The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-14
Tho Four Hundred OF Chinese So
clssy in Frisco in : Great
Uproar.
Plunged Into Gloom and Anger by
tho Dupltcity OF Their
Dictator.
Ger m src,si Ambition O~'srIespsd ItseIl
In the Discharge Of . social Eunc-
tioa-Out Of Sight.

butchers, p~awnbrokers and sausage
manufacturers, were in q wild futter OF
social excitement. The melting cause OF
tho furore was tho dinner given by the Mer-
chants Exchange of Chinatown to the
minister plenip0tentiary from Picking,
Yang Yu, and the score Of pig tailed diplo-
mats In his train. On the previous evening
his excellency had been dined in the true
oriental style by the Chinese Six Companies
and Attorney Riordan, and last night it
came to the turn of the u~nclassificd men of
trade in the Monaghan colony to stuff the
representative Of the Celestial empire with
all the delicacies known to their cuisine.
The restaurant is situated on Dupont
street, near Commercial, in q three story
structure, with balconies in the oriental
style and a profusion Of tinsel, red paint,
Chinese lanterns and music that would set
the teeth Of m alligator on edge. To this
repository of Mongolian dslicacies all the
invited guests were proudly wheeled in
American hacks piloted by acute Jehus
who figured with grim satisfaction on the
glorious opportunity to afhict the heather
and in some degree even up matters by
charging them six prices for the unaccus-
toned luxury of a ride in a four wheeled
chariot.
The hour Of tho dinner was 7 o'clock to
the minute. In Peking this is the fashion
able time for taking the evening meal, for
tho law of C~onfuclus has SO set it for all
time IN China.
Precisely at z o'clock the hacks began to
roll up to tho Dupont street restaurant,
and the anxious but delighted pork
butchers, cigar suffers and fish peddlers be-
gan to roll out and elbow each other up
stairs in the trial Of the plenipotentiary,
from whom they were separated by 20
diplomats in costumes that looked like the
hand painted niKhtshirts conferred on pop
ular bridegrooms by admiring female rela-
tivcs. The merchants were also attired in
long flowing garments of the robe dc mutt
pattern.
ceremony, but with much sorrow, for a
cold blooded social plot developed itself the
moment that the banquet hall was reached.
1t was expected, of course, that the plen-
i%potentiary would take a seat somewhere
in the main banquet hall, where the ora
tors of Spofford alley, which is noted for its
eloquent speakers, would lave free whack
at him. One fat pork butcher had a roll Of
Chinese Autographed eloquence in his pock-
ct, and several Jackson street and Cum
Cook alley financiers we're about as we'll
heeled. 1t promised to be a great night for
the Chinese language, and in expectation
of a prolonged flow Of eloquence a brass
band and an extra stock of rice brandy had
been provided. The unexpected, however,
happened, as always does occur on m
tous occasions.
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown is q
sleek pawnbroker who does business back
of the Jackson Street theater. His dictum
is supreme court law on all social questions
within q radius of six blocks of his store,
and he naturally fell into the position Of
chief director Of the nights festivities. He
had been much sought after for several
days by aspiring merchants who desired to
sit as close as possible to the plenipotenti-
airy, and every wire was pulled to further
such ambition. Merchants who can draw
their checks for four figures approached
him under the delicate pretense Of being
hard pressed and soaked their silver
watches. He has done a roaring trade for
several days, but his prosperity is at an end.
1t is suspected that he tacltly allowed at
leust 50 merchants to believe that he could
rub elbows with the plen~ipotentiary. Mat
tiers reached such a crisis at 7 o'clock that
there was nothing left for the Monaghan
Ward McAllister but to snub the whole
band of ambitious guests and thus get HIM
self out Of the frying pan, SO to speak, by
jumping into the fire. To the unspeakable
CONSERVATION of the guests, the head of the
grand procession did not stop when it
reached the middle Of the spacious banquet
hall, all bedecked with berries and redo
lent Of burning sandal wood, odoriferous
punks and delicious birds nest soup. which,
next to boiled c%aulif1ower and corn beef
and cabbage, is the most fragrant of all
kitchen connections.
Right straight ahead went the plenipo.
Tertiary, piloted by the Monaghan Meal
lister. and before the paralyzed merchants
could catch their breath the minister and
suit were III of sight in a snug chamber at
the farther e-,d of the banquet hall, where
all that cou]1 be seen of them was the oc.
c~asional flut er of the plenipotentiary's fan
or u glimpse of a diplomatic foot stuck out
beyond the edge OF a screen that hid it
from the o populi-
A distressing silence fell on the assem-.
bled merchants, and dark and significant
scowls were turned on the MonRolian Ward
McAllister, who, after ushering the pleni.
p~otentiary out of sight. took a seat with a
couple of athletic looking pork butchers in
a distant corner of the hall.
The menu, which comprised everything
In the markets Of Chinatown, was dis
cussed with evident pleasure by the pleni
potentiary and the diplomatic corps, TO,
occasionally bursts Of merriment conn
over the screen from their room, but the
motley crowd in the main hall had neither
eyes nor stomach for the feast. They
chewed mechanically NJ their sharks fin:
and went through thepretense of shovelins
rice and mince duck with their chop sticks
but their appetites were gone, and the onl.
thirst that afflicted them was q thirst fo
vengeance on the man who had humiliatet
and betrayed them.
After feasting for an hour and a half il
this sequestered nook the plenipotentiar,
and suit resppeared, and bowling to TIT
merchants, who kowtowed right and left
strobe down stairs to their carriages ant
ratified off to the Stockwell theater.
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown le
himself out of the restaurant through
skylight, and at the latest accounts wa!
awaiting tho society reports of the banque
in The Spofford Alley Gazette on the roof!
of Chinatown.-San Francisco Chronicle.
How's lhis!
We Offer Ono Hundrod Dollars Rewar'