The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-21
THE CHINESE IN NEW YORK.
P1cUL1AR1riBs OF THE oRrEurALs
DESCRIBED.
Their Supcrstitions and Their Un-
conqucrabie Fatalisn-A Reporter
I'm Chinese HOSPITAL.

Soon after the first batch of Cinnamon
put in their appearance in New York
they began to surround themselves with
heather accessories to which they had
been accustomed in San Francisco Be
fore three months had gone by they had
several furnishing opium dens, half a
dozen "lan-ton' games and lottery joints
and a dozen stores for the sale of
Oriental commodities. Having provided
for the amusements of their daily lives
the moon-eyed strangers set up relations
with the powers above, by establishing a
Joss house, wherein they hang their
prayers with commendabe regularity
and punctuality. Next they set about
cncompassing order by the founding of a
Chinese law court, and lastly, and very
recently they completed the social circle
of Chinese life by opening hospital, or
more properly, house wherein the sick
may die without bothering their friends
and relations
Cinnamon are well known to be fatal
lists. This trait in their national charac-
ter makes Cinnamon, who are otherwise
, cowardly, meet death with the utmost
stoicism. On the Pacific slope execu-
lions Of Cinnamon have been by no
means unfrequcnt, aud III no case has the
victim of the law failed to march to the
scalfold with the fortitude of an Indian.
The belief that what is to be is to be, and
no act of a person may avert a catastrophe,
renders the healing art most difficult of
application to Cinnamon. Once John
becomes really sick, he is pretty sure to
die, because he gives up all hope, refuses
to take medicines, and resigns himself
stoically to the fate in store for him
He is superstitious, and places what lit
tie faith he has in Curatives not in drugs,
but in queer amulets, funny bags, and
naus eating liquids blessed by the priests.
This superstition affects his relations,
and once the hand of death is considered
to have set its mark upon the sick mans
saffron forehead he is an outcast He is
no more fit to remain in human habita-
tation; for should he die under the roof,
all manner of ills will fall upon the in
mates. Therefore he is hustled out to
die. In San Francisco dying men are
often found upon the streets. Parents
are as ruthlessly sacrificed once their
ailment is considered hopeless, as the
veriest stranger-and vet The children of
a Cinnamon are the most dutiGul of any
children of any people.
Hearing that a hospital, or sick house,
as the Chinese term it, had been estab-
llshed in Chinatown, a representative of
the Commercial AdrertiSer set to
work to find the place. and explore it if
opportunity offered. From inquiries
made among the white people in the
neighborhood the house was located
ON the north side of the street, five or
six doors from the corner of Chatham
street. The entrance was under stoop,
and opened into long, dark hallway,
that in turn led into blind court
between the front and rear buildings.
The drains from the adjoining houses
emptied into the stone tagged court, ard
the sewage lay in little pools in the
broken stones, sending up an overpowcr-
ing stencil. Garbage was scattered over
the ground, where it had been thrown
from the windows, and lumber, boxes
and barrels filled up the intervening
spaces. Picking his way across the
court, the writer reached deal door
that appeared to open into the rear house,
but which really opened into "A long
alley, at the end of which was another
door on which was pasted red sign in
black Chinese characters. Knocking
produced no response. The visitor lifted
the latch, and pushed the door open. A
volume of foul air and smoke poured
out, nearly sitting the reporter, who
drew back for a moment, but recovering
he entered, The place was dark. but
gradually the eye becoming accustomed
to the gloom. it was possible to dis
tinguish the limits of the place. Not
stick of furniture was in the place, but
brazier, made of an cd coal oil can,
burned in the middle of the ROOM On
one side there were hunks, arranged end
for end, and on one, covered by quilt
made of gunny sacks and rags, lay
human form. As the visitor approached,
the miserable creature half raised upon
his elbow, and asked in hollow voice
"What forl"
"Iou sick?n Intercepted the reporter.
''Mc vclly sick, - answered the China
man, falling back with a groan.
"Hungrvn
"No-no can cat
"Where are your friendsl'
"No got tllends. All gone"
AS the poor fellow ceased a hollow
SObSll lpli llt SUI llc WIS uNlup
from consumption, which carries off fully
half of his race in this country. Poor
food, insufficient clothing and an unsan-
itary mode of life soon work havoc with
the weak physique of tine coolic, and his
vicious habits Of opium smoking and
gambling hurry him on until too weak
to stand, his friends carry him to the
sick house.
There was nothing more to learn. John
was dying and he would do nothing to
help himself, for was not the hand of
death upon him. So, leaving a small
piece of silver in the talon-like hand of
the sick man, the reporter left. As he
stepped into the court the proprietor of
the sick house was coming in with tin
plate of rice and diminutive cracked
cup of tea.
"What is the matter with that man,
Johnl' asked the reporter.
"Oh, him die"
''The sickness Consumption.
eyes. Him die to morrow"