Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-08
GALES aud Sketthts.
New forks Chinatown.
A DINNER AND SHAVE IN THE CELESTIAL
SHADES OF MORT STREET.

| is, there is no particular part OF the city
in which they 1--we and buy and sell, trad
ing exclusively with each other. At the
| Hub. they are scattered all over the city,
and you can find as many Mongolians at
the South end as you can at the West end.
| Unlike the Italians who have colonized at
the North end, they do not herd together,
and there seems to be very little sociabili-
ty and that spirit of fraternity existing
among them which is usually to be found
among foreigners of the same cline in
strange citv. In New York it is very diff
ferent. The Chinese population of about
/ 5000 occupies one distinctive portion OF
the CITY, and so thickly and compactly
have the Cinnamon packed themselves
into this locality that no American. Irish
man, German, Swede or Italian ever
dreams of settling there. For three or
| four blocks on Mott street, there is scarce
| " house that is not occupied by the pig
tailed representatives OF the ficwery king.
dom aud the pavements in front of the
houses are always lined with scores OF
| Cinnamon, chattering away like magpies
| in the tea-box language, which is so unln-
telligible to the policemen on the beat.
/ Mott street is away down town." and is
one of the thoroughfares tending toward
the Five Points" district. 1t leads off
from what was formerly Chatham street,
but is now the extension of Park row land
is one of those barrow, crowded thoroug-
fares through which few years ago 1t
was not safe for well dressed stranger
to pass. The next street above it is the
famous Mulberry street, where great
proportion of the Milesian inhabitants of
the metropolis dwell. 1t may well be inn
agined that the Cinnamon for a long time
had pretty hard row to hoe. But, as
they gradually increased in numbers. they
became less timid until to-day it may be
truly said of them that they are actually
aggressive.
The Cinnamon of New York are better
organized as colony, perhaps, thar are
those of any other city. not excepting even
San Francisco. They have their societies,
literary and of a social nature, they have
beneficial organizations. competent inter-
prefers who act in arbitration cases where
certain questions involving their rights are
settled. and in all ways are fitted out with
machinery for self-protection. They are,
of course. very clannish, and while not at
all liberal in their dealings with each 9TH
er, they generally stretch point if they
see that one of their countrymen is to be
benefited by so doing.
! 1t is a great sight to walk through Mott
street on any clear day, There are no
stores but Chinese stores, no boarding
houses but those run by Cinnamon for
| Cinnamon, no saloons, restaurants. barber
shops, clothing establishments or shops of
any kind but those conducted by the same
/ al .f bo re
these places catch a good deal of trade
outside of that contributed by the men,
bers of their own race. Thousands OF
New Workers and visitors to New York
90 into the saloons, the restaurants and
the barber shops in order to satisfy their
curiosity as to what manner of places they
are. And it is truth that of the thOus
ands who visit these establishments, the
majority come out well satisfied with the
manner in which they have been treated.
A friend said to me, an evening or so
since II tell you that the Italian and
Bohemian resorts of the town are suffer-
ing a good deal since the inauguration of
these Chinese restaurants and saloons.
Newspaper men. actors.a all New York
ers who lead a Bohemianisb sort of exis-
tence, and who formerly ate spaghetti in
| Italian restaurants, have found out that
the Chinese mode of cooking is very excel
! lent, that the materials used are ALWAYS of
the very best, and that the prices charged
are much cheaper than those usually asked
at the uptown cafes conducted by Italians
and Frenchmen. If you don't believe me.
come and dine with me this evening and
| think will be able to convince you that
| am speaking the truth"
| went with nv friend. At s O'Clock in
the evening we entered the restaurant of
Mong Sing Wah, at IS Mott street. Mong
Sing Wah is termed the Celestial Delmon-
leo of New York, and his place is patron
lied by those Cinnamon who are on the
homestretch of heir fortune-making in
this country and are anticipating their
early return to the homes they left behind
them in Canton and Hong Kong My
| friend had said to me before we entered
Mong Sings place: Now. don't act as
If you were surprised at anything you see
am an old habitue OF this place and do
not want to lose the respect of my pig.
tailed friend. the proprietor. Nothing so
displeases the better grade of Cinnamon
as to see his customers staring about in
open eyed wonderment. He is naturally
pHleHtlidlit, puliOSOpNictl anu uneNclJ-
able animal, and reveres these traits in
others. You will find that the dinner you
are about to eat is not only as clean and
well served as any meal OF which you ever
partook, but that it is better cooked and
far cheaper than you can get at any of
your fancy chop houses or Italian resorts. "
As this lecture ended we assembled a
flight of narrow stone steps at No. Is,
stumbled through narrow dark hallway,
across an open court yard, up wooden
stairway. and were in the restaurant A
big. good-natured Chinaman, who sat be-
hind counter smoking small pipe, re-
ceived us with a BENIGN smile. Nv friend
said: "Hulema, ho-pang- yow," and the
benign Chinaman murmured "Hola," in
reply. This | subsequently ascertained
signitied in the first instance How do
you do, my good friend ?" and the an
swer was equivalent to Pretty well, how
are you ?" The spelling may be little
"offT' but it's the nearest can come to the
sounds as they were uttered. There were
a number of small round tables in the
place, and we seated ourselves at one of
them. A neat young Chinamau, encased
from head to foot in spotless white linen,
brought us two large teacups, set on lead
en- stands. with saucer covering them
He also brought two smaller cups without
saucers. Then he began to draw the tea
First he put the dry tea leaves in the larg-
er cups and then he poured hot water