Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-23
CHINATOWN, CAL.
The scenes zeztnessed here 7va1yaut
tue american People in Preventing
further immigration to this country.

A trip to California would be 1ncOm-
plete without visit to Chinatown in
San Francisco While its blot on that
fair city, it teaches lesson that could
not otherwise be taught unless you
visited China. After witnessing the
beautiful scenery of southern and
central California and stay of three
days in its metropolis-Sa Francisco
its sad commentary upon this beauti-
full state to have SO vile place in the
midst of culture, refinement and
intelligence. There is one gratifying
thought and that is the immigration OF
this people is now prohibited by law
and it will require only few years for
them TO kill each other'and die in their
filthy mode of living. May that day be
fastened before they have an opportu-
nifty to pollute the already low life
shown by the whites in those quarters
of San Francisco. We realize it will be
impossible for us to give the reader a
correct description of Chinatown for
many an abler writer has failed in an
attempt to give true pen picture of
this blot on our fair country.
The authorities of San Francisco
report population of $4,000 chinese.
These people are confined to certain
part of the city and they live in and
upon eight blocks of land. Out of this
$4,000 population about 900 are females.
Nearly all these females lead life of
prostitution. When you stop to think
and compare you will apprehend the
crowded condition in which they must
live to be thus packed away IN such
small quarters. We were one of a
of ten men who procured a
reliable guide at round sum, who
could speak the Chinese language and
made a business of guiding people
Chinatown. He commenced
the journey by taking us through the
high toned restaurants, stores, work
shops and places of business where
they keep on sale everything known to
the trade. Here you can buy many
fine articles at very low prices as
compared with American prices. The
lRies of the editorial party purchased
many articles such as handkerchiefs,
laces, fans, ETC., which they cherished
highly. These purchases were made in
the day time while our visit vas made
at night having started Oh II trip at
10 o'clock in the evening.
After going through tb ores our
steps were directed to Il hurches.
We're we saw their idols 6. - enbellish b.
,lents used in worshiping. Their
church is gorgeous place and We ery
expensive. They have idols to repre-
sent the devil as we'll as the good God.
They want to be on the safe side by
worshiping both Gods, one they worship
from fear and the other from choice
and devotion. They also tell fortunes
in the church so one of our party paid
25 cents and had his fortune told.
This proceeding was very comical, yet
the performers are sincere and earnest
They kneel down before the good idol
and repeat prayer, at the same time
tossing two blocks of wood in the air
upon which are carved some letters,
and whatever side turns up a record of
those letters is made on paper. After
going through an extended service
which appears ridiculous to those who
don't believe. They repair to small
room and make record of the fortune
and hand you a piece of paper upon
which is written your fortune. OF
course the predictions are always
favorable. You have the experience,
they the money. Who is the fool?
From the church we go to the theatre.
Here we are unable to understand what
is said or appreciate the harmony of
the music-a great deal of noise but no
music. An act or two is witnessed and
we proceed to the gambling dens.
These are carried on openly and they
gamble with dominos, as high as twenty
five playing in one game. Every time
a ''pot" is won the winner is required
to purchase a bunch of frecrackers
from the dealer (his rake off and
discharge them in the alley. There are
at least % such gambling places above
ground and Chinatown has a 4th of
July celebration every night. From
the gambling dens above ground we
were conducted underground into other
gambling dens where crime, filth and
degradation reigns supreme. These
places are arendezvous for perpetrators
of all kinds of crime. They secrete
themselves in dungeons where no one
would follow unless we'll armed and
protected by officers of the law. We
passed through apertures just large
enough for us to squeeze into. These
alleys opened into small
rooms about SxS feet square and seven
feet high. Each one of these houses,
beds and boards about 20 Cinnamon
Some of these dens are given up wholly
to opium smoking. In some the
Cinnamon are nude except a breech-
cloth. Their bodies are dirty and filthy
and the atmosphere is close and heavy
with smoke, opium smell and foulness
of every description. We penetrated
many of these dens of wickedness
until our stomach would stand it nc
longer. Several sights we saw will not
bear publication. We would enter on
the north side of block and travel
several stories deep underground finally