The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-10-04
a0HINATOWN.a
EsrH aNGEPEoPLE WHoLIVE
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Their Habits, Their Crowded Homes
and Their Work In a Chi
nese Theater-Richiy Fur
nished Restaurants.

The heart Of San Francisco Is peopled
BY class Of foreigners, who have chosen
one Of the choice locations Of the city and
spread themselves over the territory IN
I'll the semblance of the oldlocation is al
most lost by the changes this strange peo-
pie have produced. This Is Chinatown,
facing snail park and directly opposite
police headquarters on the opposite side
Of the park.
& party Of fourteen, accompanied by
policeman, as guide, made visit into the
strange town. entering about o'clock in
She evening. as night Is the proper time
for such a visit. Our first point Of con-
lact was going up Sacramento street, and
the change from America TO Chinatown
Is almost instantaneous. As we climbed
the hill, We looked down in the base
ments where IN a room crowded together
were many men running sewing machines,
most OF them making Undertaking. As
they can live on very little food and work
many hours, they can undersell white la
Dor, yet I found they were ready to ask
a big price If an American was willing
% pay.
Our trsi visit was to a joss house, and
10 our sorrow the handsomest in furnish
ings were closed, as the Chinaman goes
TO his temple to say his prayers and then
--sn''ut his sins. lust &c many other NOR
led taper Ia
these temples, and they were never al
lowed to be without, for fear the devil
weuld put in an appearance. There were
raany fne carvings and images we did
not understand and no one could explain,
but there was very old bell which an
swered Us with rich, mellow tone when
It was tapped with the mallet, and every
where theattendant ready to receive aims.
From the temple we were led to the
living quarters, where q dozen or more
sleep in a room not more than ten feet
square. In eroWding around tried TO
occupy as little space as possible for fear
Of living things crawling. In one court
the stencil was horrible, as our visit had
been preceded by 4 long season Of lain,
and cur way was damp and Shiny. In
the center Of the court was the general
cooking establishment, where all jewellers
in that locality came to cook. The po-
Eceman lighted match that We might
look in and see what little, dirty place
It was. whereupon an old Chinamsn OBJ
jected, for he was Just going to bed In
the ashes left from the fires of the day.
The restaurants are furnished in true
Chinese style. Round tables of ebony
inlaid with mother-of-pearl, chairs with
out backs and settees, almost priceless
in value and very difficult to secure.
believe Editor De Young, Of the Chronicle,
has his diniug room furnished with
Chinese furniture. The several apart
ments are divided by carvings, spindle
work and drapeTies brought from China
and something Of their value may be
.realized from the statement made to US,
sliat after q fire in q restaurant where we
were. the greatest injury was from water;
yet the insurance companies paid $40, 600
for their loss incurred. The tables were
laid with ehop-sticks and tiny cup and
dishes, very pretty to look at, but more
ike dolls furnishings than for grown
men. Chickens boiled in oil, fish boiled
in oil and queer looking vegetables.
Eggs are brought packed in mud, looking
anything but fresh laid, and from the re-
ports Of those to whom they have been
served, anything but appetizing. We
found queer looking cooks preparing
food in CARY place, until 1t seemed to US
this people turned night into day and
spent their time eating.
We went through several narrow ways
OF alleys and on either side were rows of
windows. In each door and standing
before the windows was Chinese girl,
many boxing not more than twelve or
fourteen years old. These girls are owned
By Cinnamon and are 50 much capital in
vested for gain. There are said to be
1850 Of these girls in Chinatown, with
VARYING number Of Cinnamon ranging
from so 600 to 80, 600 according to the
season Of the year.
Since emigation has been prohibited
the value Of these girls has increased from
$500 each to $500 and sometimes more.
This life TO many Of these girls IS disa-
eTeeable, but having been bought and
sold so many times not one has any choice
and Is powerless 70 better herself, unless
she can escape 70 the Presbyterian Mis-
sion Home, situated in the midst
Of their own town. The city
council compelled them TO place
iron gratings over the openings in each
door, to prevent too much freedom, as a
girl in an apartment would snatch hat
or any other ericle convenient and de-
tain a passerbr. Behind these bars they
lcok ike prisoners.
There are not more then fifty women
Of high caste in san Francisco, or, as
they are called, Httle-feet women, and
they live very secluded, leaving their
homes never more than three times a year
and always in a carriage, with their faces
yelled ! heard Of one wife who had
been married fifteen years and had never
crossed her threshold since she entered
her home a bride.
About ten O'Clock We entered the thea
Ter, and IN place Of the usual way. our
guide conducted Us down narrow, wind /
ing steirs, through crooked passage WAYS,
BY dressing rooms. twisting and turning,
until We found ourselves on the stage
with the players. Then we knew why we
had been led around through such a
crooked entrance. Before us was a solid
49, s-.l-i~-, saca4 all men with
.z.lus "a all IduOns on tnelr heads and all
smoking. Their PLAYS generally last six
months, and the one then on the boards
was nearing the end. II was 1.-TWO Ad-
nizals, the principal characters being
two old men dressed exactly alike
Where the parts required women to ap-
pear, Chinese men were dressed as
women and their parts were given in a
high singing tone, with an aecompani- !
ment Of the hideous sounds of the Chin
ese orchestra. The property man sat back 1
Of the actors and in front Of the orchestra
and managed the only stage furniture, two
old chairs, which he would place for them
when required and then remove.
Into dark hall, down a fight Of stairs,
where the air was almost sitting, we fol- I
lowed our leader into an opium den. In
little room not larger than eight by ten /
feet, were six or eight hunks, with each (
IN occupant, smoking himself into for