Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-26
CHINESE ODDITIES.
THE EXCITEMENT CAUSED BY THE
ADVENT or A FOREIGNER.
Watching the Pale Faced Traveller at
His Meal Remarks OF the Almond
Eyed Bystansier. Hotels AMI Eating
Houses B-ds and Furniture.


Eyed Bystanaer- Hotels AMI Rating
aous-s- B-ds and Furniture.
! called thcm sod humored. but a
stranger would not think so. II he saw
them for the lirst time On the contrary.
the state of things seems TO be bordering
ON riot The amount of energy that
lies latent In Chinaman. waiting to be
developed and manifested by a discussion
Of cash. is simply incalculable As we
coolly regard this throng of half dressed.
yellow colored people. We see chance ac-
quaintances who have run against one
another for half an hour. screaming their
londest. with distorted countenances and
violent gesticulations, apparently threat.
ening immediate death to those who differ
from them. II seems incredible that tho
subject Is of no more Importance than
whether sack of potatoes or basket of
hsh shall be half "A farthing more or less.
Imagine our coming suddenly into such
a crowd in short serge jacket and big
sun hat, under which Is n pale face and
beard, II the place il one where foreign
ers are occasionally seen. they will look
up. say "Hwan kui' foreign ghostl. and
after a few moments resume their EN-
ployment as though we were not there.
~ hp"tNtis tHIttElltfS hiupot un-
known in those parts. we know perfectly
well that we shall have no peace except
such as wo can secure by means of little
maneuvering. Sometimes the landlord
appears pleased to receive us. but now
and then he seems to think we take up
too much room, with the crowd who stand
round to look ut us. IL is very entertain
ing to observe how excited such a crowd
often becomes by the advent OF for.
eigner, and how rapidly the news spreads
I to neighboring houses that foreign
ghost" has arrived Mine host stands
and threatens terrible things, which he
has not the smallest intention of carrying
into execution. For half an hour he will
shout and gestieulate. entreating the I'M
tutored herd To remember the proprieties
and not crowd in So much upon the for
eign gentleman.
FOREIGNER AT HIS MEAL.
The point Of greatest interest Is always
reached when the traveller begins his meal
/ He has carried with him all he wants with
/ the exception of rice, potatoes. hot water
and one or two other things The LAYING
ou~ of plates. knives and forks is a great
mystery. Much questioning goes on AS
TO the way of using them. They beg to
know the reason why we prefer 10 employ
ner. instead of using their bowls and
chop sticks. The spoon and fork appar-
emily made of solid silver. greatly aston
ishes them, ana the traveller is ready
Z enough to own that they are not silver ut
all When We lit our food To our mouth
many hands move in a similar way. AS
they say quietly to one another, Look
/ He Is doing like this" Standing 80
/ closely around on. small table that we
4 feel inconvencuced, we entreat them TO
+ give US breathing room while we dine and
afterward we will talk To them. Many
voices break forth with pleasure at our
/ speaking 10 them. THE foreigner
| speaks our words" says one; YES, let
/ him eat, says another: Stand back, you
man without propriety." says third.
whose zeal for good manners is evidently
/ due only to his desire to secure front
/ place.
AT such n time one is almost always
questioned in the same way. The most
trivial and ridiculous questions are asked.
The inquiries they make OF foreigner ART
such as they commonly make among
themselves. How far Is IL To your an
cestral home. Are your venerable parents
| livingT How many SONS have your Was
your linen made In China or In Englandi
| How do You get IL so whiteg How are
marriages arranged among the foreign
children? What is your income?"
A little mild banter is much appreciated
by the crowd. but brings out more rapid
fusillade of questions. In the country
places about Annoy have been asked very
frequently. Where is the country where
the people have one legg--one armg-one
eye?-and where there are only womenl
| Have YOU seen these lands?" What the
ta
Perhaps some Chinese Baron Munchausen
or Dean Swift wrote burlesque book oi
travels, which has in the course of time
been accepted rs authentic by people
who have for 50 many centuries stayed al
home.
INNS or THE GREAT ROADS.
In China every traveller carries his bed
ding with him: Ia the daytime Ii helps tc
pack the cart. or is laid by way Of sad
die. upon tha ass. The traveller may
count himself fortunate IL he can find IL
some Mutual Prosperity or Heavenly
Union hostel a tolerable room In which tc
rest. On the great roads. and the recog
nized stages. the inns are pretty sure Il
Il be decent, but elsewhere they are often
wretched.
i In those of the better sort there Is gen
orally an eating house or tea shop ON ont
side of the large door leading into thu
yard. The shop faces the street, and i.
connected with the cook house and pri
vate rooms OF the landlord. At this end
too. are the rooms occupied by the carter.
and others. Passing through the great
door, the visitor finds himself In a larg,
unpayed yard with buildings oil round it
On one side are. perhaps, six or eight
guest rooms. little boxes about twely,
feet square. with paper in place OF glas.
for windows. doors which do not fit. ant
through the openings of which wind ant
dust find their way
very rickety old chair and an equally
decrepit table are the only furniture. the
bed being simply brick or mud plat
form filing nearly half the little room
and raised about two feet FROM the floor
Underneath il Is a fue into which. IL
cold weather. dry grass or other fuel Il
pushed and fired, the heat and smoke pass
Ing In a zigzag line just under the sur
face of the couch and finally escaping M
vent in the wall Other fireplace ther,
Is none; and IL. as often happens. til,
chimney should be foul the warmed bet
Is but poor compensation for smartinl
eyes and partial su 3'aton. But. Their
are other rooms somt l.les at the top o
the yard, and IL ia alwasN m object to 80
curs them, as they are . tline larger ans
cleaner and pro6abia la better repair
The charges are lioloraso, from 100 4
200 cash per night--about % eents-witl
| extras for tood and gratuities 10 servants
Boston Commercial Bulletin.
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