Mohave County miner., 1889-05-25
LAUNDRYMEN'S HUMOR.
a BACHELOR DESCRIBES SOME FEa-
TURES or MokooLlAh LIFE.
A Chinaman Who Became Slave 10 uis
yeice--IIop Wah as Jokei--Fond Of a
socia. Glass--Toid ip Conflsienee--''Sar
su" and Chinese Sandwiches.

feet high, vino had n store on Washington
street. Next door 20 him was sa Italian
shoemaker. Ice. for that was the laundry.
mans name. was most taeiturn indi
vidual, even for one of his race. but he
had peculiarly. He used TO sing, not
only In his shop. but also, In lower voice.
when lis wss walking along the street.
" was when he was hard at work upon
tho bosom Of some refractory shirt that
he could be heard al ais best, or. as some
might pnt IL. at his worst. Lees voice
was not pleasing cae, even when cxcr
cised on the lower notes only but when
be had got warmed up and essayed 70
reach the higher key it was positively
heartfending How hla sabordiuatcs. Of
WHOM ho Lad two, stood Ii, Is beyond
hulnal eorlpsrrension Lees voice grew
upon him. and when last know him he
was perfect slave 10 II.
MY next laundTyman was character
He was about 30 years old, fairly good
locking, judged by the American stand
ard, ard spoke English quito Ruently.
He answered to tire name Of Hop Wah.
but always called him Hop for short.
EoIErHISo or 4 doREn
by degrees, and when | had satisfied
Hop that | had no intention nf patroniz.
Ing his rival across the street, for whom
hc entertained o profound yet plying
contempt. he told me some Of his history.
TIC had been ten years In America, and
about six ycasa II Brooklyn Iasked him
ono day if his parents were alive. He re
piled that he believed his mother was,
and added. Old man dead long time.
Then ho laughed quite ncrrily, as II the
elder Hops dccease was good deal of G
TIL
!tly, and this accounted for his prof.
eieacy In the English languages lie went
TO Mott street quite frequently, too, as he
informed me, and in his way | think was
foander. Happening one afternoon to
notice God Bless Our Home motto OF
:Ge regulation pattern fastened to the
wall alongside Of Chinese almanac,
asked him IL he was Christian. lie
shook his head very emphaticaIly, and
then laughed so that thought he would
fall off his high stool When / said that
IL seemed queer to find Christian motto
In heathen place of business, he winked
at me with great delibcrati,In and re.
marked, jerking his thumb In the direc.
ton of the card, Catch trade; everything
goes. Certainly there were no flies on
Hop, and his knowledge of current slang
was both profound and aptly applied. By
and by he got moro notices. and in a
short time the shop inside locked like
mission school. Is.
One very cold afternoon last winter
be was about half frozen when he called
at my room with the week washing. As
he laid down the bundle he made some
remark about the temperature which
sounded vastly like an expression used by
unregenerate Christians and proceeded TO
rub his hands vigorously. Noticing that
he looked afiectionatciy upon a glass of
hot whisky and water which I had Just
brewed for myself, asked him If he
would have one. Hop didn't mind If he
did, and by the manner In which he got
away with the stcaming beverage | was
led to believe that 1t was not by any
means his first attempt. AfteT. this got
into the way of Offering him horn when.
ever he happened to find mo in, and ]
can't recollect that he ever refused. One
Of his weekly visits was made the day be.
fore last Christmas. was feeling at
peace with the world myself, aud when
Hop had got away with his customary re
fresher / suggested that another would
not hurt him. ue agreed with me, re.
marking quite airily that he would have
to go me, and helped himfelf to his
second drink, an even larger ore than the
first, and that was no tablespoonful
GROWING CONFIDENTIAL. -.
mot to be outdone in generosity he Of
fercd me cigar, which he took out of his
hat, and which defined, having already
had experience of likewise cigars. think
Hop must have struck hospitality In other
quarters before reaching me, for after the
second glass of whisky he took chair
by the fire and put his heels up on the
mantelpiece. He was remarkably good
humored and growing confidential Said
he was about tired of work, and thought
that he would soon go back to China,
where he would marry and settle down to
q life of ease At the references TO mar
riage he stuck bis thumb among my ribs
and chuckled after the fashion Of Asiatics.
When he arose to go saw plainly that in
addition to his large bag Of clothes he
would have to carry home with him very
well developed jag. He waved his hat at
me as he left the room, and heard him
trying TO whistle as he went down the
first flight Of stairs. At the head Of the
second fight he lost his balance and fell
beadlong, striking tho street do1r as If he
had been shot out Of catapult. He was
not hurt, at least he did not appear to be,
for, picking himself and his bag up, he let
himself out, and from the window next
saw him tacking rather unsteaGily down
the street in the direction of his home.
He made no reference to his mishap when
he called again, nor did say anything,
but Hop got no more whisky.
Early in the new year he called one
morning before was up. CARRYING with
him a bottle of rice brandy 'Sar, Su as
1t is called in China, and some Chinese
sandwiches. He said 1t was some kind Of
feast day among his people and he wished
me to have share of the good things
going. Finding the Sam Su too rich for
my stomach, | placed 1t on top of con
venient ash barrel in the street. IL any
one drank 1t, 7 pity him sincerely. The |
sandwiches werequite novelty and taken
before breakfast found them to be quite |
appetizing Instead OF bread slices Of |
lemon were used, aud in place OF meat or |
cheese green ginger, slightly gprinkled |
with salt. These sandwiches, hop sub |
sequently informed me, were In great de. |
mand in his own country by gentlemen |
who had made night of IL. Last May |
Hop sailed for Hong Kong, taking with |
him in the inside pocket of his silk blouse !
$1,000 in American gold. IIe called TO /
wish me eood.by, and expressed his hope |
that II he should ever return to Brooklyn, |
which, however, WAS not likely would |
again favor him with my custom. -
&c. X. c." In Brooklyn Eagle.