Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-11-11
The Chinese IN Boston.

his native soil, he is inclined to drift
like seaweed on the waters. Al
home he is bound to one spot by ties
OF kindred, custom and prejudice, by
the inadequate means of travel, and
by the difference of dialect in neigh.
boring provinces, which interieres
with oral communication. But in
America these barriers do not exist.
There are Cinnamon in Boston who
have travelled not only from ocean to
ocean but from Texas to Maine, or
returned twice to their native land.
One has had laundry in the city OF
London.
New. Corners arrive in the spring.
In many instances they are invited
thither by their kinsmen or acquaint-
ances, who send drafts for their pas.
sage when needed. Every China
man is sure of a welcome here among
his people, and is given home with
out charge till he finds employment.
They would deem it uncourteous to
require payment fer board from one
who had no work. They also lend
money to each other, taking no re.
ceipt, but exaciing interest.
The Chinese do not work on Sun
day, being obliged to conform to
our laws. Monday is with them a
day of leisure. They spend it in a
social manner or in shopping. The
washers RI sumo work in the evening
and the ironers on the following day.
Their chief holiday is New Years,
which Is like our New Year and
Thanksgiving combined. The Chi
nese months are lunar and thirteen in
number. This year their New Year
fell on the ninth of February. The
day is spent in visiting and excbang-
ing New Year cards The Chinese
are said to be the inventor of visit
ing cards. These New Year cards
are of red paper, and are inscribed
with the name of the donor. They
are tackled upon the walls of the
laundry, where they remain until
next New Year. The day is wholly
given to jollity and good fellowship.
Each laundry spreads table in the
front shop with dried and candied
fruits, lychees, maccaroni. betel nuts,
picked melon-seeds. preserves, and
other native delicacies In the even
ing a dinner is served in true Chi
nese style, with multitudinous cours-
es. This holiday has a religious
significance, and those who still cling
to idolatry offer incense and food to
the Kitchen god,' who is supposed
TO partake of the spiritual elements
of the feast. In China the festival
continues two or three weeks, but
here a single day is devoted to it,
and the doors are not closed against
business. Those who cannot other
wise make calls without interfering
with business will engage a carriage
and commence their rounds of visits
at three o'clock in the morning, re-
turning in time for business and for
receiving the calls of their friends.
Those who live at distance, as East
Boston, will ''receive" at the shop Of
a friend more centrally located.
Their form of greeting is not by
clasping and shaking your hand hut
their own.
The diet of the ChiDaman differs
from our own, but it IS mistake to
suppose that they eat the flesh of
animals. Rice and tea are
present at every meal Pork and
chickens they esteem above all other
meats. Fowls are purchased alive.
They also eat fish. They brean fast
at ten, and dine at four They fare
more sumptuously on Sundays and
Mondays, as they then have more
leisure for cooking. Rice is boiled
and eaten from a bowl, which is held
to the lips while the rice is pushed
into the mouth with chopsticks
Other food is cut into junks and
placed in central dish. The COM
oany take the food from the dish
with their chopstjcks, one hand be.
ng held under the morsel in its pas.
sage from the dish to the mouth.
They eat soup with a spoon of por,
,elain. No knives, forks or plates
are used in eating. Bread, butter,
milk or potatoes are not eaten, ex-
sept by those who have been SER
wants in American families. Tea is
he sole beverage. 1t is drank warm
milk or sugar. When a
Chinaman was asked if he never
frank anything besides tea. he did
lot reply, "hardly ever" but ans
wered with an expressive shrug,
No, Chinee stomach no can-make
'lck." 1t is only the American stom.
,ch that can entertain pie and ice
yates. The Chinese are not yet
sufficiently civilized to use malt or
'pirituous liquors, and it is to be
hoped they never will be.
A store in connection with one Of
,he laundrys supplies teas, clothing
shoes, dried food and sweatmeais,
moorted from San Francisco or Can.
.on.
Should you invite a Chinaman to
line with You he vii use knife and
'ork gracefully, eat whatever is set
before him, and, out OF Difference to
.he host, drink tea with milk and
sugar. He will not touch the food
with his fingers lie viii nor stare
1t the strange things he may see, but
will take an intelligent interest in
whatever You may be pleased to
show him. With native courtesy he
will demean himself like gentle
man.
Should you accept an invitation 20
line with him, you viii fiud it hard
10 use chopsticks, and still harder 10
eat what is set before you. You
will probably be confronted with
lish containing a moist mass of FISH,
iesh, fowl aud fruit, all cooked to-
gether and half submerged in sus
picious looking iisa!j. Your first
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