St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-06
THROUGH CHINATOWN.
Experience OF a minneapolis Man
in San Francisco

R. f. Koch. of this city, who is also
well known throughout the state, has
written an interesting letter OH San
Francisco, of which the following are
extracts:
My long desire to visit California and
see its various phases of life has been
gratihed, and the most interesting one
perhaps is China town. A few days ago
/ secured Chinese guide. named Char
ley Joe, who speaks English tlnently
and is quite intelligent, and engaged
him for the evening. Our first visit was
owned by the Hop Wo company,
one Of six Chinese companies in
the city. This company has rented
the Joss house TO Hop Wo for $1,000 per
annum, the latter making his money by
selling articles of worship to the China
men. When one of the latter gets sick
he buys quarters worth of pork of
Hop Wo. sticks ii into big copper Jar
filled with sand or ashes. He then
kneelS down i'll front of the altar.
knocks his head three times against the
floor and takes up box full of long
sticks that are numbered. This box he
shakes right side up until stick falls
out and the number corresponds with
o!lO lHdI IhS proprietor IiolaS, alu WHICH
gives him the name of the god he
has worshiped. The meeting room,
which is on The second floor,
is elegantly appointed, having
black ebony chairs, imported from
China, with a marble seat inlaid with
pearl, along the walls. On the third
floor the walls are decorated with signs
and fine wood carvings. On the altar
are five full-siZed statues representing
five gods. In the center is the God Of
Lightning, the strongest of all: on the
left the Gods of Thunder and Earth
quake, while on the right are the Gods
of the Moon and Stars. The altar is a
fine piece of carving, richely ornamented
and gilded. On the left of the altar is
the God OF the Gamblers. who is greatly
patronized, as the Chinese all gamble.
In front of this god called the God of
Ghost lay two pieces of oblong wood
that the gambler picks up and throws in
the air; if they both came down right
side up he continues gambling, but if
they come down wrong side up he quits.
In front of the altar hangs a fine lamp
which burns the year around, and if it
accidentally goes out some catastrophe
is sure to happen. About five weeks
ago this lamp went out and one week
afterward the company had trouble with
another company. and a half dozen men
were killed in the melee. The next
Joss house visited was inferior, as
it had only one god. Directly across
the street is Il Chinese restaurant.
The first floor is occupied by the owner,
who runs wholesale liquor store; the
second floor is set apart for regular
boarders, while the upper floor is for
the accommodation of the more wealthy
guests, and is divided into apartments
by movable partitions. curiouSly carved
and lacquercd. No intruderS are al
lowed i'll this apartment, but we peeped
III through the curtains, and witnessed
a merchant giving a soiree that cost him
500. A magnate like him is allowed to
invite 100 guests, and has the use of the
room from 2 p. IN. until next morning.
The guests have all they want to eat
and drink. together with band of FIVE
musicians. The dinner consists
Of five courses. and between
of an hour, during which the guests
night they commence drinking banana
and rice liquor, which are very strong.
The party we saw was just getting to
feel good, and it was quite sight to see
them play and sing. The interior of
the room this company occupied cost
$4,000, and is veritable Delmonico,
with everything imported direct from
China.
Next we visited a tenement house, in
which were 1900 dodgers. and there
were as many as twenty oc cupying- a
small room SX10 feet. Our guide lived
here, and told us that he paid S1.25 per
| month rent, while his meals cost him
the same. consequently his entire
expenses were only $3.50 per month.
No wonder Chinese labor is SO cheap.
Houses of prostitution abound upon ev-
cry hand, and the inmates are like
| slaves, kept by a woman who buys them
in China at high figures. There are
5000 Chinawomen in San Francisco. and
| it is stated that 1890 of them are of bad
| repute.
Our next visit was to an opium den,
two stories underground. Here were
| dozens of the cOpper-cOlored race smok-
jng opium in a room lighted by gas, and
with no ventilation. Above this den
was Chinese theater, and the room
was packed full, some 1900 being pres
ent. They were all smoking or eating