Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-01-07
CHINESE RESTAURANTS.
Celestial Dainties Served Up in the Land OF
the Mclean Man.

Celestial Dainties Served Up In the Land of
the Mclean Man.
The Chinese restaurant is a weird.
peculiar institution in this city of which
few people have any knowledge. There
are five eating houses located on Race
street between Ninth and Tenth Thew
flourish in their chief glory after night
| falls, and from dark until two o'clock
in the morning the flavor of Chinese
hot soup fills the air.
These restaurants although they are
patronized largely by Cinnamon, are in
tended for the accommodation also of
Americans, and they have quite num-
Der o. Caucasian patrons. Actors seem
to have peculiar faculty for find ng
such odd resorts, and they often go to
these restaurants in small parties
Ladies as well as gentlemen visit these
Joints for the houses are altogether
orderly and decent, unless one draws
the line at their peculiar odor. A few
night workers know these restaurants
and are in the habit of dropping into
them after midn ght
On the ground floor of the restaurant
there is laundry or Chinese store. The
visitor ascends a narrow, uncarpeted
stairway to the second floor. He is not
half way Hp before his nose tells him
that he is in peculiar quarters 1t is
impossible to describe the smell of a
Chinese restaurant 1t is something
like mixture of burnt wool. strong
tobacco and black tea. 1t is almost al
ways offensive at the first but the
visitor soon becomes accustomed to it
The eat ng room has many strange
features. The walls are hung closely
with strips of crimson paper, bearing
characters in black and gold. Red cur
talns hang at the windows and red
draping depends from the mirror frames.
The Celestial regards red as the most
beautiful of colors. and puts it every
whore possible. The tables are very
high, at least three feet and a half from
the ground. Around them are placed
high stools, on which the Cinnamon
perch with ease. The experimenter
finds them trying on the back.
The bill of fare includes soup, boiled
rice and meats. A bowl of noodle soup
costs only ten cents and with it goes a
pot OF tea. The bowl is liberal in size,
and as the waiter places it before you
on the table he lays beside it two black
chop sticks, a pot of tea and tiny cup,
and small fat dish, like butter dish,
containing a reddish-brown fluid. This
Is sauce, which you are supposed to
pour into your soup. What it's ingredi-
ents are is mystery not given to Occi-
dentals to know. The tea is of excel
lent quality, and is served without milk
or sugar. A Cinnamon would be para
lyzed with astonishment if a visitor
were to adulterate the beverage with
such things. The soup is made offinely
cut noodles imported from China. The
boxes in which they come, constructed
Of rushes, stand about the side of the
room. Mixed with the noodles and the
beef broth in which they are boiled are
pieces of tender meat. The meat is
alleged to be beef or veal What it
really is there is no need to inquire as
1t is toothsome.
When the visitor has drank his tea
and eaten his soup, dipping up his broth
with unique porceIean spocn, ana
arises to pay his dime. he is offered
cigarette. Some of the Chinese smoke
C Cigarettes after eating, while others sit
solemnly down to enjoy pipe. This
pipe is not the least odd thing about the
establishment 1t is of bamboo three
feet long and two inches in diameter
The place where the tobacco is placed
Is small cup, not as large as a tn mble,
placed about a foot above the lower end
of the tube. The tube is hal filled with
favored water. The smoker places a
pinch of tobacco in the little cup, holds
burning taper to it. applies his mouth
to the upper end of the tube and draws.
There is a gurgle, cloud of smoke, and
the tobacco is consumed Then another
pinch is put in, the taper is again ap-
piled, and thus the operation is repeated
until the smoker is satisfied -Philadel-
phia Record.