Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-07
The Character and Habits of the Chinese i'm
AmsFica.

--. Amsfica.
John Chinaman il a sort Of museum in his
character and habits. We must be pardoned
for giving details Of these, mingled promscu-
ously, rather after the museum style, His New
Year is in February. For the Chinaman of limited
means it lasts a week: for the wealthy it may
endure three. His consumption of tire-crack-
ers is immense He burns strings a yard in
length suspended from poles over his balconies.
The uproar and sputtering consequent ON this
festivity the Chinese quarter at San Francisco is
tremendous. The city authorities limit this Ce-
lestial Pandemonium to a week.
He does not forsake the amusement OF kite
flying even when arrived at maturity His artis-
tic limitations of birds and dragons float over our
housetops. To these are often affixed oontrv
ances for producing hollow mournful huzziag
sounds, mystifying whole neighborhoods. His
game OF shuttecock ID to keep a cork, one end
being stuck with feathers, flying in the air as
long as possible, the impelhng member being
the foot, the players standing in a circle and
numbering from four to twenty. Some show
great dexterity i'll kicking with the heel His
vocal music to our ears seems monotonous
caterwaul. His violin has but one string: his
execution is merely a modified species Of saw
filing.
He loves to gamble, especially in lotteries
He ia diligent student uI h,~ d1n comfort
Travelling on foot during hot day, he protects
himself with fan. In place Of prosaic signs on
his store-fronts, he often inscribes quotations
from his favorite authors.
He is a lover of flowers. His balconies and
window-sills are often thckly packed with shrubs
and creepers in pots. He is not speedy and
taciturn eater. His tea-table talks are fun of
noisy Jolity, and are often prolonged far into
the night.
He is lover of the drama. A single play
sometimes requires months for representation
being, like serial story, CONTINUED" night after
night. He never dances There lis no melody
il the Mongohan foot. Dancing he regards as a
species Of Caucasian insanity.
To make an oath binding lie must swear by
the head OF a cock cut oil before him iii open
court. Chinese testimony il not admissible in
American courts. 1t is legal California axiom
that Chinaman cannot speak the truth But
cases have occurred wherein, he being an eye
witness, the desire to hear what he might tell an
to what he had sen has proved stronger than the
prejudice against him and the more elfectuallv
to ciuch the chances of his telling the TRUTH the
oath has been resorted to. He has among us
some secret government of his own. Before his
secret tribunals more than one Monaghan has
been hurriedin star Chamber fashion, aud never
seen afterward. The nature OF the offences
thus visited by secret aud bloody punishment is
SCARCELY known to Amerlcans
He has two chief deities-a god and devil
Most OF his prayers are offered 10 his devil His
god, he says, being good and well-disposed, it is
not neccessaryto proptiate him. But his devil
II ugly, and must be won over by offering and
petition. Once year, wherever collected in any
number, he builds iimsy sort OF temple decor
ates 1t with ornaments of tiusGl laws piles of
trult meats, and sugared delicacie5 on an altar
keeps up night and day a steady crash Of gongs
and lnbtals therein some great uncouth wooden
idols. When this period of worship is over tho
''josh-house" disappears, and the IDOLS are un-
tremendously slowed away among other useless
lumber.
He shaves with an instrument resembling A
butchers cleaver in miniature. Nature gener-
ally denies him beard so he Hhaves what a sail
or would term the fore and after part of his
head. He reaps his hreute crop dry, using no
latleT. Ills cue ID pieced out by si!ken braid 20
interviewer as gradually to taper into slim
tassel. something like Missouri mule-driver !
"blaok snake whip-lash. To lose this cue il to
lose caste and standing among his follows No
misfortune for him can be greater.
Course eowhide boots are the only articles of
American wear that he fayors. He inclines to
buy the largest sizes, thinkingshe thereby gets
the most for his money, and when his No. 7 feet
wobbe and chafe in No. IL boots he complains
that they ''iit too much"
lie cultlvates the vegetables Of his native land
IN California. They are curiosities like himself
One resembles our stTing-bean, but is circular
in shape and from two to three feet in length.
1t is not in the least strngy, breaks off short and
crisp, boils tender very quickly and affords ex-
eellent eating: He is very careful cultiyator,
and will spend hours picking oil dead leaves and
insects from the young plants. When he finds
a dead cat, rat, dog, or chicken, he throws it
into small vat OF water, allows it to decompose,
and sprinkles the liquid fertilizer thus obtained
over his plantation. Watermelon and pumpkin
seeds are for him dessert delicacies. He con-
sumes his garden products about half cooked in
an American culinary point of view, merely wilt
ing them by ali immersion in boiling water
From GLIMPsEs OF JOHN CHINAMAN, bg sPrentice
-httotd, IN TIE Febo7td,y number Of LiPpinCottS
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