The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-21
CANTON STREETS.
The Streets and Shops Of q Chinese City
John Russell Young In N. Y HeralaJ

John Russell Young In N. Y. HeraldI
The streets In China are very narrow and
very dirty. The average width Is from three
to five feet. On the occasion OF our visit
they had been cleaned up, but they were,
even with the cleaning, 10 9 condition that
man In the days OF the empire OF Tweed.
They are paved with long, narrow slabs Of
stone, with no sidewalks. Every house that
we passed on our way was q bazar, and con-
sisted OF one open door that led into q spa
cious room. In some Of these there were
spiral stairways that led to storerooms or
dwelling chambers.
We found some idea OF the wealth Of Can
ton and Of the wants Of the country which 1t
supplies, when we remember how vast trade
| these bazars represented. In looking over d
plan of the city had been struck with the
| names OF the streets, the poetical and devo-
| tional spirit they expressed. There was no
glorifcation OF mere human kings, and you
could almost fancy that you were reading of
some allegor1cal city, like that which Bunyan
saw in his dream. There was Peace street
and the street Of Benevolence and Love. An
| other. by some violent wrench Of the imagina-
Some contented mind has given q name to
the street OF Early Bestowed Blessings.
| The paternal sentiment, SO sacred to the
Chipaman, found expression In the street of
| One Hundred Hrandsons and One Thousand
Grandsons. There was the street Of Thou
sand Beatitudes, which, let us pray, were
enjoyed by Its founder. There were streets
| eonsecrated to Everlasting Love- to Thou
sandfoid Peace, to Ninefold Brightness, to
Accumulated Blessings, while q practical
named bis avenue the Market Of Golden
Profits Chinese mythology gave the names
Of the Ascending Dragons, the Saluting
Dragon and the Reposing Dragon.
Other streets are named after trades and
avocations, and it is noticeable that in Canton,
as In modern towns, the workers In various
| caiIiDgs cluster together. There Is Betelnut
street, where you can buy the betelnut, Of
which We saw SO much in Siam, and the cocoa
nut, and drink tea There Is where the Chi
ness hats are sold, and where you can buy the
flnery OF mandarin for dollar or two.
There is EyegIass street, where the compass
ls sold. and Ii you choose to buy o compass,
there Is no harm in remembering that we owe
the invention OF that subtle instrument to
China.
Another street Is given to the manufacture
OF bows and arrows another to Prussian blue,
q third to the preparation of furs. The stores
have signs in Chinese characters, gold letters
on q red or black ground, which are hung In
front q foot or two from the wall, and droop
before you as you pass under them, produe-
ing q peculiar effect, as OF an excess Of orna-
mentation, like Paris on afete day The habit
e tG e9a Tao1 5s ySg store a1a ae n ps ps
chant calls his house "Honest Gains"
Another, more ambitions names his
house "Great Gains" One satisfied soul pro-
cess" while his neighbors is Ten Thousand
Times Successful" There is O. store called
Ever Enduring" and others adopt spirit
not common in trade, by speaking OF their
shops as Heavenly Happiness" and by
Heaven Made Prosperous" Others, more
practical signify by some image, the nature
Of their trade and over their store you see
representations OF shoe, fan, q hat, o boot,