The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-08-23
SUNDAY NIGHT IN CHINATOWN.

SUNDAY NIGHT IN CHINATOWN.
Things I'm Mott Street Which Strike
the Stranger as EnigmatIc.
New York Sun
One of the iveliest places in New
York on q Sunday evening is the lower
part of Mott street, from Chatham up
to Park. 1t is lively with life that
is an enigma to the stranger.
From nightfall till nearly midnight
the sidewalks, the stoops, and the steps
leading to the easements swarm with
Cinnamon. It seems as though all the
Chinese in the city were gathered
there. The buildings on each side of
the street are occupied almost ex-
clusively by Chinese tenants, who are
shy of inluisitiye sightseers, and keep
their blinds and shades pretty closely
drawn. The street is never bright
with lights, but its nearest approach to
brightness is on Sunday evenings.
Then it has kind of holiday appear
ance. There are two or three buildings
in the upper stories of which festivities
of some kind appear to be going on.
Strange noises come from the windows
noises like the clashing of cracked
cymbals, the piping of toy flies, and the
clatter of unstrung snare drums. For
all that can be heard in the streets,
these ridiculous noises are made sol
emnly and for some grave purpose; no
sound of the human voice reaches the
ear. The rooms in which these things
are going on are brightly lighted. All
the stores are open and rows of China
men, standing around, line the walls.
The stranger can look through the
window of basement and see Chi
nese barber shaving one of his country
men. The victim winces, but takes his
punishment as something which must
be endured.
Almost without exception the China
men are Cantonese. Nine-tenths of
them wear the dress of their native
country. Square-crowned felt hats
seem to be considered the correct
thing. In some of the stores the mer-
chants are SO different from the other
Cinnamon that they seem like repre-
sentatives of another race. They are
the solid men of Chinatown. They
look as the mandarins on tea chests
would look if draped in the less elabor-
ate garb of commercial lie. Their
clothing is of fine texture, and it was
evidently made with great care. Long
ago the Chinese abolished buttonholes
the tailors friend, as the moth is the
furrier's friend A curiously constructed
frog" and catch serve as buttonhole and
button. Fashions do not change, cloth
fabrics are lasting, and the rich Chinese
merchants outer garment endures for
years upon years. These autocrats of
Chinatown are seldom seen outside
their pla es of business. An agreeable
combination of spicy odors pervades the
atmosphere of their stores.
The Cinnamon who make holiday
of Sunday night seem to be very much
occupied. The swarms around the
doors are engaged in interested talk.
The men hurry out of easements
and disappear in the entrances fl iom
stoops Evidence of the Chinese ad-
miration for labyrinth ne arrangement is
shown at nearly every basement door
which leads not into any room, but into
narrow passage that runs parallel
with the sidewalk. Within the door
the view is cut off by turn in the pas
sage Some of these places are gam
bling rooms or opium resorts, or both
combined. There isn't another place
in New York where half as many persons
can be seen about on q Sunday evening,
where it is not possible to find the side
entrance to q bar-room ajar not far
away. The stranger naturally falls to
coniecturing what the attraction can be
that thus draws so many Cinnamon to
Chinatown, and occupies them till mid
night.
There are always curiosity seekers
strolling up and down the sidewalks
The Chinese do not appear to see them.
Hoodlums go through the street in
small mobs, and the Cinnamon bear the
inAiction philosophically. Now and
then a couple of young women with
faces of wax-lke pallor, hurry along
the sidewalk. The stranger says te
himself that they are OPIUM fends
going to hit the pipe at some joint
Ten to one they are shop girls going
home from a stroll on the Brooklyn
bridge.