Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-04-22
Letter From China.


The New Year has passed, and the
Chinaman has settled down to anoth'
er long year of continuous labor and
toll. Their New Year was ushered
in on the 31st day of January with
the usual display of fireworks, dragon
street professions and nightly illu-
limitations
Cinnamon will neither work, buy
or sell anything on the first day OF
their New Year. If you should neg
lect to lay in a stock of provisions
the day before, you would surely go
to bed hungry, for the markets and
all places of business are closed. At
ter the first day, the markets and
compradore Chinese merchant) shops
are open for few hours in the morn
ing, but business is practically at a
standstill for three days. The peo-
pie dress in fanciful colors and holt
day attire, and the festivities are
kept up for week.
Many millions of fire crackers were
used in Hong Kong. The Chinese
fashion is to suspend from a pole, jut-
ting out from the housetop. anywhere
from % to 1000 lunches of fire
crackers, and apply match to the
hA Of
line, and sometimes the center, is
decorated with large ball filled with
half a bushel of Chinese bombs, each
one of which is capable of rivaling a
small cannon fire. AS the noise in
creases the Chinaman grows cores
pondingly happy, and gradually pass
es from a state of mild enjoyment to
a fervor of bowling bliss, that reminds
one of an American "Indian Sun
Dance"
Stand anywhere in Hong Kong on
New Years, and listen, and you hear
one incessant, continuous roar, day
and night, for three days. One can
not see more than block ahead on
account of smoke. Besides being
useful as a noisy element, the fire
cracker serves a practical purpose by
disinfecting the entire city. 1t is also,
according to Chinese superstition, a
potent means of keeping his Satanic
Majesty at 4 respectful distance,
and of terrifying other evil spirits of
lesser note.
During the New Year L was fortu-
nate(?) in receiving an invite to a
Chinese family dinner. There were
present three Chinese ladies and three
Chinese men, and myself. With one
or two exceptions, l never knew what
| was eating for dinner. / don't know
whether it is peculiar trait with all
Americans or not, but for my part, |
prefer to know what | eat. However,
nv ignorance did not prevent me
from doing justice to the food placed
before me. l kept sharp lookout
for ''mi CHI Give mice and honey
and felt considerably relieved when |
found it wasn't included in the menu.
My efforts to talk little Chinese
to the ladies, and my awkwardness in
the use of chopsticks (f-chees) Gre
ated a good deal of merriment for the
company. At last, one OF the young
ladies, plying my awkwardness, be-
came compassionate, and good-nat'
uredly undertook to initiate me into
the mysteries of eating Chinese fash
ion, for which service L was extreme
" gratifed. We had tea in diminu
tive tea-cups, "play-house" style.
have no doubt it was very nice tea
Inever tasted any just like it before
but am not a tea drinker, so did no
enjoy it very well.
After tea / was presented with ;
Chinese water-pipe, filled with Chi
nese tobacco, which one of the ladies
lit for me. Being addicted to tn
use of the narcotic weed, l pronounc
ed this a decided improvement Oh
tea, and enjoyed it accordingly. Thel
we had music from some professional
musicians-at least, that is what the.
called it. The company seemed t.
enjoy it very much, and to conside
it first-class in every respect. say
that i was expected to go into costa
sizes over it, so / very deliberatel
did SO. When the time came for ap
piauding, ] went through series o
gymnastics, which gave apparent sat
isfaction. l was really glad to d
this, as it was a great relief to m
feelings. Candidly, between you an
/, it was just little the worst nois
had ever had the pleasure( y o
listening to, American Indians nc
excepted, and / began to wonder hoy
long it would endure. You remem
Der that pithy proverb, "When one
in Rome, one must not speak i'll of til
Pope" | thought of this and endeaV
Ored to look contented and interested
After the 'band" had performed
few 'sovertures" and made ali tn
noise they knew how. they gave
solos and singing-highly classical
no doubt. 1t may be l have de
PRAYED taste, which accounts for m
non-appreciation. However, | di
my duty in the gymnastic line q
stated intervals. | conclude that
Chinese dinner is very nice as nov
elty, or curis; that | enjoyed it a
such, and that life is too short fo
frequent indulgence.
Rear Admiral Chandler, L. S. \.
y man who had seen much service