Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-10
Chinese New Years Day in Burling-


Gentle reader-we say that be-
cause we wanted to begin with a
quotation, and that expression sound
ed about as familiar as any we could
think Of Gentle reader, yesterday
was New Years Day.
Fact.
'Sh u ma'nyappy r'turns; &c!
We never knew it until yesterday,
and then Sam Lung told us. Sam.
Lung is the child of the Flowery
Empire, almond-eyed Celestial who
does fine washing and clear starch
ing at his humble laundry on Fifth
st. Terms cash. Children IN arms
not admitted. Free list positively
suspended. Every night bonanza.
That's what kind of fellow Sam
Lung is.
You see, we happened in to see if
Mr.. Lung could wash and clear
starch a shirt for us while we waited
for it. We were in a kiH Of a hurry
you see, and didn't want 10 take the
time and shin around and borrow a
clean garment.
And it's cxtravagant for one to
have a thousand shirts just for ones
self to put on one.
Well, Sam Lung managed to make
us understand that he was of the inn
preston that the laundrinical feat
which we suggested was beyond his
ability to perform. Then we wanted
to know if he couldn't wash shirt
and iron it on us just like we had
our boots blackcd.
Sam Lung was overcome. He
wept.
We had never seen Il Chinaman
weep before, and we were much in
terestcd in witnessing the operation,
so that we watched him intently and
forbore to intrudc upon his grief.
The way Chinaman cries is this:
he first draws back the lips until the
teeth are uncovered. Then the
mouth is extended, the corners lift
ing toward the eyes, which are part
ly closed, the face is puckcred up
with wrinkles, and the hands are
placed on the sides. The whole
body then shakes convulsively, the
breath escaping in quick, convulsive
snorts, like. The process is very
similar to Christian laughing, and TO
one unaccustomed to Chinese custom
might be easily mistaken for laugh
ter. But we kno He was crying.
Presently we fixed it all up-(hay?
None of your huSiness) and left our
washing with Sam Long. Then he
told us he couldn't do our washing
yesterday, because it was New Years
day. We got interested and told
him to sit down and tell us all about
it. He tried to tell us and we tried
to understand. He talked broken
English, and we talked little brok
en- China, about as much as you can
see III an average alley.
We said: "Oh, bccl good, yolly
wellv bow WOW thlee bundle times,
whoopy doopy yawhy wawhy; yoop
yoop?"
And Sam Lung said: ''IIow::"
And we sad: "Oh, alice same
like Mellcan man; hunky dunky,
whoop chow; tum tum, blizzering;
makee hoopee hoopee some time,
don't it,"
And Sam Lung said: "How:"
Aud that is all we know about the
Chinese New Year. We suppose,
being a lone Chinaman in this me-
tropolis, Mr. Lung had to make AL
his calls on himself, and punish his
own cake and wine, and carry him
self home if he gave out at the last
call, and wish himself all the Gus
tomary things, and thank himself,
drink egg nog all by himself, and have
a happy-eo-lucky, lonesome time of
it. The fact is he ought to speak
United States, and then he could go
out with the boys, who would be
only too glad to have two New
Years days in the year. We have
no doubt that lots of them would be
glad to help him keep Chinee New
Years day. The "Elkhorn Glee
Club" would be only too delighted
to sing for hlm, and yet he is depriv-
ed of all this enjoyment because he
can't talk United States. How
strange, how passing strange it is,
that men will speak Chinese when it
is so much easier to speak English