Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-11
THROUGH CHINATOWN.
SANITARY INSPECTOR STARR MAKES
HIS ANNUAL TOUR.
Condition-Still, 1t is a Real
Chinatown.


Condition-Stiu, 1t is Real
Chinatown.
For the past two days Sanitary and
Building Inspector A. H. Starr has been
making house-to-house inspection of
Chinatown, thoroughly examining all of
the rooms, cellars and dark hooks and cor.
ners in the houses occupied by the Chinese
on l street, from Second to Fifth. This
tour is made once year, and occupants of
houses who do not understand the Eng
lish language are given a circular, on
which is printed the health ordinance in
Chinese characters. Although the general
inspection is made but annually it is not
the only time the Inspector visits the prem
ises. Probably couple of times a week
he takes look into the different wards
and notifies the owners to have Them
cleaned If decaying matter is found in
them. The examination lust made, how
ever, was quite thorough, and each build
Ing was inspected from the cellar to the
upper story. The network of tunnels and
alley-ways in the Easements was traversed,
and with the aid of lantern and candle
all of the dark and dingy rooms were
looked through.
"A RECORD UNION reporter accompanied
Mr.. Starr, and they met with no resistance
from the Cinnamon occupying the houses.
They all appeared to know the reason of
the visit, and willingly showed the In
spector around. A year ago, however, the
state of affairs was different when the ex-
"
were then suspicious, and very reluctant
about permitting the officer to go through
their houses. In many cases they offered
such resistance that force had to be used
against them, and the work was not only
difficult but dangerous. While passing
through one of the dark, narrow passages
that abound in that quarter, it would be an
easy matter for a Chinaman to suddenly
open one of the doors and knock any per-
son senseless.
Alter the first few houses were visited
and the object learned by the occupants,
the news spread all through Chinatown,
and it was probably not more than half
hour before every Chinaman knew of it.
Chinatown is not such filthy place as
people generally imagine. To be sure
there are rooms in the cellars where even
the taintest ray of daylight is never visible,
but yet there are no foul-smelling odors
noticeable, save, perhaps. the fumes of the
oplum-pipe or the smoke of Chinese to-
bacco. The ceilings and walls in the
cellars are blackened by smoke from the
Kitchen, but the doctors claim that to this
TACT is due the comparatively small
amount OF disease among the inhabitants
Most of the yards are kept clean, but
there are some which need the attention of
a scavenger. Note was taken of these, and
the owners of the property will be notified
to remove the objectionable matter. Some
OF the vaults were found to be in a filthy
condition, and if not soon cleaned arrests
Will be made. The system of drainage, al
though not the best in the world, is quite
good. III some of the easements the sipage
water is above the flooring, and in such
cases passageways are made with planks
and boxes, so that the different bedrooms
can be reached, and once in his couch, the
Ghinaman does not appear to care for sur
roundlngs, provided the water does not
reach his bunk, which as general rule is
about two feet above the floor
The manner in which the Cinnamon
utilize space would be a surprise to persons
not familiar with their customs and ways.
stove or cooking place will very often be
found at the further end of narrow hall
way, and the wonder is that fires are not
more frequent. Beneath the sidewalks
there are sleeping. rooms, store houses and
kitchens, and space that is not used for
some purpose is hard to find. Old baskets,
sacks, wood, ETC., are slowed away in dark
corners.
Commencing at Second and l streets, on
the southeast corner, the examination was
begun and the first place entered was a
cellar, the door of which was bolted. The
place had been deserted on account of the
sipage water, and cloths were tackled on
the doors and windows. These were torn
away and the interior of the place was
inspected. The rooms were all vacant
with the exception of one, and in pushing
aside piece of mating which hung over
the doorway, Chinaman was discovered
sleeping on bed, the bottom of which
was just out of water. He was awakened,
and in answer to questions said that he
was sick "a statement that seemed to be
true, judging from the nature of his sur
roundlngs and the stencil arising from de-
cayed matter in the sipage water. He
further stated that he would go out by-and-
by and get something TO eat, and the In
spector left him there. He was afterwards
seen on the street
The houses where the tan games and
lotteries are run, were all open, with the
exception of one or two, by the time the
Inspector arrived to examine them.
man could be seen anywhere in the
houses. There was one place, however,
which must not have been aware of the
approach of the party, but the door was
slammed and locked in an instant when
the officer and reporter had got within a
few feet of it. In about three minutes it
was opened and the occupants had mysteri-
ously vanished.
bell-cord was noticeable outside the
door of one OF the tan houses, but the willy
heathens did not ''sabee' what it was for at
all. While passing into a hallway leading
10 one of the gambling rooms the reporter
noticed bolt on the outside of the door
nearest the street, and arriving at the door
at the other end of the passage. found it
fastened by lock on the inside. He
naturally wondered for moment why
both locks were not on the inside, but sud-
denly remembered the incident which hap
peDed recently while officer Rowland was
trying to capture a Chinaman in place
similar to this. The officer had entered
door No. l, but on reaching the exit door
at the other end found it locked. He
rushed back to the first door and 10 his
dismay, found that it had been pulled to
and bolted after he had entered He was
kept imprisoned in the hallway until the
Cinnamon had time to secrete themselves,
and then suddenly one of the doors flew
open and he walked out, considerably
sadder and great deal wiser
In the row of houses on the north side of
/ street, between Second and Third, there
are one or two degraded white women who
live in rooms in the cellars, with only
Chinese for companions.
Several of the cesspools in this block are
in bad condition, and the property. owners
should be made to cleanse them before the
warm weather sets in.
Mr.. Starr claims that, as a whole, the
sanitary condition of Chinatown is quite
satisfactory, but admits that there are cer-
tain places that require constant inspection
and regulation.
VETERANS HOME.