Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-09-11

ates the dangerous, reckless and degraded
faces of the Chinese quarter. / assure
you | would rather assault any white
man than one of these Celestials, and |
believe there would be less danger. The
Chnaman always goes armed. He cares
little for life, and he will not hesitate to
shoot If attacked"
But are not the Cinnamon here afraid
Of the law2' / asked
Not much, was the reply, "and the
only cases in which they appear before
the courts here are the ones in which the
quarrels are between Cinnamon and white
men. The Cinnamon have their own
courts and they carry on government Of
their own. This government is more
despotic than any Of feudal times. The
proceedings of tho trials are secret and
they even pass the death penalty. How
can You tell when a Chinaman is nut out
Of the way here2 A Chinese informer
would be in danger Of his life. and tho
Americans can know nothing. There are
two or three secret organizations or
Highlander societies which control mat
tiers. These societies are made up largely
Of the Tartar element of the Chinese, and
not Of the coolie element. They levy
blaclSmail upon the others. They try and
punish, and if the secret history Of the
Chinese quarter should ever be made
public it would form the subject Of con
gressional legislation
The condition of the Chinese here to-
day, this gentleman went on, sis much
the same as that Of the city in the days
of the Forty-niners. Then the town was
filled with all the vices and rough ele.
ments of a successful mining region lust
oDann8 Tho rroer, /, tav4. a = ;.-.., A..
country congregated here. Money was
plenty and gambling went on dav and
night. 1t is the same with the Chinese.
They have just discovered America. and
this IS to them as much land of gold
as California was an FL Dorado to the
Forty -niners. They make on an aver
age what is a greater amount to them
than was the amount made by the gold
dlggers. The same conditions of society
prevail. Thew have their gambling bells
which they keep open by feeling the DO
lice, and you will be surprised when I tell
you that il IS believed that the police levy
q regular tax on these gambling houses.
They have their brothels and their opium
joints, and crime in the Chinese quarter
goes on practically unchecked. It is a
different city IN the heart of San Fran
cisco, and though it numbers a popula-
ton Of 80 600 it is all included in about
a dozen blocks and it does not cover over
twenty acres" -
took q walk through the Chinese quar-
ter today, and do not wonder that the
people Of California object to the Chinese.
Within stones throw of Mob hill. on
which are the gigantic palaces Of Leland
Stanford and of the millionaires Flood.
Hopkins and Croker; within a block OF
business buildings which would be a
credit to New York city, and in fact the
very heart Of the best part Of San Fran
cisco. is this Chinese quarter. 1t com
prises, ns above stated. only twelve
blocks, and it Is dirtier and moro soualid
than Five Points or Mott street in New
York city. The Chinese arc packed like
figs, and there are on the average {, 900 to
the block. They have burrowed down
into the earth. and these houses have
cellars and subcellars until they are here
living like the inhabitants Of the cata-
combs, without tho room possessed by
the early Christians.