The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-10-11
SCENES ON THE PACIFIC COAST.
Incidents of World Correspondents So
journ of a Week in San Francisco.

| How did spend my time in San Fran
| cisco Well, friends were very kind tC
me, and l saw everything that visitor
fought to see But for a good part OF
my time wandered about in the streets
alone and rode up and down in the street
cars, and if it had not been for the Chinese
and the seals. | should have been very
much disappointed with the city of which
| had heard so much The length of the
noses of the men and the easy manners of
the women, with whom a stranger finds
himself in company in the streets or the
cars, interested me- But late in the even
ing, when the gas was alight and the pave
ment had its proper habitues and the pawn
brokers' and bankrupts stock stores were
all lit up, | saw how the men with the long
noses and the women with easy manners
were to be accounted for-and to the OBJ
server of city life, | know of no place in
the world so full of interesting incidents
and stirring types as this noisy, money
spending San Francisco. One night, of
course. / spent several hours in the Chi
nese quarter, and cannot tell why, but |
took great fancy to the Celestial as he is
to be seen in San Francisco. Politically
nationally and commercially l hate Pekin
and. all its works. But individually find
the Chinaman, all the world over, IA quiet
hammered, clearly living, Woodworking
servant. And in all parts of the world,
except California. my estimate of Johnnie
was the universal one. In California, how
ever, so the extra white people saw he is
q dangerous, dirty, demoraliZing heather.
And there is no doubt of it that in the
Chinese quarter of the city he is crowded
into space that would be perilous to the
health of men accustomed to space and
ventilation, but I was told by a Chinaman
that he and his people had been preoeated
by the city authorities from expanding
into more commodious lodgings, and the
was confirmed by subsequent in
quiry. AS for cleanliness, I have travelled |
too much to forget that this virtue is large |
ly question of geography, and that es-
pecially in matters of food the habits of |
Europeans are considered by half the |
world so foul as to bring them within the |
of a hemisphere. As regards |
cleanliness the Chinese are rather |
scrupulous and, man for man, the Celes-
tial will be found to be as clean as the up
per ten of San Francisco, and of course
much cleaner than the ordinary San Fran
ciscan, whether jew, German or Irishman.
/ wonder San Francisco does not build a
China town somewhere in the breezy sub
lrbs, lay a tramway to il for the use of
,he Cinnamon, and then insist on its sani-
.ary regulations being rigidly carried out
San Francisco would be surprised at the
-esnlt, for the settlements eff the Chinese
ire very neat and tidy in appearance, and
he people are very fond of curious garden
ng and house ornamentation. The Chinese
themselves would be only too glad to get
)Ilt of the center of San Francisco and the
quarters into which they are ut present
compelled to crowd. Their new habita-
ions would very soon be one of the most
attractive sights of all the city. As it is it
8 picturesque, but it is of necessity dirty
.fter the fashion of Asiatic dirtiness, that
S. Stinks that seem intolerable assail the
-isitor perpetually, but to those who know
What Incompatible seasoning assaftetida is,
n who relish well kept grouse, there is
much to palate the stencil of Asiatic cook
ry. For myself, went so far as to buy
ONE of their pickles and preserved fruits
nd I must confess all the pleasantest |
memories of dinners in the luxurious clubs
# the East-Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, !
Singapore-came back to me in
single flash of recollections as smelt the
delicious flavor of grated cocoanut and
mustard oil, thing" and fneechla' and all
he other seasonings which European cook j
ry has still to acquire. With me was an | g
cquaintance who had been an Indian too, 5
nd had supporter, therefore, when {
ound excuses for the smell of the China 6
mans food. In any case it was better /
han the smell from restaurant on Kear-
ey street which we all passed soon sitter, {
nd where some abominable creatures of !
'hristian persuasion were having fish fried. 9
am not wishing to apologize for the Chi l
ese. I hate China with general Chris {
ian vindictiveness, and think it great {
orced upon the empire long ago a pun t
shment for the massacres of the Catholics q
nd her treason generally against the COM a