Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-02-09
Chinese New Years Day in Burlington.

Gentle rcaQer-We say tnat because we
wanted to begin with aquotation, and that
expression sounded about as familiar as
any we could think Of Gentle reader,
yesterday was New Years Day.
Fact. ~a
Ssh u ma'nyappy r'turns; ic!
We never knew it until yesterday, and
then Sam Lung told us. Sam Lung is
the child of the Flowery Empire, the al
mond-eyed Celestial who does fine wash
ing and clear starchlng at his humble
laundry on Fifth street. Terms cash,
Children in arms not admitted. Free list
positively suspended. Every night a
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 1t. We were
in a kind of a hurry, you see, and didn't
want to take the time and shin around
and borrow clean garment.
And it's extravagant 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 impression
that the laundrinical feat which we sug-
gcsted was beyond his ability to perform.
Then we wanted to know if he couldn't
wash Il shirt and iron ii on us just like we
had our boots BACKED.
Sam Lung was overcome. He wept.
We had never seen Chinaman weep be-
fore, and we were much interested in wit
Messing the operation, so that we watched
him intently and forbore to intrude 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 lifting toward the
eyes, which are partially closed, the facets
puckered up with wrinkles, and the hands
are placed on the sides. The whole body
then shakes convulsively, the breath es.
Gaping in quick, convulsive snorts, like.
The process is very similar to Christian
laughing, and TO one unaccustomed to
Chinese customs might be easily mistaken
for laughter. But we know. He was
crying. gJ3stNat
Presently we fixed it all up--,hey 2
None of your business) and left our wash
ing with Sam Lung Then he told us he
couldn't do our washing yesterday, be-
cause it was New Years day. We got in
tercsted 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 broken
China, about as much as you can see in
an average alley.
We said "Oh, bell good, yolly welly
bow WOW thlee bundle times, whoopy
doopy yawhy wawhy; yoop, yoop?"
And Sam Lung said: "Howy'
And we said: Ion, alice same like
Mellican man; hunky dunky, whoop
chow; tum tum, bizZering; makee hoopee
hoopee some time, don't it?''
And Sam Lung said How"
And that is all we know about the Chi
nese New Year. We suppose, being a
| lone Chinaman in this metropolis, Mr.
Lung had to make all his calls on him
| self, and punish his own cake and wine,
and carry himself home if he gave ont at
the last call, and wish himself all the
| customary things, and thank himself and
drink egg nog all by himself, and have q
happy go-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 Chnee New
Years day. The " Elkhorn Glee Club
would be only too delighted TO sing for
him, and yet lie is deprived 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 go much easier to speak En-
glIsh.-Buriiagt0n Herk-E'ge.