Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-24

NEW YORK, June 23.-At no time since
the death of Confucius has there been such
commotion among the Celestial residents of
New York as was to be observed to-day in
Chinatown. It was owing entirely to great
arrival.
Fifty Celestials, high in the estimation of
their brethren-in short, the Swintien Lok
Chinese Dramatic Company, 30 all told
had arrived and were located in the old joss
Temple, No. 10 Chatham So uare. Chop
sticks were being twisted and tom-toms
beaten when reporter got there, and the
smiles overspreadlng each Chinaman's face
in ''sunlight-chasing shadow" style,
clearly betokened something of very pleas
ing character in the air. He accordingly
smiled on nearly every Celestial he met
with in the most benign fashion, and they
fairly giggled with delight.
The reporter we mt by direction to small
room, where half q dozen Cinnamon sat
around square table In few moments,
| however, Tom Lee, the guide, philosopher,
friend and banker of Chinatown, arrived.
Tom was dressed in a suit of brown tweed
and wore black Derby hat He welcomed
the unbidden guest and tried to be as COM
municative as possible with the aid of his
little friend, the prince of Cinnamon, Wong
Ching Foo.
TOM LEES CONTRACTS.
Tom Lee and Wong were prime movers
in inducing the dramatic company to come
to New York. They have never played be-
fore other than Chinese audiences, so that
when they open on Monday evening in the
| Windsor Theater Americans and people of
other nations will fer the first time in their
existence have an opportunity of witnessing
display of Celestial hstrionic talents and
costumes never dreamed of outside of the
Great Wall. Tom Lee will have them play
to all. He and other Chinese merchants
put up S12, 900 as security, but they believe
there never has been a greater theatrical
success in New York than will be the SWIM
tien Lok.
The Chinese theatrical headquarters at
No. 10 Chatham square were silent when
the reporter reached there, but he tried every
| floor. Alter much noising around he at
last found his quarry, and only partition
| of boards kept him out from room from
which came the sounds of chattering, clat-
tering voices. A screen of red cotton hung
down midway in the partition. This he
raised and walked in. He was in the great
sleeping and dining hall of the Chinese car
avansary. 1t was a very large room. All
along the floor by the walls blankets were
spread to the width of an ordinary bed for
one, rests for the head separated each blan-
ket, and on these indeed did the Chinese
visitors pass the night. The room was al
most absolutely bare Of furniture.
THE LEADING CHARACTERS.
| Away to the front sat some 40 or 80
| Chinese, smoking and talking for dear life.
These were the dramatists. They started
up as soon as they saw the stranger. All,
with two or three exceptions, wore the ordi-
nary Chinese garb, to be seen any day on
the streets of New York.
The leading characters were the excep-
tions. They wore long coats of blue silk,
after the manner of Chinese gentlemen, and
black skull caps which showed off their
carefully dressed pigtails to very great ad-
vantage, and gave them an appearance
quite above their companions. In addition
to their elegant attire, they have the ad-
vantage of handsome figures, well displayed
by their long robes, and faces that might
vie with those of even good-looking Ameri-
| cans.
Taxa Wing is particularly good-looking.
He is in the twenties and altogether such
pretty fellow that he is first among the first
of Chinese female impersonators. There is
no woman with the company, so that the
leading lady is man-Taka Wing-who
takes the role of Sean Neon Coon Joo.
princess. Taxa has been over half dozen
years on the stage in China, where he was q
prime favorite.
WHAT THE PLAY IS LIKE.
Moo Sung Jee, who plays the part of'the
chief male character, is older than his
friend and went years ago to the head of
the profession in China His friends claim
that they have an excellent stage In the
| Flowery Land and that Jee is the leader.
He is a man apparently full of intelligence
and is not at all ayerse to remaining in New
York at the head of Chinese theater.
| The other leading characters are Chaw
Lom Yin, Woy 500 Wo and Ma XII Wing.
The latter are also pretty good looking fel-
lows and take the parts Of vivandieres.
The play to be put on the boards of the
Windsor tomorrow night will be most
decided novelty, bringing up, as it will, life
in China ten years before the Christian era.
In the play there is an abundance of love
and slaughter The Chinese are at war
with the Tartars, and the genii, who, by the
way, were all squatted about the joss YES
terday morning, agree to assist them. The
Chinese General, Yung Zoon Pow, after
marrying the Princess Koon Joo, leaves
with the army. He shortly afterward falls
IN THE HANDS OF TARTARs,
but being free and easy sort of fellow,
makes himself quite at home and takes to
wife his captor's daughter. He lives with
her happily for five years, after which he is
allowed to visit China to see his dying
| mother. China is in the throes of insur-
rection, and he finds all his friends have
been slain, with the exception of his wife,
who all alone is about to make voluntary
exit when he clasps her in his arms, and
they are happy together once again. He
sets everything to rights in China, restores
the Emperor to his throne, whips the Tar
tars, and with his two wives lives happily
ever after.
The mounting and dresses will be of
extraordinary grandeur. Manager Murtha,
of the Windsor, told the reporter that in his
experience he never witnessed such ward
robe. A hundred large, old-fashioned
boxes filled to the brim were stored in the
Windsor yesterday morning. The people
there who got peep at some of the dresses
say they are gorgeous.
The wives Of Chinese merchants have Sc
cured the boxes for tomorrow night, and as
they are so seldom seen by mont Celestial
eyes they will form An attraction of them
selves.
Both Went Down Together.
purTADErpHTA Tune 22-Waltar orl