New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-16
OUR SAN FRA>CI>CO LETTER.
The Chinese NeW gesv-Manner Of Its
Observance - Chinese Restaurants-
Snss-H0usp>.

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twenty-eighth Of January. which j. called
Ia their hierOglyphics She" Nee" Ne"
| Years eye is called .teen .ta" The Chinese
| have no Christmas. III their almanac. but
take AZ theig holiday. AZ one dose. which
| last. from one 70 ten or twelve days. &C.
ccrdins 70 their means and position IA life.
| Tic C.rstiaIs have been putting their
houses III order fox weeks past. preparatory
| to .,e celebration Of this the seventh year
of the cycle OF Lnho:-A cycle being reck
onrd az 1000 years. The frs. step toward
! tins new order OF things. every ChIEamar
! pay. his debts and seek, 70 reconcile al.
pas: differences OF qiarrals. and thus enter
upon TIE new yea: t;e- l.om debt and per
! soma. enemies.
The name. Of those who faii t. 40 luui
date their indebtedness are collected by the
committee OF safety" after the fashion of
mercantile detective agents. and are con-
| stitutei in % a " black list" copies Of which
are furnished the merchants. and such de
| linquent Ceiest!als are refused further
credit during the year. though they be as
| rich az Colonel Tom Scott. the railroad
| king. and are socially ostcacised. This ia
an orthodox custom. and might be adopted
with profit by our owu people who. gener-
! ally seem to hay. no resp-e: fox the fist Of
January as a pay day.
The old English custom of keeping "open
| house ON that day. an! which Is nearly
obsolete in this country. exc. has. and
| probably ever will be. the prevailing Gus
tom among the Chinese. In every little
'shanty." where probabl" dwell several
.'happy families small round tables are
Sc: out in the middle Of the floor. and are
| covered with the various deiicacies and
viands OF the season afforded by their mar
| ket. On these tables are found rice in
every possible description. picked cameis
| feet, rats raw and cooked. oranges as large
a. cocoanuts sugared lemons. sea snails
dried and picked. crysta!ized melon rind.
| swallow nest soup. eggs kept fresh for
| weeks and months by coating the shells
with mud imported from China, dried
chucks, pressed fat also imported from the
towery king dom. where things are cheap.
TIE first day the young people do most of
the calling, only visiting their equals and
superiors; ignoring their interiors alto
gether. They begin about daylight, and it
makes no difference whether the hOnored
recipient il in bed or not. they cal! never
theles,. | am not posted whether the femi
mines, especially the young and tender
ones. are subject to these early calls or not.
After the first day the old people start out
and call on any and everybody on general
principles. regardless OF age, sex. rank or
previou. condition, they being thus spe-
clally favored By the code OF etiquette.
Every caller leaves his card. in the shape OF
a fancy strip OF red paper, resembling their
wash-lists. upon which is writer! his name.
residence and place of business. The re-
cever Of the card shakes his own hand and
says: "Yuong he" thow are yoult
The giver of tho card then shakes his
own hand and propOunds the same comm
drum. Tne ticke; is then posted on the
wall for future reference. What becomes
OF these rememhrances in case Of removal
or eject ment for debt, | am unable to say.
After this ceremony the caller is invited TO
pavtake OF the above named choice ed!bes.
The aris.ocracv get two tabies-one for the
natives. the other for white visitors on
which latter are rare v;ands and edibes
wh:c.l would agreeably astOnish the pro
:essed discriminating palates OF many self
styled epicu,es.
There are two hish-to,el Ca ncse res.au-
rants i'll this c;.v. where ma, be seen the
elite. "A IN your cr'r at the Bellan GERS the
Maispn Doree. etc. Their names. reduced
10 English. iInities " Frlgran: Flower
CAanoer and the "Assembly Room OF the
Genil.' "a which are seen plants represent
in. various animals and birds with glass
oye-. placed around tho inner balcony up
stairs ; pending from one is representation
Of "a hand. made of lemon and called the
Buddhist's hand Fowls dripping with, or
swimming. in, grease are displayed in the
windows saus igas which would make a
German die with envy aro also temptingly
dlspiayed but while all is neatness and
good order within. defy an American 10
20 through their bill OF tare-and live.
Private supper rooms-after the European
plan-aro provided 70: the moIestly in
c!lned
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ara .;,,,,,,,.iI, r,,,,,.o..I e.. 49,, ,,--I e
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the various gods they design worshping,
ici As :oaS. pig. dIck. goose, boiled rice.
no,ar an, o+r,a- .,.,, lo,io,.:a -. .,a
sa,.n, va. ;rc,,,.,iny h,1v.ror ..E,s+or,,
-, III. !, ,,f.r.Ii" VIII. .Iob, = ,,-,.4,.a+oI
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