The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-05-26
CnlyAMES At THEIR MEALS.
The KInds Of Food that They Eat In Sat
FrnurI.ro---Luxury and Poverty.


The KInds OF Food that They Eat In Sal
FrnurI-ro---I.uxury and Poverty.
A San francisco correspondent Of tho
Cleveland Piaindcatcr writes: It is /
mistaken idea that Celestials eat nothing
but roast rats md rice aud few otheI
articles Of plain and cheap vegetable
food. This is a6out the extent of tho
bill Of fire among the laboring classcst
Just US corned beef or cabbage is among
our 1lnwashed element. OF course they
eat roast hog-all Cinnamon, rich OF
poor, do. It Is part OF their religion,
Just rs it is Of the Jews, TO eschew it.
To the Chinese is accredited tho dis
covery OF the excellence Of roast hog
meat. When a Chinamnn dies, among
other things placed on his grave is u
sumptuous dinner-or whatever he may
call It. The chief feature OF these cdi.
bles is whole hog roasted. Tho better
class OF CelestialS lux,,riate in swell din
ners of canvas.back ducks, shell fish. ten
costing 81 or SIS per pound, conserves,
and Inuny other unimaginable toothsome
e(libles only known to the Chinese cpl
curcan. The frst-class restaurants are
beautifully adorned with red paint, red
paper, and other gingerbread work, and
at evening dozens Of Chinese lanterns
swing from the verandas and entrances.
Most OF the food used by them is
brought from China, especially rice and
ten. The tea used among the laboring
class is even better than tho article
palmed off on us. They are experts ut
preserving fish and fowl so that they will
keep almost any length Of time. But it
does not make much difference to John
il it should become little stalc-it
would give m additional flavor. The
aristocracy eat, or rather gormandize,
for two or three hours, and their dinners
are about as costly as our ieasts Of reason
and flow Of champagne. When distin-
guished guests are entertained, the
feast is enlivened with music-that is,
they eat OF q course or two aud take n
recess Of twenty or thirty minutes, walk
into the parlor, and listen to the most
enchanting strains possible to conceive,
will return to the dining.room and again
tackle the edibles.
The poor class Cinnamon do not live
in state. For instance, you go to q Chi
nese laundry about nine o'clock in the
morning, and there you will see the fes-
tive board, without spread, in the mid
dle OF the room. Work has ceased and
every heathen has squared up to take u
hand. In the center OF the table is n
large tray full of rice. Every man has n
tin plate and two chopsticks. They are
OF walnut wood, Of about the size and
complexion Of glove stretclcrs, little
hatteued at the end, so that they can
scoop up rice. ENch ChinaInan backs
his plate to the tray and piles us much
rice on the plate As lio eau heap up.
They are all chattering away ut the same
time. Iu short space OF time the rice
has disappeared. Ordinarily it would
seem difficult feat to get the rice TO his
mouth by means Of his two chOpsticks.
With him it is no trick at all. lie lifts
his plate up close to his mouth and then
gives the stick kind Of twitch, like
cramming wadliug down gun. Each
Chinamn has u small tcacup holding
about two swallows. When the sinner
at the head of the table llas turned him
out cup John swallows it at one gulp,
without wincing, and the tea is smoking
hot. They pour it ont rs they drink it.
In larger cups the tea would get cold.
Chinese barber shops are even more
numerous than smong the Caucasians.
Every Chinaman has his head shaved ut
least once q week. In addition to this
his neck is shaved. the dust is cleaned
out Of his almond shaped eyes, the eye
brOws trimmed and penciled, his nostrils
arc renovated and fumigAte,l, and tho
wax is probed out Of his ears.
Their queues are combed and braided.
This tonsorial and cleaning operation is
regarded as sacred duty, otherwise
John would not incur tile expense. The
instrument used to shave the head is n
hnlf-moonlike concern, or rather like
scythe OH a small scale. Barber shops
arc invariably located in n cellnr, and the
customer can be seen below, sitting in q
doorway, on n stool, while the artist is
going round his scalp like cooper
around barrel.
At tho entrance OF Chinese shaving
shop, on tho pavement above, is n four
legged frame about q foot mud half
high. The legs are painted green, Rnd
the knobs on the top Of the legs are
painted red. This is to the Cilinanan
what the striped barber pole arrange
ment is to us.