The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-01-20
Scenes in Chinatown, San Francisco.


CHINATOWN lies in the very heart of
San Francisco, and in coming from the
most fashionable quarter to the business
portion you pass through it. They are
he same bustling, pig-tailed phantoms
IN black cambria you see every day in
Denver, only they seem to be in legion
1t is singular fact, although what we
nave here are really the scum of their
own country, in passing through the
town you hear no loud talk, no broiling
harangues, no obscene invectives, like
one experiences in the haunts of the
lower strata of any other nationality.
Although 8 O'Clock in the evening,
manufacturers and traders had not
ceased their labors for the day. Through
the well lighted shop-windowsy you could
see the matchmaker, with his eye-glass
screwed into his almond-shaped orb,
busy at his trade. A hundred machines
we're noisily pounding away on shoes.
| Fifty tailors in room that was so low
you could not stand upright (having run
floor through the center of the apart
| ment to utilize room), are still plying
| their needles. Standing at desk was
| an amanuensis inditing letter, perhaps
| q love epistle, to some tawny maiden
| down below. How rapidly and grace
fully he formed the characters with
| pointed brush, making stroke like the
scratch of a cambric-needle OF widening
to heavy shade, always writing from
| right to left. The 'iauthor" looked on
with rapt delight not unmingled with
deferential awe.
| Next door was barber-shop. That
| craft with US have not arrived at the
same degree of perfection they have
with them. No Chinaman is too poor
| to be barbered at least once fortnight.
The shops vary in size and price, ac-
cording to the aristocracy of their GUS
toners. Under the hands of this ton
sorial artist was sitting man, his head
Topped on one side, his mouth wide
open, and eyes half shut, and about as
imbecile and repulsive an expression as
one would wish to contemplate.
Does a man, whether Caucasian or
Mongolian, betray the animal instincts
stronger when he is being barbered than
ordinarily? Who has not marked the
striking resemblance of q man in bar
ber's chair, his face lathered, his eyes
half closed, with a dreamy, sensuous
look of abandon, to pig rolled to his
nose in mud-hole, or the ecstatic bliss
of a COW gravitating back and forth
against convenient stake, wrapped in
the luxury of q good scratch? The
former is as lost to the righteousness of
his appearance to the passer-by as is
either of the latter. From the array OF
finely-pointed instruments spread before
him you would think him q dentist.
But, as for that matter, he cleans the
teeth, takes o fine hook and digs out
their ears, nails, shaves their heads,
brushes and plaits the cue (not forget
ting to twine in rag at the end, to
give it tony lengthy, and last, but not
least, takes fine wire and cotton, and
lifts the eye-id and cleans the ball of the
eye. He is not paid by the job, but by
the hour, and when q Chinaman sets
: out to be barbered he counts it among
: the delights of his life, and means it tc
last as long as he can afford. A week
e at the theater, an opium smoke, and an
expensive shave are the luxuries fol
D which he tolls weeks.
Every little spare nook and Granny
:. along the street was occupied by fruit
: and edible venders. You could put the
e average stock in trade in a pint cup
and yet the venders had the most salts
fed mercantile air imaginable. They
e were constantly employed making
j choice morsels out of butternuts an(
i thin slices of cocoanut tied each side
: Dried fruit, watermelon seeds, heapeC
!. on tiny dishes, sticks of sugar-cane, an(
!. candies filed with scented water anC
musk were among the delicacies.
We often indulge in the trite remarl
l. ga penny saved" etc., but for the tru'
Il inwardness of concentrated econom,
u commend me to the Chinese. There i
II no waste matter about hog in Chi
T. nese market, save the bristles and toe
s. nails, the brains, heart, liver, entrail
y and kidneys forming Celestial dainties
e So with fish, every thing save the hea'
v and scales being eaten.
: We dropped into drug store, thei
q physicians being combination of her
s. and old school. No homeopathic dose
n for them. They were weighing out
Is fierce compound, consisting of roots an
10 minerals, the delicate little dose weigh
le ing before sleeping two pounds.
of would probably mako with the liqui
added moderate sized tub full. Their
is nothing in the calendar of filthy thing
too nasty for the doctors to prescribe 9
he patients too credulous to take, eve
10 the grated toe-nail of dead maj
y And yet there is a "Chinese dealer
III that counts numerous white patient
g among his patrons.
y We called at fashionable restauran
III Some wealthy tea merchants were to 81
s. tertain delegation of noted countryme
"a that evening. The first floor was
In the throes Of cuisine agony for so gre.
a an occasion. Buns baked light brown
"a with guests insignia of rank burned Q
ne the top; little pyramids of cherrie
Us plums and sliced oranges were erecte
ne on sauce dishes, one dish forming
course. Heaps of thin cakes and pickl
ed we're on all sides. The refreshmel
oh rooms were up stairs, the first roo
ng being for commoners, the second for
ny tocracy. In the latter an open scrc
,r' work of gilded iron ran up the sides ar
I'M across the top. fro n which hung silke
nd curtain dividing the apartment. II
vs. smaller portion was for the musician
no who discoursed a most hideous jargC
ng of sounds while the guests ate. On
IL raised dais was most exquisite CHI
's- and gilt opium pipe, with tubes, so tn
re, they could take smoke at the end of Il
NJ repast. The other half of the room W
ne hung with highly-colored maps al
1s- pictures, and furnished with quaint
ne carved chairs and tables in ebony al
re- gilt. Covers were laid for six at tab
lar and consisted simply of ivory cho
pc, sticks, three plates (the size of an int
'ea vidual butter dish), in choice China Al
.ea wine glass holding tablespoonf'
'ed We indulged in cup of delicious
leu served in odd cups with covers, and ps
mo took sparingly of some dried fruit. Sor
on chopped fiddle strings every one declar
looked tempting, but no one had a
appetite.
= The guests arrived before we left, a
me were preceuea oy 'ne nost' VINO usner M
to ~ y. "i.n ~ Try e'nA ~,
tha somely attired in blue broadcloth, tas
St fully corded with black, and wore