Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-09
CHINESE STORE CLOTHES
~ Visit to tho Establishment of Nov
 YOrk's Pig-Tailed PoclC.

CHINESE STORE CLOTHES 4 Visit to tho Establishment of New
 York's Pis-Tailcd Poelo.
 There are many Chinese tailor shops in New York. Mott street is filled with them. They are in cellars, where pig-tailed Mon golians sit end watch on three-Ieggzd stools, and password or detective is needed to pass stranger from the street. They are in the rear of first-foor shops and some are In upper stories, through long, winding halls that smell of dried fish, boll- ing birds nests and frying pigs tails. The clothes are kept on dingy shelves and in boxes under dark counters, and only form part of the general stock, like nails in hardware shop. But there IS only one Poole in New York, and he has no imitators, says the New York Mail and Express. To imi- tate our Celestial Poole requires more cap ital than the average Chinaman possesses. MT. Poole is known to the business public as Mei Lee Wa 6 Co.,, and is familiarly called MT. Mei by those who have the honor Of his personal acquaintance. His place of business is in the Bowery, where he occu- pies the first floor and the basement of one of the largest buildings under the shadow of the elevated road.
 The tailor shop looks as little like the cus- tomary clothing store as Chinese laundry uoOo 1AhS AuIIdy hll1 uFaWluS-TOOm. It is large room filled with tables piled high with goods, and clothing seems to be about the only thing that is not offered far sale.
 A casual caller might fancy at the door that Mir. Mei kept a tea store. Before he had gone twenty feet he would credit him with keeping crockery store. Another half-dozen paces would change his opinion again, with another change in the appear ance of the store. On the first row of ta- bles are kept Chinese wares of all styles and at all prices, from common crockery sets worth s5 each to superb red vase valued at s1,0O0. On the next row are glassware and square boxes holding teas and spiced herbs. Behind glass cases, against the wall, are knick- k-knacks in ivory and gilt, worth a weeks wages for every square inch of surface. Farther back in the store are laundry goods and the vari- ous utensils used by the frugal Mongolians for their housekeeping.
 The Chinese Poole is Macy and Rid ley combined. Against the rear wall, which conceals from the barbarian world the living apartments of Mir. Mei and pretty Mrs. Mei, is kept the clothing. It is all made in China and imported in bulk. Here are clothes enough to deck out the 5000 China men of New York in holiday attire and keep them in their Sunday clothes for year.
 A Chinaman's everyday outfit is beauti- ful in it's simplicity. It consists of a pair of loose trousers almost as short as panta- lettes and entirely wanting in frills, an undershirt, a short coat that Is called Chan Sa Tien, or something that sounds like that, and an overcoat known to the initiated as a Foo Soi Sam. The boots, called Tien San Hi, together with the hat and hosiery, complete the wardrobe.
 The undershirt does not differ materially hat h1yv, ftxyoN Novr ,1r1,a is usually made of pongee silk. Chinese dudes when not working in their laundries wear finer grades of silk. The long coat Is only worn on festal occasions by the common classes of Chinese. The working men usual ly content themselves with the short coat. The long garment costs from $1O to s15, de. pending upon the wealth and rank of the wearer. The lowest priced article is made of coarse silk and is usually blue or black in color.
 The short coat sometimes costs 800, but the variety usually seen on the streets can be bought for from s to $S. It is made of 1 silk and is often given waterproof gloss and does double service as coat and um- brella.
 The sandal-shaped boots are made o1 cloth and have soles an inch thick. These soles are fashioned of layers of cotton | pressed. together, and are as impervious tc moisture as sole leather. The tops of the shoes are embroidered, and they sell al from s1.50 to $50 pair.
 As none of the coats have sleeves the selection of suit of Chinese clothes is botl simple and satisfactory. The customer 1 simply fits the garment around his neck and takes care to select one that is not to' long for him and the task Is done.
 l Chinese boots have no right or left, ant the only care in choosing pair is to SCI that they are not too tight or so loose as t. rub up and down at the heel.
 1 MT. Mei's clerks follow an admirable sys tenn in selling their clothing by the whole sale. They have number of little wooder manikins which are dressed in the variou: costumes offered for sale. These are tht samples and from them the choice is made
 The higher grades of clothing are not of fered for sale indiscriminately. They arr the marks of rank and can only be worn b, those entitled to the honor. I am not cer tain about this point, but understand iron Mir. Meis second assistant, whose knowl edge of English is but little moro extensiv than my acquaintance with Chinese, that Is not permitted them to sell high grad clothing to base born customer. But how ever that may be, I saw no rich garments il the assortment, and even the manikin wearing such goods were carefully put ou 1 O1 the way III one or the SlaSS cases Dy tn door.
 While there are number of Chimes
 clothing stores in New York, there is n
 Chinese tailor. All clothing is ready made Thanks to the Celestial style of coats, ever
 one, from giant to 8 hump backed dwarf
 can be fitted with equal ease, and as t
 trows CTS, all that is ever seen of them b
 the public Is the bottoms, which to be i
 style must flap against the ankles at ever
 step.
 1 Benefits of Electric Lighting.
 There can be no doubt that the reduction
 of the fire risk to a minimum by the inver
 tion and subdivision of the electric light an
 its commercial success has contributed in
 marked degree both to the business enter
 prise and social happiness of the presen
 decade. Ocean steamships and smalle
 crafts are now equipped with the incar