Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-20
CHINAMEN BURNING PUNK.
They are Celebrating the Eve Of . New
Year Today.

Year Today.
THE LEGATION WILL ENTERTAIN TEE coREANs To-
MoRRow-THE LAUNDRYMEN KNOCKED OFF
WORK TODAY AND GAVE THEMSELVES Up TO ALL
KINDS OF ORIENTAL FUN.
Tomorrow il the true new year day &C
cording to the Chinese calendar. The celebra-
ton for the great event, however, began
promptly at II O'Clock Saturday night among
Cinnamon the world over and will continue
without any let up until Wednesday morning.
In this city, owing to the comparatively small
number Of Chinese residents the season 10 not
made so much Of as is the case in cities where
there il q well-defned China town. Feasting,
drinking, smoking and calling on ones friends
are down in the order of the day, and mo
washee today" is the answer given to inquiries
at all laundries run by representatives from
the iowery kingdom.
THE YEAR Is
The new year which is just making its ap-
pearance is, according to the Chinese calendar,
the sixteenth of the dynasty of Kuang su, the
present youthful emperor of China Every
new Chinese emperor has the honor Of begin
ming new epoch of time. At the Chinese le-
CATION In this city there are no formal celebra-
new year and around the legation building
everything seems surrounded with the usual
quiet and repose. Tomorrow, however. mat
tiers will hven up considerably to pay proper
tribute to the real new year day.
TO ENTERTAIN THE coREASs.
The Chinese legation will be assisted by the
Corean legation, as the two nations have the
same calendar, or, more properly speaking. the
same new year day, and tomorrow evening
the Chinese VIII entertain the Coreans at a
large dinner party which will no doubt be
celebrated with all due oriental pomp and
ceremony.
THE LAUNDRYMEN TAKE A HOLIDAY.
Men who like the gloss that q Chinese
laundryman gives to their collars and cuffs
were turned away when they carried soiled
linen to any Of the many shops scattered over
the city this morning. The wash board and
iron is laid away and the pig-tailed citizen
either stay at home and receive his guests or
go about and visit his friends. All of them
are like the now traditional Dan McGinty,
dressed in their best suit of Clothes for one of
the unwritten laws Of the country is that every
Chinaman must wear new suit throughout
the day and il he is too poor to buy one his
countrymen come to his rescue and make up a
purse.
PUNK AND CHINESE LILIES.
The curious visitor making the rounds today
nese laundry with a delightful aroma, faint,
pungent, pleasant, and if he remained long
enough he would find himself slightly intoxi-
Gated. If he looked around for the cause he
would see in small bowls Enthusiastically deco
rated, number of pink sticks covered at one
end with composition called punk. 1t is
slowly burning and the smoke is waited to the
roof and permeates the entire room. On tables
around the room are other bowls. also fantas-
tcally decorated with dragons and iquid-eyed
Chinese beauties, and these bowls contain
strange-looking foods, red, yellow and blue.
Here are also the Chinese sacred lily, better
known to Americans as the Narcissus, with long,
tender green shoots, and over all, suspended
from the ceiling by parti-colored cords, are two
lmmenses globes decorated with all manner of
strange grotesque figures.
HAVING GOOD TIME.
The morning was spent by the Cinnamon of
the town in lounging about their places, smok-
ing in the front room or playing Chinese games
In the rear. At noon the round of visits COM
menced and for twelve hours, or until midnight,
they Will continue uninterruptediy
They will fill themselves with the best of
native edibles and drink such tea as is seldom
tasted by the American or European. They
keep it for their own consumption and that
only on new year day.
The round of festivities will continue for an
entire week and will close next Sunday night
But little work will be done during this time.
though there is no social regulation against
working after today.
CHING LEE SHUTS Up.
There was a bland smile on the face of Ching
Lee when STAR reporter dropped in on him
this morning. He is the high priest of the
Celestials of Washington and is good English
scholar. Up to a month ago he ran an opium
joint in connection with his laundry on the
avenue between Sd and Az streets. but the Do
lice broke itup. Ching wore a flowing robe of
blue China satin and his feet were encased in a
set of new sandals. He wore a black satin can.
with a red tassel, on his head, which had been
recently shaver, and his queue was newly
plated. He was about to tell the reporter all
all about the great festival of the year. when
he was stopped by shrill cry from the back
room, which sounded like "Coolah ting Sc
pooyeck." 1t worked like magic on Ching, for
his lips were Immediately sealed and he would
say no more. Doubtless they thought ii was
another raid on the place that the police were
planning.
NO FAN TAN TO-DAY.
The Chinese gambling house on AZ street
near the Avenue was closed tightly and the
building wore deserted appearance. Only a
little piece of yellow paper with hieroglyphics
on 1t was stuck under the stairway What this
meant is not known.
Just their whittier brethren the natives of
China exchanged little bits of cards today.
They are merely bits of tissue paper with their
names painted on in Chinese characters.