1938-03-19 — Page 6

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1938.

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T PAUL GREGORY Introduces you to some

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MARCH

3. Liebealcid. Kreisler,

4. Dubinushka. Selection,

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THOSE who take an interest in

games of chance are legion;

for all of us are, to a greater or To Be

lesser extent, ardent wooers of

u

old Lady Luck. Most of LIS, however, limit our gambling propensilies- to rubber of bridge, a round of Mah-jongg occasional fling at the races. Not so with the Chinese,

or an

saying as they do, "I bet on the upon the outcome of specially ear, hose, right eye, etc." as the arranged combats between pairs

Seen case may be. The cloth is care- of the feathered songsters. Ag

Any Day In position

Our Streets

the

fully lifted up, and if any of the in horse racing they may lay n bets placed do approximate the wager upon any favourite they of anyone of the choose, so it la not little facial organs designated, the pecuniary advantage to the ten- bettor wins; if not the money house or restaurant where those. goes to the proprietor of the low- spirited combats between pairs. ly game. It can readily be of birds take place.

imagined that in such a form Besides, there is the mode of of gambling numberless disputes gambling by staging fights be- who may be said to have the in- privilege of carrying on

as a sort of master of are bound to occur, but as the tween cocks, dogs, and even cric- stincts for gaming much more game

ceremonies. Each player now conductor of the game is an alert et The latter is the diver- highly developed than any other

individual, he is not at all per- sion of peculiar fascination to adds two more coins muking a people, and who, consequently, total of four, and the one who turbed; for to him the more dis- the illiterate masses, although Hongkong Hotel can be expected to pay more at- was lucky in throwing "tails" turbance, the greater his trade, it is not so commonly seen in tention to those little niceties of lays all four coins on the palm and being exceedingly suave he this Colony owing to the rather Garage

technique which make the win of his hand, "head" side up, and can readily quell anything which stringent law upon the subject. lets them drop. If two should threatens to get out of hand, by

Gambling incidentally is the employment of bantering Stubbs ftd. ning or losing of money so much fall "heads" and two "tails," he raillery, and the crowd im- strictly prohibited with the en-

more devilishly pleasurable. has to surrender his turn to his

Phone 21778/0

The

Hongkong Telegraph.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1938.

NEW LESSONS IN PREPAREDNESS

it

Movement inaugurated by The Chinese, too, have turned opponent. On the other hand, mediately recovers its equili- forcement of the New Life

if one coin out of the four should brium and good temper, and the

Chiang Kai-shek. Whether their inventive genius to the fall with its obverse uppermost,

betting continues.

can be entirely eliminated is still Geld of gaming with the result one of the coins which dropped Indeed, one can scarcely con- a problem to be solved, since the that gambling games played by "head" up must be turned over to jecture how the Chinese are able habit of gambling amongst the them are to all intents and pur-

the successful, party as "win to devise so many ways of gam- Chinese people seems to be more poses so numerous that it would ings" and who likewise still re- bling. It may be a surprise to instinctive than acquired, espe

tains the privilege of casting up some that they even keep birda cially amongst the idle, and the require the acumen of a verit- the remainder to see how they like thrushes and the Canton classes of comparative leisure able Hoyle to classify them all. will fall. Let us suppose that robin for the purpose of betting and refinement. There are, nevertheless, a num- three of the four coins fall

all over again, so to speak, When the Bank Clerk Smiled

ber which, whilst common, are "tails" up, then the game is ad- yet of interest on account of

judged won, and must be started their being frequently seen played on many of the more re- tired streets of the Colony.

Heads Or Tails

One of the games most com- monly seen is variation of our

from scratch." This game is considered very fair, and is ex- ceedingly popular amongat BA street urchins and coolies.

Will Try His Luck At Anything

is streets

the

DANKING is a sober and grave of us will sympathise with the lady D profession, and the tank clerk who walked into a bank, and said, is usually a very serious person. But "I would like to open an overdraft, he has his moments of levity. Here please." are some banking stories:-

Wing Commander A.H.S. Steele-Perkins, new Air Raid Precautions Officer for Hong- kong, has arrived and taken up This important duties. Yesterday,

A bank agent of the old school was talking with a representative of

An old Scottish Indy was discussing spending a few days in London with "Aye, John's in a bant," one of his customers. The customer. the Telegraph, he explained his old familiar one of matching

Another diversion for petty her son.

and it failed. Weel, this new bank let which he fancied would make a purpose: to study focal condi-pennies, which the Chinese call gambling which is much indulge said. "He was in a bank before, saw in a jeweller's window a brace- tions and, applying the technical kuaan-saam-maan. In theory, ed in by those who loiter in the has taken over a' the liabilities. And suitable present for his wife, "Come away, John," said the banker "You game of they just took over John."

canna afford it." "Ah weel," said and detailed knowledge which 100, it is exceptionally simple tuk-ts'in-ngau or "rolling coins" During the course of business the John, "you ken beat," he has of air defence tactics in with coins of various denomina- amongst Europeans as "pitching to smile discreetly behind his ledger. A bank teller, in cashing a cheque England, educate the people of tions although coppers are most pennies." This is, of course, This was so in the case of a pretty

cheque to the teller of a Scottish 11?" meaning what denomination of Hongkong in these vital defence likely to be used. Before the far less complicated than the chung lady who presented a crossed for a lady, said, "How would you like stranger of the notes would she prefer. The lady As he points out it game is started, it is determined one described above, although bank. She was a possible to pay looked startled and trifle guilty. "Do

by no means any less popular. bank, and it being which player has the option on The material for play is two cash in the circumstances, the teller I have to tell?" she replied. the "head" or "tail" side of the coins, each supplied by a parti-Said am sorry, miss, but I cannot

pay this over the counter." in any emergency and that the coins. In the Cantonese verna- cipant. One starts the game by

cular, the obverse and reverse rolling his coin on the ground, young lady brightly, "I'll come round thirsty folks occasionally call at the entire population can be made as of a coin are known as the paak and the other will do the same to the back."

measures.

is his job to see that essential

services will continue to operate

safe as possible under a threat of attack from aircraft.

and it is played by two persons, which is similar to that known bank clerk sometimes has occasion

by starting at the same place.

sold "Oh, that's all right,"

*

*

*

*

It is a common joke in industrial elties that corner sites are the mono-

the poly of banks and pubile-houses, and

wrong place. Many a bank teller has been asked to supply a glass of beer,

or "white" and the wooor. The one whose coin out-distances A banker once had occasion to "black," respectively, and more- the other exercises the privilege remind a lady that her overdraft More pardonable is the mistake of

play, first of all, each gamester takes out a coin, places it flat on his palm with the obverse or "head" side showing, and then

But if such officers as Wingover, the latter or "tail" side is of aiming at his opponent's coin In with his own, and if the aim Commander Steele-Perkins were declared the winning one.

is true he wins; otherwise the the most brilliant of men (and

coins are rolled again. they are picked for their jobs from one of the most efficient services in the world) they lets it drop forcibly on the pave than upon anything else, and would still be helpless to carry mont. If the two coins both are

would require to be reduced. "How the old lady who entered a bank and much do I owe you?" said the lady requested an official to trace her nephew who lived "somewhere in haughtily, "One hundred pounds, sald the banker. "I will write you America." She had seen a notice in

the a cheque now," replied the lady."

window which rend, "Foreign business transacted.” Overdrafts are the staple material of many good banking storics. Many

R. II. D.

out their great work alone. turn up the same, either "heads" at almost anything which holds "Howls" from the Schoolroom

*

*k

a well-

state-

To be absolutely frank, the Chinese people to a great extent seem to be keener on gambling inclined to try their luck They require above all things or tails" they are said to the probability of chance in it,

THE harassed teacher who spends "Hydra-headed," wrote the co-operation of the public. woh-kwoh, or to have an equal whether it be a venture in trade or the outcome of the throw of

hours correcting essays is not meaning pupil, "means having many consequently They must have the whole-chance and most

the dice. It is this propensity sorry to find a howler now and again wives. Henry the Eighth was a well- known hydra." "Fiction," says on- hearted attention of the whole be dropped over again, until which is so often illustrated in to enliven the dreariness of his task. other, "are books which are fixed on following tit-bits are culled the shelves and cannot be removed." different sidea are displayed, the goings-on in the streets, and The community in which they labour The player who succeeds first in the curious resident in his strolls from the works of some slightly- A young historian made the fol- lowing startling statements: "The If the greatest benefit is to be having his coin fall with the about the Colony may see some muddled pupils.

Lollards were so called because they "A crisis,” wrote a budding genius, used to foll about and would do no derived from their instruction. "tail" side up is considered the form of petty gambling prac

tically everywhere.

"is a thing which hangs up in the work." Later he went on to say that (Violin Solo, P. Esdakoff). If the attendance at the recent successful punter and has the

Even the lowly hawker will winter and comes down in the sum "Finally James II, gave birth to a

the sub-zón. This was the last straw!": Leopold. series of lectures on air raids

endeavour to attract customers mer as a butterfly," On

"To germinale," we are told, "is become a naturalised German. cla precautions is any indication, precautions to resist so horrible by appealing to their desire to Ject of book-keeping he informed

Emperar, the the art of not returning books that The German Hongkong's business leaders and an affliction. That is not the gamble. One highly popular his teacher that: "Book-keeping is to

form is a sort of lottery in have been borrowed." "A Republle," ment continues, "has been called the ....Grieg. persons of responsibility are case. The same sort of arge-which numbered coupons are in his opinion, "is a country where Geyser." ready to give all the time and ment was advanced against vac-issued for a copper each. In no one can do anything private."

fact, something is certain to be "King Alfred," wrolc another, "Tennyson," we are Informed by a energy required of them,

But cination because it was not, in offered for each coupon, and went to the Isle of Atheiney to slightly-muddled pupil, "wrote a

the dames." On another poem called 'Graves Energy,

The that is not enough. Every man all cases, a guarantee of im-consequently there is a daily escape

"Hamlet is Tropic of Cancer," says another, "is a with a family, or with nothing munity from smallpox, Neither harvest of pennies. The prizes the leg of a little pig.""

painful and incurable disease." more than a duty to the com-are precautions a certain safe- or two sweets wrapped in gaily that Oliver Twist was written by "are crossed by a tubercular. bridge." may be nothing more than one

"The From another bright pupil we learn

Menai Straits,” we learn,

munity, which he may or may guard against injury from pol-coloured paper, or it may on David Copperfield."""A monsoon," Another bright essayist writes: "The. an animal which courage of the Turks is explained by not recognise, and every woman son gas. But they do save lives, occasion be something worth five says another, "is

the fact that a mon is more willing cents or more. who has the general welfare of Without preparedness Hong-

to face death with a lot of wives thian If he had only one." the Colony at heart, must be kong might be decimated by a

Asked to describe an island, schoolboy made the following reply: Another "howler" says: "A man prepared to devote a little time severe gas attack. By making

-“An island is a place you can't who looks after cows is called to study and to preparation for every possible effort to safe- A rather unique form of leave without a boat." "A mermaid," coward (cowherd) but he is usually a contingency which all will guard the Colony from an enemy street gambling may be obser- said another young hopeful, is a quite brave." "If the Forth Bridge

ved every morning at the Fu-hui lady with a tall who milks cows." hope will never

come, upon who would employ such weapons or "Flower Market" at the junc- During a Bible lesson the subject Hongkong, but against which it a large proportion of the population of Nathan Road and Boun- of discussion was the Prodigal Son. dary Street in Sham-shui-po. It Telling the story in his own words a pupli said:"And when the Prodignt must be prepared. This is not tion will be made safe.

is conducted by spreading upon Son returned his father said: Bring a time for laissez faire. That As in any other sort of educa- the ground a piece of paper or hither the fathead"!"*

works," Bort of attitude is more con- tion, the level of efficiency de-cloth bearing a crude portrayal Posthumous literary

those tagious than enthusiasm, pends not upon the teacher so of the human countenance. wrote a young essayist, "are

There are those who say that much as upon the individual After a crowd of spectators written after you are dead." "Paeu- have assembled and intimated matic fever," wrote another, "takes pupil. For every member of their desires, to, bet, the picture.

off, a lot of old men, nowadays there la no defence against the community there is a lesson is covered up by a plain sheet of It is intercrung to learn that "in polson gas and that, consequent to be learned in self-defence, cloth and the punters will place while you Aleep

the tropics you put a net over you says another

to keep off the consciences. ly, there is no sense in taking Let us make the most of it.: "the amount of their wagers on it, mulattos,

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COUNT THE

"TELEGRAPHS"

EVERYWHERE

********

•

The Flower Hawkers' Gamble

occasion he announced,

cats snakes."

**

*

a

collapsed, they would build a Artis," Is another tit-bit from an essay."

"Lady Godiva was a famous joc- key." states a schoolboy. Joan of Arc," he continues, "was given this luc, because after taking Orleans she was married to Noah.”

"Hird water," writes another, "#" a term applied to alcoholle, drinks."*"

10:

"False doctrine, we also learn

iving people the wrong bright essayist, one that chews

"A ruminating.solmag

often lower theira:

Lavins Derwent

si cubs," "When people are ill, th