Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-08-06
The Streets of Canton. China.

John Russell Young in New York Herald
The streets in China are very mar
row 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, in condition that
would crafty New York Tammany
alderman in the days of the empire Of
Tweed They are paved with long
narrow slabs Of stone, with no side
walk. Every house that we passed on
our way was a bazar, and consisted of
an open door that led into spacious
room. In some of these there were
spiral stairways that led to storerOoms
or dwelling chambers. We found
some idea of the wealth of Canton.
and of the wants Of the country which
it supplies, when we remember how
vast trade those bazars represented.
In looking over plan of the city /
had been struck with the names of the
streets, the poetical and devotional
spirit they expressed. There was no
glorlfcation of mere human kings,
and you could almost fancy that YOU
were reading of some allegorical city,
like what Bunyan saw in his dream
There was Peace street and the street
! of BenevOlence and Love. Another,
by some violent wrench of the imagi-
nation, was the street of Refreshing
BreeZes. Some contented mind had
given name to the street of Early
Bestowed Blessings. The pater
nal sentiment, so sacred to the
Chinaman, found expression in the
street Of One Hundred Grandsons and
the street of One Thousand Grand
sons. There was the street of Thou
sand Beatitudes, which, let us pray,
were enjoyed by its founder. There
were streets consecrated to Everlast
ing Love, to a Thousand-fo Peace, to
Nine-fold Brightness, to Accumulated
Blessings, while practical soul, who
knew the value Of advertising, named
his avenue the Market of Golden
Profits. Chinese mythology gave the
names of the Ascending Dragons, the
Saluting Dragon and the Reposint
Dragon. Other streets are named aftel
trades and avocations, and it is noticed
that in Canton, as in modern towns
the workers in various callings cluster
together. There is Betelnut street
: where you can buy the betelnut. Of
which we saw so much in Siam, and
the cocoanut, and drink tea. There
is where the Chinese hats are sold
and where you can buy the fnery of a
mandarin for a dollar or two. There
: is Eyeglass street, where the compass
: is sold, and if you choose to buy a
compass, there Is no harm in remem-
bering that we owe the invention OF
that suttle instrument to China. An.
other street is given to the manufac.
ture OF bows and arrows, another to
Prussian blue, third to the prepara.
tion Of furs. The stores have signs
: in Chinese charc cters, gold letters on
a red or black ground, which are hung
in front foot or two from the wall
and droop before you as you pass
under them, producing peculiar
effect, as of an excess of ornamenta-
tion like Paris on a fete day. The
habit to which you are accustomed in
Paris of giving the store fanciful OF
poetic name prevails in Canton. One
| merchant calls his house Honest
Gains. Another, more ambitious
names his house Great Gains. One
; satisfied soul proclaims his store to bt
! a " Never Ending Success" while hi,
= leighbor'g Is Ten Thousand Time
Successful. There Is the store called
1 " Ever Enduring" and Others adop
a spirit not common in trade, b,
:, speaking of their shops as "HeavenlJ
n Happiness, and BY Heaven Made
D Prosperous" Others, more practical
e signify by some image tho nature O
n their trade and over their store YOU
Q see representations of shoe, a fan, a
t boot, collar pair of spectacles.