CHINATOWN IN LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 212, 4 September 1920, Page 19

CHINATOWN IN LONDON.

MMEHODSE "HACES. , ' In the neigS'bonrhood of I.imehouse Caneeway and Pennyflelds E.—the street opposite It —one may see the most astonishing eifihfin London. Both streets are full of gambling houses in -which fan tan, dicing, "pooky pu," and other Chinese games of chance are in continuous operation ■without any attempt nt concealment (says a writer <n the "Daily Mail").

It Is just as though a section of Shanghai had been dumped in the heart of London. Only sunshine and oriental raiment were needed to make the picture # a faithful reproduction. But though the colour was lacking, the life was there.

I turned down one of the streets. At the door of each gaming house stood a Chinaman inviting passers-by to enter. He spoke in Chinese, 'but what he meant

■was easily comprehended. Seeing a number of dock labourers going into one house I joined them. From the street we stepped directly into a room wliere a smiling Ohinaman. sitting behind n table that had a sort of, dice-board marked upon It, ■was "holding the bank."

Players r>"t their money upon the "spots" they fancied. Then the "banker" shook his dice Tiowl and --picked up" or

"paid out' - according ns the numbers turned up. All sorts of sums from pennies to half-crowns were staked.

In nnotber corner of the room "pookypn" (or the races, as the local people call it) was going on. To play this game you hand to the Chinaman behind the counter nnythinft from a shilling upwards, receiving in return a square of paper with a number of Chinese characters printed on it.

Picking up a brush, you strike out any ■ten of those characters you may select. A replica of tl;e paper Is handed to yon. and the original is kept 'by tlin Chlnnmnn. Every hour the "race" i« "run" by the simple process of drawing numbers out of

The drawing is done publicly by two Chinamen, who are seated in a sort of caze. Anyone may s-tep in from the street and see it. If you are lucky you may win anytihdng from £l' to al)ont £W. I heard of a local tradesman who made £W>o in one night at this game.

About forty of the«e gambling houses are clustered in the district. I -went into. several, an 1 found each doing good business. As I entered one. children came nut with "race" papers in their hands. Inside was a mixed cro-wd of about thirty men and women, every one of whom wns playing some game or another. One of the largest houses was filled with British, Chinese, and blacks, nil gambling henvily. A considerable .<n In notes and silver was

on from aTimit nnnu until nearly midnight, nr.d a great deni of money parses. Ore who knows the distri-t wrll ■tells mc that he has often seen Cft'nes" pnmlnir-house keepers taVlne to the bnnk buckets full of silver coin-their previous day's wlunlns-s.