The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-04
VOLUME xxxII."NUMBER SO.
the choir, so that felt perfectly at home.
The sight ives grand one, and the music
was by selected choir Of the best voices in


Il
The weather was delightful. The thermo
meter stood at about 5S' with stiff breez,
blowing. / saw plenty Of men wearing
oyercoats and ladies with their seal skir
sacques and other heavy wraps. The
weather at San Franciaco is not matter
OF conjecture. They always know what Il
will be. You don't see anything in the
old probabilities, concerning the weather
on the Pacific coast. The sun rises just az
regularly as at home; not perhaps with the
same warmth as we have 1t in the month oi
August, but itgets quite warm by IL o'clock
when the breez9 from the ocean sets In
and 10 one not acclimated It is piercing, at
least that was the experience ot our party.
The breeze made 1t pleasant for long
march exception the standard bearers, and
they did have 'parlous" time. have
no way OF estimating the number Of Sir
Knights in line, but from what learned
after the procession there were six or
seven thousand and they made very
creditable appearance.
Ivisited the Chinese quarter with q party
i'm charge OF man detailed by Chief Rolin
for the purpose, and went through some
streets and alleys where the health officer
had not lately visited. / saw the China
men in their hunks, about thirty inches
wide, six feet long by six feet high, with
very little bedding, smoking opium. An
opium. pipe is situated in the middle OF q
stem about two feet long and has bowl
about two inches broad, with an orifice 10
the centre OF isabout one eighth of an inch
In diameter. When smoking the China.
man lies partly on his side, resting on his
elbow, holding the pipe in his lett band
and with the right holds apiece Of opium
over small lamp OF curious construction,
and when 1t has gotten to the proper heat
he points 1t by rolling it on the top OF the
pipe which has about an inch oi bevel sur
lace. When rolled to tho proper shape to
fit the oritica in the pipe, he puts II in,
touches ii of with q light, takes two or
three draws, then lies over 70 SOC how he
feels. How often this Is repeated cannot
say, as I did not have time to stay. "a
VISIT TO A CHINESE THEATRE,
Although their quarters are in the heart Of
the city they don't use the city water from
the city water works. l went through q
kitchen and some devious passage ways
about eighteen inches wide and not higher
than some Of the tall ones Of our party
needed, and was ushered on to the stage
OF the theatre, having been conducted
the dressing rooms. This theatre
is square built, with a gallery, and was
about two-thirds full Of Chinamep, with
their hats on, looking as sober as though
they were at prayer meeting. The seats
we're very close together and there were no
aisles left either through the centre or at
the sides Of the building, but was appar-
entity one mass OF Chinese. They have no
drop scenes but approach the stage from
the dressing rooms through doors at either
side OF the "0fchestra" which sits In the
rear OF and middle OF thestage. The doors
have curtains suspended before them. One
OF the curtains saw was oil fine silk and
had the head OF dragon embroidered on
it. In place Of drop curtain there was q
box or 5 feet long, with seat cut into it,
with post at either, end OF the box about
five feet high, with wire stretched across,
from which depended y curtain. AT
the time We entered there was Chinese
woman sitting on the box behind the
curtain. After we had arranged for the fee
for admission one Of the 'snpes" advanced
to the front OF the box and pushed the cur.
tain aside with his hands and she stepped
down and began o harangue, or address,
and although l listened very attentlyely l
must confess / couldn't get the DRIFT OF her
Her voice was squeaky to a
great degree, and her finger nails were
about an inch long and fapersd TO sharp
point. The orchestra consisted OF tom.
ION, hewgag and stringed instrument,
which seemed. TO be cross between 8
mandolin guitar and banjo, and the noise
they made was fearful. The hewgag
looked like two pot lids with handles on the
top, something like cymbals, and the way
that Chinaman old slam them together
was exhilerating Il.