Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-12

the compass, in the form Of q star, the
players scoring the respective value Of
their cards as they play them.
They are also very fond Of the game oi
dominoes, though the system on which
they play their game is very different
from ours. They divide the dominoes
equally between them, with their faces
turned down on the table. Each player
draws one of his dominoes, and the one
who has the highest number Of pips
scores to himself the difference between
his dominoe and his opponents. Most OF
them were drinking tea In small cups,
without milk or sugar, but we saw no
signs of spirits or liquor in any shape
Nearly al the inmates of this boarding
house could speak English, and tn with
considerable Intelligence. They were
exceedingly pleased with our visiting
them, offered us their opium pipes. which
we declined, and their tea which we ac-
ceptcd; talked Chinese for our amuse-
ment (by no means an unmuSical Ian
guage.) and the proprietor of the house,
who appears TO conduct his business in
very quiet, orderly way, begged us to
come in and see him a ,ain. His charges
for boarding. which includes bed, break
fast and good meat supper, is 81 per
week and his boarders seem very well
contented with the accommodation he
gives them.
We paid visit to one or two other
boardng-hous but they were all sim
liar in character--all equally orderly and
respectable rs the one We have described.
Our guide now took us into the houses
where the resident Chinese live. As far
rs we could gather, there are not more
than sixty or seventy Cinnamon regularly
living in New York. They have appa-
rcntly only one occupation-that OF cigar
making. They do not make cigars for
the trade but each man makes u stock ot
cigars at night, which he sells on stand
at the corners of the streets on the follow
ing day. They buy cheap remnants OF
tobacco, out of which they will make
from 80 to $50 cigars every night. They
retail these at three cents apiece, and
earn, many of them, $50 10 $50 a week.
As he sits rolling his cigars he smokes
one, and between his puifs of smoke chants
sort of low, rolling dirgc in rather
harsh strains.
Industrious and perseveiing as are
these Chinese cigar makers, they DO not
save much money. for they are guilty oi
one great piece Of extravaganza. They
are great big .mists. They a!l have two
and many of them three wives, but
strange to say, in all the numerous
houses which we visited, we only found
one man who was married 10 Chinese
woman, aad that WAS Mr.. Chang Using
Chow, the gentleman who keeps the
| boarding house we nav NcaIiuucu w. iucoc
Cinnamon have peculiar fancy for
wives of Celtic origin we do not recol-
lect seeing one woman among those FAM
lies that belonged to any other national
ity. The great marvel is that these little
domestic arrangements seldom give rise
to domestic disturbances. Occasionally
they have it well out togcthcr in pure
Celtic fashion, but their Chinese husband
remorselessly turns them all into the back
yard. and sternly refuses to readmit them
Till they have all become properly dis
figured. Your Chinaman is no milksop
he rules his own roost, and keeps the
most impartial order in it. 1t is very
curious to hear the little half-bred children
running about the rooms and alternate y
talking Irish to their mothers and Chinese
10 their fathers. As rule the children
are decidedly well looking.