The morning call., 1890-04-15
" CHINATOWN VAGS."
Victims of the Terrible Habit of
"KOnk " Drinking.
BOW Hundreds Of Young White Men Become
Its Slaves-The Law Should Interfere
to Prevent Its Sale.

Chinatown with Its gambling and opium dens
Its houses OF il-repute It's clannish system OF
law and its organized gangs Of murderons high
binders, has become familaTized TO every San
Franciscan.
The variety OF iniquity In the Monaghan quar-
ter has been written up in all Its disgusting de-
tails Ii has come out through cases which have
been brought to the notice of the police, and by
N cans of the courts, where the cases have been
well ventilated.
One glsring feature OF the district is but little
known outside OF the quarter itself. This fea-
tuTe is ''the Chinatown vaG,' as he is called by
The bluecoated guardians OF the peace who are
sent there by Chief Crowley.
Among that class who have sworn to do no
work While life lasts and industrious people have
wealth ana property the Chinatown hummer is q
klng-pin. His equal would be hard to fnd either
in the slums Of New York or IN the lowest quar-
tiers OF London.
DEGRADED SPECIMENS.
81 do not think there is any large city which
can show more degraded specimen Of humanity
than our Chinatown vagrant," said Sergeant OF
Police, who is detailed In The quarter, TO CALL
reporter yesterday. HE is built in the Image of
man and yet has the instincts Of the lowest
brute IN Inc animal creation"
Is lie different from other loungers and bum
mers2" inquired the lei OTter.
"Oh, yes" was the ielly. "He could not
exist without Chinat own. II it was moved out
side OF the city limits, in accordance with the
Bingham law, tomorrow, lie would 90 with II,
although he would undoubtedly make periodical
Tips 10 the city"
After few moments reflection the Sergeant
started in TO give history Of the rise and growth
OF the vagrautS
They we've not recog nized as class until sew
eral years ago" lie said. Fifteen vars ago
there were few white tramps who sought out
The Chinese quarter aud slept IN Railways there
al night During the day, though, they lounged
nd q n B d -
trlctS, begging or Trying TO steal Al NIGHT they
IOamed IN CHINATOWN.
" Gradually their numbers grew and they were
nearly one hundred III number All we're mid
dle-aged or old men, who had driited down the
liver Of lie and finally been dumped Into a cess
pool as II were. They had no principle or serupe
OF any kind, and would as leave throttle man
tOr quarter as not"
NOT OPIUM FIENDs.
They were opium 1ends, presume" said the
NO, not in any way. All they cared for was
liquor OF any kind. lheiT ambition was 10 get
drunk aud sleep oil the effects OF their debaueh
il a hallway or a cheap Chinese lodging house.
They cOu.d get a bunk for nickel with some
oHty heather. The opium fends were a differ
ent class, then.
They consisted of young hoodlums, who were
never seen III Chinatown, unless they went theIe
10 hit the pipe.' at other times they would not
he seen IN The quarter. Now, While opium
smokers are rare IN Chinatown. They lave
learned tie ropes, and have thelr outfits In the
cheap lodging-houses south OF MarAet street,
aud in other convenient places. They are not
dependent On the Chinese.
The Chinese made The bummers who now in
Test their district. As soon the Opium-SmOk-
els began TO desert lie deus the Chinese, in their
cunning way, began TO cast their eyes about, and
IL was mol long before They discovered tile fond
ness OF the Chinatown bummers for drink. Up
10 his time the bummers drank stale steam beer,
which they get cheap, or rotgut whisky, pur-
chased II IOH-dONn places along the water front.
JOHN SIZED Up AFFAIRS.
Cunning John sized up the state Of affairs
and decid d that If lie could not keep the opium
bummeTs. a joint was opened jackson
sIteet, where whisky was sold at The rate of ;
cents glass ana large lumber of stale beer
for the same price. II soon became the resort
Tor tie bummeIs, and they hung around there
by the score. They no longer wandered down.
town, except 20 beg money.
The success OF The place caused opposition.
An euterprising Celestial opened another place
on dupont street, IN cellar, ana drove thrlv-
ing Trade. Not only did White tramps frequent
these places, but there were many Cinnamon
who dropped In and took their drinks, American
fashion, and INDUCED IN d game OF pool, for
both places were supplied with tables.
The whiseyl Well, you can Imagine It's
quality when you consider the price aud the
TACT that each man poured out fun glass every
time. II was concoctlOn OF alcohol fusel oil,
red pepper aud goodness only knows what else.
Those were The pioneer days for The bum
mers. Now there are dozen placeSin China
town, but they are conducted on a different
scale and IN another way. Whisky Is 10 longer
sold. II Is now called Chinese gin, or 'konk,' as
the lrainps ealit Prices have gone down, too,
with keen ged cOmpel lion.
Two drinks OF konk are given now for a
nickel. The mixture is something frlghtful, and
nlckeps worth Will supeIinduce jag with even
the hardest Of the copper-lined tramp drinkers.
II can be made very cheaply and is powerful in-
deed.
A NEW GENERATION OF yAGs.
From the Introduction OF kOnk dates the new
generation of Chinaio own vags. The old boys
could not gel accustomed 10 the change 10 a new
liquor, and dfopped away. In their place Is
small army OF brOken-dOwn young men. Where
the greater number Of them came from or how
they got 10 their present degraded condition 1t is
hard 10 Tell.
There are hundreds OF them, aud 1t is pitlabe
IN Tue extreme TO see them. honk-dfiuklng is
WoISe lnan opium smoking even. Ii not only
ma es slaves OF lis yotaries, but causes them 10
become animals. konk-dIinker is devoid Of
feeling, ambition, or any principle OF manhood.
lie only lives 10 drink konk. When under the
influence they absolutely Insane, aud wander
about ehatteIing ike Idiots. They minGe with
the Chinese, aud sleep with them. IL Is seldom
they get out of Chinatown"
Where do thy get the money from to pur-
by wandering around and picking up Junk,
which they sell TO Chinese dealers. Or, II that
fails they 60 as fai as kearny street and strike
lie beggars who lnfest The downtown streets are
Chinatown buns, aud whenever they get 10 or
10 cents they hasten up here 10 get their LIQUOR
Rnd become drunk.
No SEDUCTIVE EFFECTS.
What pleasure there is in it l don't know as
have head 1t said The only effect OF konk is
10 produce splitting headache aud an intoler-
able burning OF the stomach. 1t does not even
Iossess The seductive power of opium in Its in
hueuce"
Is konk drinking on the Increase"
" an sorry to say that IL Is, and the victims
are all young white men. Some halt should be
called by the proper authorities TO prevent these
Chinese nends from carrying on such nefarlOus
business. l know for fact that among those
who are now confirmed Chinatown bummers are
many who are The sons of respectable people IN
this city.
- There is a young man now across the street,
said Tie officer, pointing 10 an emaciated youth
atIired IN d pair Of blue oyeralls, a dirty black
sack coat and greasy felt hat, who was
nastening along, " whose family lives on Rincon
Hin and IS wealthy ana respectable. He drtfted
away somehow, and now he is wreck. An, see
lie is gong into konk-shop now. He begs
money from his mother ana sisters by letter and
spends II here ON kOnk and. cigarettes All
enOltS TO reclaim him have been futile. / don't
suppose lie Will live more than ak months"
"1Ou would think he'd wear better clOtnes2'i
said The officer In response TO a question. ooh
mol He'd not be true kouk fiend II he did
1hey cant keep clothes except Of the Kind which
they can't pawn.
SOLD HIS CLOTHES.
"He had several good suits, but when money
run low he'd take them TO a Chinese pawnbrokef
get these OTeralis and dirty coat and a bonus
10 spend on konk. They are all alike. The only
use they have for good Clothes Is 10 pawn them.
Among the Migrants is young Eugllshman,
who Is well connected 10 tile old country. lie
gets an allowance, TOO, which Is spent the same
way. lie got here about TWO years ago and
Joined The Dumners. His relatives have sent
agents out here to Try aud reclaim lin, but 1t Is
no use. Once they took him TO Honolulu, but on
his return lie gave his guardians the slip and was
IN his old naunts.
"He has been sent to the House of Correction
twice for conspiracy. His friends have given
INN up and now only send him enough money 10
live on. Well, those are only two sample cases
cut oil hundreds. Chinatown Is flooded with
young white bummers, VINO are identified win
the quarter and slaves OF the terrible konk
habit. No time should be lost In closing I'D
these Chinese gin-shops."