucky player wins 30 times the amount of his stake. Thus if he stakes five cents he wins $1.50, or if he plunges heavily with, say a dollar, he wins S3O. But he does not get ail that, he wins. There is the agent to be considered and he oollects 10 per cent of tne amount of the winning, so that the man who won S3O would receive only $27 from the hands of the agent It is one of the odd traits in the Chinese character that malqe che-fa so popular with them. They are devoted believers in dreams. If a Chinaman dreams of a rat, for Instance, he will lose no time In seeking a che-fa agent and backing the rat to win, and no number of recurrent losses seems to upset the Chinese faith in this heavensent sign lor success. Of course, It Is apparent that if a *ian played on , every one of the 35 characters he would in all probability win, but his win would be a loss, for he would only re celve 30 times the amount of the single bet on the winning character less the agent’s commission of 10 per cent. Such Is the game of che-fa. Bearing only the dream portion of It, If does not seem to possess any particular allurements, and to some persons even the chance of betting-that their dreams will come true does not seem attractive. Possibly the average American does not have the same kind of dreams as does the mlld-eyed Chink. That can easily be Imagined from the casual glance at a Chinese meal and a reflection on the of what even a simple Welsh rabbit can accomplish.