Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-11

' acres of farming lands have been taken up most of it's agricultural development has been during that brief period.
 HOW SOME CHENAMEN LIVE.
 MT. ID. T. mallett,s Picture of ssChfna-
 Iown'' at San Franrfseo-Scenes in an
 Opium Den-A Chinese Theater-Cen-
 dIaIon of the Women.
 SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 27. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Having made arrangements with the Pal ace Hotel detective to conduct us through that part of San Francisco known as "Chi- natown," we left the hotel, and after short ride on the cable cars walked up Dupont street, which is the principal business center of the Chinese quarter. There are ten blocks in this part of the city in which the Chinese to the estimated number of forty thousand live and carry on all their peculiar customs. The meat and produce markets are supplied with dried game and smoked fish prepared in genuine Chinese style, and an appearance of brisk business character izes ali the shops. The buildings are mostly owned by the Chinese themselves, who are enabled by their compact manner of living to occupy 8 central location in the city, and within few hundred yards of the elegant residences of the Pacific miliionaires. Many of the fruits and vegetables, as well as pre- served eatables, are imported direct from China, the freight rates on this class of goods being low. Entering building which was originally a fashionable hotel, but now out iuhks oe stone steps into the dimly lighted opium dens The wooden benches or berths were filled with Chinamen smoking the opium. The air was so laden with the odor of the drug that we could only breathe with diff culty. The men were in all stages of intox ication, and were entirely oblivious to their grim surroundings. Some of them Unit the pipe" twenty to forty times of an evening before succumbing to the effects, according to the strength of the habit. One man we saw had been reduced to < literal skeleton, and was unable to move from his berth, from continued use of the drug. There were liv ing in this one building over six hundred smokers, packed from sub-cellar to garret like sardines in box. They make two or three floors out of an ordinary height room. There seems to be no attempt at cleanliness among them, and a sight of the food which they eat, and the manner Of preparing it, is sufficient to disgust any civilized being. At the theater we were given seats upon the stage. The charge for admission is twenty five cents, or s'two bits;" but later in the evening the price is reduced to fifteen cents. Americans, however, are charged fifty cents, and are allowed the distinction of sitting on the side of the stage. The house was crowd ed, and the audience, which was entirely Chinese, gave their closest attention to the play. At intervals boys passed down the aisles with nuts and candied fruits. The piece which was playing had been on the boards for several weeks, and 1 understood was expected to last several more. The Chi nese drama is like book, @ single chapter or division being acted each evening until the story is exhausted. The play commences at sundown and ends at midnight.
 There are no footlights or drop curtains, and the absence of scenery took away the charm of delusion from the performance for our eyes. The acting consists of continued shouting, with few gestures, and the interest evidently depends mostly upon the amount of lung power possessed by the star actor There were no female players, the feminine parts being impersonated by the men. There were few women in the audience in side gallery by themselves, as they are not al lowed to sit with the men at the theater other public places. The orchestra was at the rear of the stage, but in plain sight, and furnished a style of music which was doubt less charming to Celestial ears, but resem- bled the beating of brass kettle with hammer. The noise was deafening at times and there was little harmony or time.
 There seemed to be rivalry between the musicians and the actors to hasten the per formance. The unconcerned manner in which the attendant stood at the side of the chief actor with chair, waiting for him to finish the "villain" of the play, was only equaled by the ease with which the "vilain" himself ehatted with the musicians, who
 Sl,asn Gor the attack, concealed behind screen which was only waist high. and gave him an op- portuniGY to recognize his friends among the audience. We went behind the draw curtain into the property room and saw the actors making up for their parts. The prompter sits at little window near the center of the room and assists the forgetful players. Some of the costumes were very handsome and covered with hand embroidery in bright colors, with gold beads. The Joss House of Worship is an interesting place. There were
 five principal gods on the altar, in front of which incense was burning The people come in here ss any time and kneel to their favorite image, and offer 8 present of dried herbs or rice. These the gods are supposed to eat during the night, but have my opin- ion that the attendants profit by the deiu- sion. All Chinamen in the State contribute fifty cents 8 year for the support of these Joss Houses. We went up to the third story of building where there was 8 high toned restaurant. The carved chairs and inlaid tables were very beautiful, and the walls and ceilings were finely decorated with gild- ed carvings. The better class of Chinese merchants patronize these places, and after their mesls enjoy quiet pipe of opium. With few exceptions the Chinese women are in state of slavery, and are sold or ex- changed at the whim of their masters. There is sense of virture among these people, who are of the lowest grade of the coolie class of China. There are, however, few Chinese, who live separate from the rest, who are wealthy and fairly respectable. Many attempts have been made to establish Christian missions among them, but they have all failed of their object. Two China men were lately seen carrying 8 sick friend, and were followed down several flights of stairs underground into what proved to be Chinese undertaking establishment. Here the sick man was placed on wooden bench, where there were several more, like himself, dying, including young Chinese girl about fifteen years old. The friends of the last conner immediately left the place, which was in charge of an old hag and two Chinamen. No attention was paid to the heartArending groaus of the dying by the attendants, who were smoking their opium pipes and calmly waiting for the victims to expire.
 When Chinaman is supposed to be dying his friends hasten him to these establish
 ments, where he is allowed to end his final uoments. HIS iack oL IelIoW IeelnR ls | characteristic of the Chinese. The only re- | deenning quality is marked venerstiou for | their remotest ancestor.
 After death the attendants prepare the body and his friends follow his remains to
 the Chinese cemetery, throwing colored pa- pers on either side, which are supposed to distract the attention of the evil spirits, which they believe follow the dead. Sabse- | quently the bones are returned to China. D. T. MALLETT. | PAINFUL.
 | The pilgrim takes painful interest in his