Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-13
"CHINAT0WN
'THEsTRANGE PEOPLE WHO LIVE
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Thcir Habits, Their Crowded Homes
and Tlicir Work - In II Chi
hcsc Thcatcr-Etichly Fur
nishcd Restaurants

| by Il class Of foreigners, who have chosen
one ol the choice locations of the city and
| Spfcic themselves over the territory un-
III the scinbancc of the old location is al
most lost by the changes this strange pco-
| pie have produced This is Chinatown,
iaclng Il small park and directly opposite
police headquarters on the opposite side
OF the park
party of fourteen. accompanied by II
policeman, as guide, made e visit into the
strange town, cntcrin. about o'clock in
the evening, us night is the proper time
Tor such Il visit. Our first point of con
tact WAS going up Sacramento street, and
Inc change from America to Chinatown
is almost instantaneous. As we climbed
the hill, we looked down in the base
mcntS where in Il 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 undcrscll white H.
Dor, yet | found they were ready to ask
big price if III American was willing
to pay.
Our first visit WAS 20 Joss house, and
to our sorrow the handsomest in furnish
ings were closed, as the Chnaman rocs
10 his temple to say his prayers and then
about ms sins, just as many other NOR
tals. we found the lighted taper in
iheSc temples, and they were never al
lowed to be without, for fear the devil
would put i'll an appearance. There were
many fine carvings and images we did
not understand and no one could explain.
but there was very old bell which an
IiS In
ii was tapped with the mallct, and every
where ihcaitcndant ready 10 receive aims.
From the temple we were led to the
living quarters, where IL dozen or more
sleep III Il room not more than ten feet
square. In crOwdiug around tried to
occupy IS little space aS possible for fear
of living things crawling. In one cour;
the stencil was horrible, us our visit had
been preceded 10y long season of rain.
and our way WAS damp and Shiny. In
the center Of the cour. was the General
cooking establishment, where all dwclIcrs
in TIA: locality came to cook. The no
liceman lighted Il match that we might
look III and see what a little, dirty place
IT was, whcrcupon an old Chinaman OBJ
jectcd, 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 mothcr-of- pearl CHAIRS with
out backs and settceS, almost priceless
III value and very difficult to secure. |
believe Editor De Young, of the Chyoniclc.
has his diniug room furnished with
Chinese furniture. The several apart
mcnis are divided 10y carvings, spindle
work and drarcricS brought from Chn,
and something of their value may he
realized from the statement made to us,
that after Il fire in II restaurant where we
were, the greatest injury WIS from water:
yet the insurance companies paid SO, 600
for their loss incurred. The tables were
LAID with chor-siicks and tiny cup and
dishcS, very pretty to !0oi, at, but more
like dolls furnishings than for urown
men. Chickens boiled in oil, fish boiled
in oil and queer locking vegetables.
Eggsarc brought packed in mud, lGok:n"
anything. bui fresh laid, and from the re-
ports of those 10 whom they have hcem
served, anything hut appctizing We
found queer looking cooks preparing
food iii every place, until il seemed to ms
this people turned night into day ami
suciit 'lcn time eating.
We went through several narrow VIEWS
or alleys and on either side were rows of
windows. In each door and standing
before the windows was Chinese girl,
many looking not more than twelve or
fourteen years old. These girls are owned
by Cinnamon and are so much capital in
vested for gain. There are said to he
l3Oo of these girls in Chinatown, with q
varying number OF Cinnamon ranging
from 10, 600 to 10000 accortlin. TO the
season OF the year
Since emigration 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-
grccaDic, but having been bought and
sold so many times not one has any choice
and Is powcrlcsS to better herself, unless
She can escape To 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 :;
girl i'll an apartment would snatch :: hat
or any other crticlc convenient and de-
tain passcrby. Behind these bars they
look like prisoners.
There arc not more then fifty women
Of high caste in San Francisco, or, as
they are called, little-fcet women, and
they live very secluded, leaving their
homes never more than three times Il year
and always i'll Il 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 Il 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 stairs, 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 ii solid
mass of expressionless faces, all men with
hats of all nations on their heads and all