The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-09-29
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I e-sAeA NreAAON AAe'AASS4s
To mako the trip from this city to San
Francisco and return in twenty-five days,
and at the same time get good idea of the
leading points of interest on the route, is
not an ordinary affair, even in these times
of rapid transit. One who has Just done
this and who had an opportunity Of seeing
some features of Western life rarely granted
the tourist, is Col. Alexander Thompson, of
the Grand Army of the Republic, who went
to San Francisco as aide to Commander-in-
Chief Burdette on the occasion of the recent
national convention of the Grand Army in
that city. In talk yesterday with Col.
Thomson about his trip, he said that while
in San Francisco he came across an old
comrade who served in the same company
that he did during the war, and who is now
| detective on the San Francisco police
force. This friend took him through the
Chinese quarter of the city.
g It is like the Sixth Ward here-Mul-
berry and Mott streets only great deal
worse he said. The place Is cut up into
little alleys and the houses are wooden
shanties, very dirty. The so-called markets
in the neighborhood are so filthy that they
look as If they had never been cleaned. We
first went into Chinese drug store. The
proprietor was remarkably polite and spoke
English well. The bottles and jars were
covered with dust, and looked as il they
had not been busted in six months. Next
my friend took me into Chinese gambling
house that had been raided the week before
The doors were of sheeted iron two and q
half inches thick. He told me that it re-
quired the force of hydraulic jack to burst
them open. A narrow passage-way led into
q room about fifteen feet long by five feet
wide, with low ceiling. On one side there
were rows of hunks, as on shipboard, ex-
tending to the ceiling, while close to the
wall ON the opposite side of the room was o
long table for the game, covered with mat
ting. The only person in the room was
little, old Chinaman, who was sitting half
| arose and quickly said, No game today
Next We went into an opium joint. 1t
was in little alley, on level with the
street. On both sides of the room there
were hunks and at one end raised plat
form, at the aide Of which was affixed long
board, known as pillow The platform
was ten feet long by about six feet wide, and
ON this the smokers stretched themselves,
their heads resting on the pillow. Small
brass lamps were standing along the edge Of
the platform, which was raised two or three
feet above the floor. It was explained that
as soon as smoker becomes stupefied he is
lifted up by the attendants and put in one
OF the hunks.
II had particular desire to get an inside
view OF joss house, where the Chinese
worship, and we managed to do so. 1t was
room nearly square, and up an unlighted
pair OF stairs. The room would measure
about twenty feet each way. In the centre
was the principal joss, while around the
room stood four others They were about
three feet long, made of wood, and repre-
sented figure seated. The face was horri-
BILE looking, with inonstache and a savage
expression. In front of each was an altar,
ON which stood cup of tea, and directly in
front of this was small table covered with
red cloth, ON which stood small glass lamp,
constantly burning. Under the lamp there
was spider-shaped piece of wood burning
and emitting a very fragrant odor The
walls of the room were highly decorated
with mythical figures in colors. One of the
priests was there, blear-eyed blinking,
decrepit old Chinaman, who endeavored to
get us to buy some of the punk wood at two
bits apiece. Tho last place we visited was
| q hora
room, about fifty feet square. The seats
were of rough boards. The stage was of
ordinary planks, under which the audience
could see fully, and there We're no side
scenes or curtain The stage was about five
feet deep, and in the wall at the back, in the
centre, there was depression where the
orchestra is placed. Two doors on each
side of this place form the only entrance to
the stage of the actors"