The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-04-24
The Chinese Quarter, San
Francisco.

shirks further wanderings, may de-
rive from the compact Chinese city,
of 10000 souls, which makes a part
of this, such an idea of the life and
aspect of things in the Celestial
Empire as will act of a considera-
BILE alienation Of curiosity. The
Chinese immigrants It is true, have
rarely erected buildings of their
own. They have fitted themselves
into what they found. But they
have fitted themselves in with all
their peculiar industries their smells
of. tobacco and cooking oil, their red
and yellow signs, their opium pipes
high-sOled slipper shoes, sticks of
India ink. silver pens, and packets
of face powder in the windows,
their fruits and fish, their curious
groceries and more curious butchers
meats; they have fitted all this to
the Yankee buildings, and taken
such absolute possession of them
that it is no longer America, but
Shanghai or Hong-Kong. The res
taurantS make the nearest approach
to having a national facade, but this
is brought about by adding highly
decorated balconies, with lanterns
and inscriptions, instead of building
anew.
had the curiosity to try the food
at the best of these restaurants
quite a palatial place at the head of
Commercial street. 1t was both
neatly served and palstable. There
was certain monotony in the bill
of fare, it is true, which l thought
might be ascribed to a desire to give
US dishes as near to the American
style as possible. We had a soup of
chicken with -four paste resem-
bling macaroni; a very tender
chicken, sliced through bones and
all, served in q bowl; another bowl
of duck; then, in pewter chatting
dish, quail with spinach. All the
food is set out in bowls, and each
person helps himself from the COM
mon store with a pair of ebony
chopsticks to such morsels as he
may desire. The chopsticks, held
in the fingers of the right hand
somewhat after the manner of cast
anets, seem about as convenient to
the beginner as pair of lead pencils
might be for the same purpose. We
drank SGki, or rice brandy. in infn-
itesimal cups, during the dinner,
and at dessert very fine tea.
The upper story in these places is
reserved for the more prosperous
class of guests. Those of slenderer
purses are accommodated in a de-
partment below. To these latter is
given the second drawing of the tea,
still strong, after it has been sold
above at 25c. a cup, and such meats
as remain in a tolerable state of pre-
servatiGn. The upper story is dec
Grated as a rule with carved work,
colored scarlet and heavily gilded,
and with screens, lanterns, ana teak
wood tables and stools.
Dropping in one evening for tea
at the place above mentioned, | had
the good fortune to witness asupDer
party which made most novel
genre picture, glowing with color
There were probably a dozen men
dignified looking persons in hand.
some clothing Of black, blue, and
purple silks. With them were as
many Women-young, slender,
and pretty in their Way-though
the women seen walking about
the streets are very coarse and
clumsy in type. These had care
fully smo0thed black hair, loopeC
and sustained with silver pins, anC
their compilations were daintily
made up with pink and white ane
vermilion. They realized precisely
the heads we see painted on theil
silk fans. The most interesting ont
had decidedly Fellah or Hebrew
aspect, and was probably not with
out an admixture of other blood il
her veins. The men occupied tn
carved teak-wood stools about
large table which was spread with
white cloth, and covered witt
charmingly painted china. TIL
women stood by ana served them
Now and then one rested moment
arily on a corner of a stool, in
laughing way, and took a morse
too. The whole was a bi
of bright Chinoiserie worth i
itself long journey to witness
| The guests were merry. Anon
other amusements they played
game something like the Italia
mora. One held up his fingers i
rapid succession, and the other
counted the number at the tops @
their voices. What with this, thei
laughter, drumming on the tabl'
. and other hubbub Of their gayety-
besides an orchestra of their peculia
music, which added its din from b.
hind a screen-the party was not S
very unlike an assembly of Parisia
cGaotterS and grSSetteS supping
Bougival.
The temple and theatre Of til
/ / Chinese emigrant are always th
: same. [ found here the same scene
: l had already witnessed at Havan
at the beginning of a Ion
. journey. The temple, economical
set up in some rear uppt
. room, abounds in gaudy danglin
' signs, and is little frequented. Tt
> theatre is vastly more popula
0 The dresses used are rich and {
; much interest, The performers al
q continually marching, fighting, spil
!; ming about, pretending to be deat
> and jumping up again, or singing