New-York tribune., 1869-01-04
PHASES OF NEW-YORK LIFE.
THE CHINESE.


city there is perhaps none that presents so curious
study of human nature as the Chinaman' There IS
scarcely feature of Chinese life, history and char
acter that is not only highly peculiar but highly in
teresting They are one of the most ancient nations
of the earth They had arrived at state OF clviiza-
tion long before the rest of the world Their religion
and their history extends back for thousands OF years.
they had arts and sciences before some of the great
nations of the world were called into existence
As people the Chinese display the greatest activity
energy. and intelligence. There is not quarter Oh
the globe. there is scarcely large town in any civil
lied country where they not to be found; anu
wherever they are found they sure 10 be among
the most pushing pressing members OF the com
munity.
We paid visit the other night TO Baxterst' and
its immediate neighbOrhood the particular LOCALITY
of New-Yorlx in which all the Chinese live. We first
visited boarding house for Chinese sailors where
We saw phase of life which we have certainly never
before witnessed These Chinese sailors are table
seamen but nearly all of them stewards or cooks
of the different vessels which arrive here, principally
from China or California Happily for them, they DO
not care for Waterst life, its dancehouses, and It's
bucket shops. They are never TO be found there !;
they prefer remaining quietly at homo III thelr
boarding-houses The house we have alluded TO IS
q ~
very wel-looking for an Oriental, and possessing
mass of et-black hair at the back of her head SUM-
cient 10 make halfa-dozen chignons. They received
ms with the greatest cvity requested us to be seat
ed and showed the greatest willingness 10 give us All
tho information in their power concerning thehi-
selves their habits and their customs. Around tho
room were a series Of beds arranged similar TO the
berths Of a ship-one above the other. On many OF
these. men were lazily reclining, smoking
opium. The opium pipe is a somewhat powell
thing to the american eye. u has large
wooden bowl. pierced with reTy ine hole down the
center which is attarhed to very tlck stem aeout
Is inches long, the bowl being placed about 1Our
inches from the bottom of the stem Ihere eacil ihan
lies with little lamp and small TIN p0t OF opium
(which has all the appearance, OF very tmck daIB
mOlasses of the consistency OF putty bY hs sue
With piece of steel, something ike large bodklni
the smoker takes up sm0,l qu"nu'I, ol opluni any
burning 1t for few seconds IN the lamp stuus ~
into the small aperture in the pipe and puts away
with an air Of the most cOnsummatc enjoyment OthGls
We G sitting reading at table IN the center OF the
ROOM using the point of the foTenger rs they read
upward from the bottom to me top oI me pay,
Some of them had little books of dialogues with the
Chinese on one page and EuglIsh on the other Ihey
told us that they experience the greatest dlihcuity
in learning to read English az their own language
has no alphabet Judging from the books they
showed us. three or four hicroglyphcs win couple
of lines drawn through thcm constitute VOrd' or
some instances sentence. Several of them were
studying together. and their efforts TO pronounce
common English words were very amusing
Others were playing at cards. Their cards are
very quaint. They are about five inches long ana
an inch wide, and are gorgeonsly painted wlth
Chinese gentlemen and ladies, and III the most gro
tesque costumes and attitudes OF the nrst century
Each card has certain value attached TO lhry
begin the game by dividing the cards into six little
packs. the two PLAYERS choosing pack alternately.
The first player places card on the table hs oppo
nent places one Immediately across It, the others are
placed all the points of the compass. IN the form
of star the PLAYERS scoring the respective value OF
their cards as they play them.
They are also very fond of the game Of domin0cs
though the system which they play Their game is
very different 10 ours. They divide the donilnOes
equally between them. with tho faces turned down
on The table. Zach player draws one OF his domi.
noes, and the one who has the highest number OF
pps scores 10 himself the difference between his
dominoe and his opponents. Most of them were
drinking tea in snail cups without milk or sugar.
but 40 saw no signs of spirits or liquOr in any shape
Nearly all the inmates Of this boarding honse could
speak English, and talked with considerable lntelli-
gence. They exceedingly pleaseda at the idea OF
our visiting, them, offered us their OPIUM pipes
which we declined, and their tea which We ac-
cepted: talked Chinese for our amusement iby no
means AN unmuseal language), aud the proprietor OF
the house, who appears 10 conduct his business IN
very quiet orderly way, begged MS 10 come in and
see him again. His charges for boarding, which IN
cudes a bed, breakfast, and good meat supper, Is
q per week and his bOaTdels seem very well con
tented with the accommodation he gives them.
We paid visit TO one on two other boarding,
houses but they were all similar IN character-all
equally orderly and respectable as 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 ~ or ~ Cinnamon
regularly living IN New-York. They have apparently
only one OccupatOu-that of cigar making. They do
not make cigars for tho trade but each man makes
stock OF cigars at night, which he sells on stand
at tho corners Of the streets on the following day.
They buy cheap remnants OF tobacco ont OF which
they will make from $50 TO l0 cigars every night.
They retail these at three cents apiece, and earn,
many of them $50 10 SIS q week As Ice sits rolling
his cigars he smokes one. and between his puiis OF
smoke chants sort OF low, rolling dirgc IN rather
harsh strains.
Industrious and persevering as are these Chinese
cigar makers, they dO not save much money, tOr
they are guilty OF great piece of extravaganza.
They are great bigamsts They al 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 To "A Chinese
woman, and that was Mr. Chang Ismg Chow the
gentleman who keeps the boarding house we have
alluded to. These Cinnamon have peculiar fancy
for wives of Celtic origin; do not recolleot
seeing one woman among these many families that
belonged to any other nationality The great marvel
is that these little domestic gments seldom give
rise to disturbances Occasionally they have it well
out together IN pure Celtic fashion, bt their Chinese
husband TemOTscessly turns them al INTO the back
yard and sternl, refuses 20 rcadmt them till they
have all become properly dsfgmed. YonrChinaman
is no nlksOp: he rules his Owu rOOs and keeps the
most impartial order in it, ii is very curious 10 hear
the little halfbred children mining about the
rooms and alternately talking Irish to their mothers
and Chinese To their fathers As rule the children
ere decidedly well looking, which is than
can say for their fathers.
In none of these houses could we any traces Of
their peculiar religion. One man. of whom we made
some inquiries on this point, laughngy replied that
he had left all that at Canton. Each man hangs The
letters he receives. which perfect works of ant,
attached To thin board on the walls. They are
rather proud Of them as letterwIitng is great In
deTtaking with them Many of them are unable 10
converse with their ellOw-cOuntIymeD, as the
language in the north of China is thoroughly DIFF
f6rent to that used in the south il is not a differ
ence ofdalect but as they assured MS, an absolute
difference of meaning attached TO The same words.
We could not hut be struck with their quiet orderly
dcmeanOT and their extreme inOflensvencss Of man
ner. and altogether much pleased with our
visit.
THE HOME OF BUNYAN-REsTQRATlON or THE