The Republican journal., 1877-12-13
Letter from Boston.
Correspondence Of the Journal
Boston, Dec. 10th, 1877

to disparage the industries of a city /; but
we have long desired to note the increase
and wonderful development in one special
departmental is, Johnny Chinaman,
and his 'leetle washy' establishment. Not
more than three years since, one of the
greatest curiositics of the street was tiny
box of a place, at the West End, where
Horp Wa and his colleagues jabbered and
jumped about, as they hourished the flat
iron and made a sprinkling pot Of their
mouths and noses. Crowds of men, women
and children gathered about the door and
window to watch their method of work
and strange gestculations and much of
their early patronage was largely due to
a curiosity to have some dealing with the
little pig eyed and pig tailed heather. At
the present time, the sign of a Chinese
laundry is almost as frequent as the cor
ner apothecary store. Startling evidences
Of Increasing wealth among them, partic-
ularly in these hard times, is a subject
which is somewhat troubling the mind of
the keen witted Yankee. The quiet, steal
thy manner in which they slide into their
respective places is strange feature. At
shutdown an empty store, with it's plead
ing placard ''TO Let" in the window, at
tracts the notice Of the passer by. At
sunrise the first rays fit over the gor-
geous canopy at that window, a flaming
sign, "Sing Lung" or the like, tlaunts
over the door, and Johnny is ironing away
inside as if he had been the happy tenant
for half a century. No one ever saw their
goods and chattels on the move They
all look alike; and yet there must be a
A very ludicrous instance of their pecul
lar reticent and mind their own business
style came to our notice AZ one time. Some
friends who had recently come from the
country bethought themselves to have the
dust and uncleanliness of travel washed
away by Wah Zee, Just around the cor
ner. He gave his floating trousers the
proverbial hitch, blew out the spare starch
water from his nOstrils, adjusted the cue,
and directed his undivided attention to the
question of GLOW muchee you no givee p
but failed to remark that his stay might
be brief in his present abode, Saturday
evening, when thoughts OF the bath and
attendant change stole over the minds Of
the deluded friends, they started for the
needed garments. Wah kee was no more.
He had moved to more aristocratic To-
calty, and in leaving had taken the pre-
caution to deliberately explain, in his pc
culiar hieroglyphics, on the whole surface
of the door, the cause Of the change, and
where he might be interviewed. To look
at that door and then at the soiled shirt
front was too much for any man to endure
without going home and saying to his bet
ter half, ~ told YOU So" 1t was weeks,
with the aid Of a policeman and the slip
of Chinese paper covered with the same
caricatures which adorned the door, which
they gave for a check, before the aspiring
Wah kee was found, Local talent in the
laundry business has been encouraged in
that family ever since. Some of the queer
little specimens are making long strides
towards civilization in the matter Of fit
ting up their places of business. Not only
has decided air of cleanliness and order
come to pervade them, but in many cases
a real attempt at display is noticeable.
One firm, wearing the very Yankee COM
bination of Jim Willy, has an elegant
Chinese lantern, larger than a barrel,
hanging in the window others shine i'll
scarlet upholstery, gay wall paper and
gildcd gods of worship. In dress they
adhere strictly to the original style =
wide black trousers, loose shirt, with i'm
mense sleeves, and the Chinese slippers,
with the very uptuned toes. In matters
of finance they are keen, close, and ras-
cally, if opportunity offers, We stepped
in to have Il chat with one near by, and
to CLEAN some little idea of their mode OF
living. Johnny steps briskly out, with
his price list for laundry work in hand !;
but when we, with out blandest smile,
remarked we only dropped in for friend
ly call, and to beg an item for q paper
he said -"HoW muchee make me pay 2"
Not puff for him, if it were to find its
way into a newspaper in the form OF an
advertisement. 1t seems to us that BOs-
ton cannot realize what a footing they are
gaining in the city. OF late few have
imported helpmeets who by the way
are in form and feature exactly like the
male portion of the race-so there APP
pears to be no reason why the "Heathen
Chinee' shall not grow and multiply UNI
til he shall be ''topside" the globe at all
times.
The Old South Fair opened a few days
since, and when all the arrangements are
completed there will be a rich harvest for
the eager reporter We choose to wait
until Mother Goose is a little better stuffed.
The Post Office has been stamped a great
er success, and that wonderful bridge,
which stops everybody on the street to
find out what it all means, becomes more
intimately associated with the Transcript
office. All Boston's blue blood is there,
in full force, and gayer church, outside
and in, could not be found on the face of
the earth. We shall beg leave to give
the Old Meeting House a larger space
next week.
We are fairly in world Of excitement
in the way of amusements. Concerts, OF
superior order, stars of the first magni-
tude at the Theatres and Fairs, and
amateur entertainments are in constant
succession. Preparations for the new
l.,