New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-02
A RAMBLE THROUGH CHINATOWN.


which are described as clean and tidy.
A RAMBLE THROUGH CHINATOWN.
A RAMBLE THROUGH THE "QUARTER"-sCENE IN
soUAHID CRLLARs-LUNCH AT A FASHIONABLE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE GREAT NEW
YEARS FESTIVAL.
TFRon AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
SAN FRANcIsCo, April 3.-Transport the Chinese
to any part of the globe and he takes his Lares
e. and Penates with him ; he remains Chinese to
the tips of his taper fingers. His dress, laws preju-
dees are dear to him as life, that symbol of Ce-
estia citizenship, his pigtail He Is as incapable
of any radical change in habit as mummy. lie is
precedent and tradition embalmed, vet stalking
about tho earth, resisting all aggression OF
progress with that apathy which wears out
the most determined assaults. He Is O
more stubborn piece Of antiquity than the
jew and he perpetuates race features
and race feeling with more than Mosaic persistence
He mixes with other peoples as oil mingles with
water Set him down in the AntipOdes aud he lives
as though under the shadow Of Pekn's walls
Hence it is that the Chinese quarter of San Fran
cisco-which has been the cause OF 80 much rant
from Kearney, Kalloch and the other " sand-lOt
Goths and Vandals-remans miniature Canton
set in the heart of large American city. There is
nothing like it in any other city of the United
States When you cross the threshold of the quar-
ter YOU step back three centuries From the mo-
ment You enter it you feel the presence OF another
and an alien civilization and careful exploration
of it's inner recesses shows all the ugly features OF
Chinese life and character. with many of the GUS
toms and traits that would do credit to hJgher
civilization.
The quarter comprises rectangular block, seven
squares in length by two in breadth, near the ousi-
ness centre of San Francisco and only few squares
away from the finest residence portion OF the CITY,
where the railroad millonaires dwell IN their
slightly. palaces. Upon the two main streets are
many stores of brick or stone, with iron honts'
which present a substantial appearance. The ma
jority of the houses however, are old residences,
built in early days, which have been so patched and
transformed that the result Is nothing more than
collection of huge rambling novels Cutting many
squares into small sections are narrow, tortuous
ALLEYS with an occasional cuLdeSdc In no portion
of the crowded tenement quarters of New-York-not
even in Bottle-alley or Mulberry or Rose-sts.-are
the houses on so intimate terms as in these Chinese
alleys The upper floors jut out one above the
other like an oldfashiOued block-house until at the
roof one may almost clear the intervening space at
O bound From the slender slit of sky above only
occasional arrows of sunlight fall upon the
damp pavement. The intermediate stories
swarm with tenants. The balconies under the VIM
feebly struggling to blossom in the fetid air. The
floors of these balconies the sides of the houses the
windows and doorwavs-all are black with the
CRIME of years. all reek with the filth which never
seems to disturb the Chinese eye or to be an offence
In the Chinese nostril. The air is heavy and oen-
sive Laden with the powerful odors OF native TO-
baccc-the same smell which taints the atmosphere
Of all the shops and which clngs to tho Chinese,
though he may battle and make complete change
of garments. His person is redoent of it even when
the lusty breezes of the Pacific have sported with
his baggy trowsers and his loose b! ouse. When
gathered with several of his kind in q small room,
the air becomes saturated with the odot and foreign
plfactories quail before it,
SOME CELESTIAL INTERIORS,
An exterior view of Chinese house gives no idea
of the capacity of the interior. 1t is something
like the Irish vergers church, "much bigger on
the inside than without" One building. which
usedtO be private residence in early days and which
sti retains the massive look of odtime structures,
has been recently monopolized by Chinese. The
vide hall in the centre serves as common en-
trance The parl0rs on each side have been cut up
into ten rooms. Above each spacious chamber has
been subdivided into at least five rooms. A house
that originally contained twelve rooms now boasts
of seventy each about half the size of small hall
bedroom in q narrOw-chested city house. Many
story structures without any increase of stature,
ana each floor is split up into these clOset-like
rooms, nearly all ceiled with wood, which is black
with CRIME and dirt.
The most characteristic scenes are found in the
cellars. about one-half of which are occupied by
barbcrshops. Every Celestial crown must be
shaved at least once week. and as a man cannot
shave his own head it will be seen that the barber
plays an important part in the social economy.
The shops rudely fitted up with several common
wooden chairs, wash-stand and bowl, and cheap
mirror The patron sits bolt upright in chair.
and the barber-mOre Rarrulous even than the Cau-
casan artist"-deftly reduces his head TO the blu
ish-white, shiny appearance that denotes q clean
shave Look into this cellar The Odor is bad,
mixture of Chinese and leather. Through the
reek of tobacco smoke one catches the glimpse OF
the CLEAN of sewing machines in rapid motion, and
of the haggard faces of the poor drudges who bend
over their mOnOtOnOus work sixteen hours every
day. They are making coarse shoes and slippers
Fifty men work in O room thirty feet by fifteen.
There is little light, sunshine, no fresh air. Day
Is scarcely to be distinguished from night, az the
oil lamps burn at all hours. At midnight work is
laid aside. aud the tired labOrers convert their
benches into beds and lilo down to troubled dreams.
At daybreak the whirring Of the machines is the
signal of another day of this slavsh toll.
AN HorR IN RESTAURANT.
The Chinese fond of the pleasures of the table,
and the half dozen large restaurants in the quarter
are literally patrouized. Their outward and visible
sign is a highly ornamented balcony, hung with
gayly painted lanterns These balconies ablaze
with lights form the most conspicuous feature Of
night life in Chinese streets. Entering ut the street
door of the largest restaurant you find shop stored
with preserves. cakes ard baked meats, ending at
the rear in the bakery of the establishment. Hero
o grizzled old Chinese is moulding oIt huge roll
OF dough, to be converted into the
small dumplIngs filled with sweetmeats which
form part Of every meal and serve as a substitute
for bread The shining table, the FURNISHED pans,