Fan-Tan.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 238, 10 September 1883, Page 2

Fan-Tan.

Our beloved : town is becoming a civilized (?) city more and more every day, , Last -ni_ht the police made a raid pn a ..Chinese den, where the game of v Fan-tan " and opium-eating have been indulged m rather freely lately. The'' hour was the unearthly one of 10.30 p.m. ; the dramatis personse, 5 shaking celestials, our court-officers, the local constable and the bailiff, and lastly the J. P.. who had signed the warrant. When the^ door of the den was closed on our brave peaceofficers, and only a confused hub- bub of angry voices was wafted on the gentle breeze of the 3ilent night, together with a strong smell of opium, the J. P. made tracks, leaving the gallant officials to fight their own battle. Not much fighting, though, from all the Jameys and Johns, who, m quavering, shaking voices tried to convince our officers that it Was " No muchee play, no fan-tan, only domino." The constable took charge of several suspjcious-looking implements, the use of which, is likely to be" 'explained to a magistrate before loug, at the expense of the lives of sundry roosters and several boxes of wax vestas. We are glad to hear that the authorities have been very prompt m nipping m the bud an amusementj which before long would have made Palmerston a centre attraction for all the Celestials m the district. • Already large sums of money must have changed hauda, and opium-eating the order of the day, as one of the Jarueys «Xp ainod to the constable : ".Yuu likee beer, iut> likee opium, makee drunk, very^cd."