Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-09-01

ground of spectators winks. and has It's profans
and bsntsring say Steadily above the tumull
rings the monotonoss call Of the mask Cd banker:
" Make your bsts. geatlemsn; make your bets
All set ell down. All set; all down No
more Hands efP and the masked money
changer At the opposite side Of the table, reach
ing on, bis wooden rake. hauls IN the money on
the losing color Aad doubles % On that which
wins. All through ths night ths game and noise
continue In Babel Ike ms, where ever face
wears mask. aad where ever lone IL . lyiag
protest sgass. the tsss ,bosgh,s and feelings Of
those present. that sp.sit Of tragedy which inev-
'tsbly bowers about gaming table is scarcely
though, OF by 40 ordinary observer. Only those
Who quietly. night after night, play for prize
and ind bissk upon this worn and -ehbalstic
board. have eye, sharp enough 20 discern the
outlines Of that dark. bAlsful spsctsr OF ruin /.
Walsh, crourhed like nightmare behind the
bankers pile ofeoin. chants all TO itsef the drone
Of the grave digger: II gather them 10 gather
RAID isro cHIsa. ..
IL is past midnight. Let US take trip 70
China Chinr, exclssiVs as ever, abloes by iistu.
One minute from the center OF Montgomery
street and you are in The celestial world. There
are no pagodAs To live and do business IN an
ordinary house il the one compounds which the
Chiaaman Of san Francisco makes with oiviliza.
ton He wears bis native gsrb: he sports bis
trsditisnsl tail; he smokes hs pipe OF opium: he
rorships his god Josh; be has his national thea.
ire, where one play is played, night after night.
for nine years; ne freqsents . mysterious gam
bling house where Americans are admitted :;
be holds himself socially aloof from ell other
classes of men. As q business parsonage, be is
free 10 ell semsrs. No merchan, IN this land
can excel the Chinese merchant in shrewdnrss. in
enterprise 10 almost unvarying success The
language and business customs oil the country
are at his tongue and fingers ends. be has inn
nense mercantile connectione-he owns ships,
he controls vast oriental trade. The entire
emigration Of his own people 10 this country 10
under his direction. he knows to dot, by
means OF constant and wonderful accurate calcu-
lstion. just what amount of teas or other eastern
products the American market will stand at u
given time, and regu his imports accordingly.
He knows. also. the precise present and prospec-
tive demand for labor ia this region. and regu.
lstes migration accordingly. When he walks in
the street the most respectable and wealthy of
Oalifornians are pleased 70 take his hand. When
he sits in his store behind his little desk be is
curious sight to behold On the little calculator
at bis side he manipulates with bis fingers, in ten
seconds, sums which would require fifteen min
uses Of figuring on paper by the swiftsst accoun-
tant in the city. he is, above all things, not
butcher shop. and works for hire, bows down
before this celestial prince. and does him reve.
renee Even the poor Chlnamaa does not lack
intelligence He sometimes makes good ser
want and a fair miner. But ne 10 generally dis
honest, lying, and addicted to the grossest i'm
moralities. Those specimens of his class which
you behold, at ths late hour, fitting hither and
thther among the little low buildings and mar
row streets and alleys Of the region round, you
may be sure are returning from or are after mis-
chief. The demon of murder may DO aroused
here on the slightest provocstion. The dark pas
sage on the left is Murderer's Alley, where Chi
dirk knives have made il 10 said, six corpses
in a night There is a darker, narrower alley
above. on the right, within which shrill claitsr
Of female voices is just now heard. Stand one
moment at lite entrance, and il you cannot be
leve yourself to be in one of the outer corridors
Of the inferno. you have no Imagination at all.
A long. confined perspective OF brick and wooden
walls, ftfully lighted by the CLEAN Of candles,
broken by pitfalls and strewn With filth, is los, at
length in fetal darkness. Out Of innumerabe
square holes on either side. the heads of Chinese
women sre stretched. chattering in broken Eng
lsh for you TO come in. 60 in if you dare
Traverse this alley from END to end; and though
you may have previously rummsged the vilest
dens in Paris, London and New York. IN fruit
less search after the lost spectacle Of original
sin, you have seen absolutely nothing which
compares with the shameless. brazen, naked
wickedne.s of this horrible place. III there is
one human creature on the earth which, by rea
son OF ia being above the savage, is competent
TO deliberately AND consciously sink itself lower
in the scale OF animate beings than the lowest OF
beasts. il is the Chinese female as you find her
here.