Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-28
A QUEER SPOT
WHERE FUNNY SIGHTS ARE DAILY
OBSERVED,
Little Alley Back of the Plaza-Who
Frequents It-Beer- Drinking Cinnamon.

Frequents It-Beer- Drinking Cinnamon,
The majority of the people of Los An
geles are unacquainted with the dark
corners or this city, and if they knew
how to find them would probably be
afraid to trust themselves in such places.
Chinatown, for instance, which no east
ern tourist would dream of passing by
without at least superficial inspection,
is spot almost unknown to the average
Angeleiio. He knows not how it
smells in those purlius where filth and
gilt dragons, dirt and paper flowers are
intermingled into an ineXtricable mass;
of a Chinese st. Laurent is suspended in
front of butcher shops and gradually
carved up until nothing remains but the
tail; where baby fishes, the size of a
little finger, caught unlawfully in our
bays, are sold dried and withered to be
eaten alike by the epicure and the coolie
from the land of the son of the moon.
There is one spot in Chinatown which
is we'll known to the younger generation
OF this city, that is the younger genera
tion of its dregs. When the shades of
evening have fallen over the city and
the electric light throws its glare over
the garden in the plaza, making this
pretty spot appear as small corner
picked ont by kodak out of the earthly
paradise, numbers of people are seen
going beyond the engine-house tow ards
little alley situated between Los An
geles and Alameda streets. For those
who 60 out in that direction there is in
that alley an attraction not met else
where. On the right hand in it there
are a number of holes in the wall, sordid-
looking holes they are, too, the furniture
of which consists of a solitary dilapidated
billiard table and few cues. In each
of these places Chinese gambler reigns
supreme His billiard table is his stock
in trade, but the money of his patrons
pays his rent. The play is ''tivoli,"
and each one playing in it puts up
small amount, probably 10 cents, to par
ticipate in the pool, the dealer always
taking out a respectable percentage for
his expenses. 1t is not proposed to eX-
plain the peculiarites Of this percentage
game, but rather to pass in review the
people who frequent it. Here you see
young man, prematurely old, his face of
livid hue, the result of opium smok-
ing, hypodermic injections, want and
dissipation. His clothes are torn and
his shirt bosom filthy. He does not
work for living and he does not steal
yet he has always a few dimes.
Next to him stands swarthy young
toilet, who has probably toiled all the
week, working very hard, and who is
now going to tempt fortune at ten cents
a tempt. He will leave broke, and
beans an noturel will be his bill of fare
until the following payday. Colored
men, japanese and Irish laborers are
there too, and occasionally decently
dressed young man, who has evidently
lost his bearing, is encountered toying
with the cue and getting left. AS to the
Chinese, they swarm in the alley. They
are born gamblers, and never lose their
temper if the game goes against them.
1t seems that play only could bring out
their wit, for it is not unusual to hear
them start off in asquealy laughter when
one of them, having made a miscue, is
assailed by the lazzis of his countrymen.
There is something picturesque about
the alley at night, when Chinese Ian
terms are hung out from the top windows
and the oriental crowd, interspersed
with Caucasions, move up and
down continually on the verandah of
the row of gambling dens, the further
part of which seems to be suspended on
stills. Add to this the unearthly noise
of Chinese orchestra on the balcony,
and it is a toss-up whether you will not
believe yourself in Kwang Tung or in
one of the deadfalls of Whitechapel,
London.
1t has been asserted that John China
loo4o
concerned, but he likes his beer, and he
likes it in big glasses, too. On the right
side of the alley is the entrance to the
almost exclusively by Chinese. After
dark they follow each other in Indian
file to the bar and swallow huge schoon-
ers of Philadelphia, at five cents glass.
1t is almost as good as play to see All
Sam or All Cow walking up to the coun-
ter and ordering his lager. First he pulls
up his right sleeve until you think that
he is going to disrobe, and holding it
with his left hand grasps the glass, tilts
his head back like drinking hen, and
down goes the iced liquid, the same as
rain down spout. The look of COM
plaisance that overspreads the heathen's
sallow face when the beer is sliding
down is worth the entrance fee to
circus. Having placed the empty glass
on the counter, his next proceeding is a
dive for the mysterious place where he
keeps his wealth. Some seem to get
their arms down their clothes so far
that it looks suspiciously as if their
Doodle was hidden in their socks !;
others appear to have it con-
cealed under their arm pits. 1t
is safe to say that no one can guess be-
forehand from what remote part of his
anatomy the Chinese customer is going
to dig up the wherewithal. But John
drinks beer, pays for it, repeats the
operation several times, and does not
get drunk or abusive. Some of them,
too, who have adopted the Mclean way
of imbibing, have the strangest ideas OF
how to mix their booze. A big, strong
fellow last night ordered cocktail,
which he Immediately drowned in a
schooner of beer. He didn't wink at
the decOction mol he smiled and went