The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-06
FEAsTED In SILENCE.
A CHINESE BANQUET RUINED BY
MoNGoliAN WARD M,ALLlsTER. !


MoNGollAN WARD M,ALLlsTER. i .
| .=7-r-.--.- i'r.-.- H----
Ban Francisco's Celestial Four Hundred
Plunged Into Gloom and Anger by tho
wanton Dupiicity Of Its Insinuating So
ciai Dictator.
The Four Hundred and more of China
town-that Is to say, the 400 and more
shicken butchers, pawnbrokers and sausage
manufacturers, were in wild hutter of
social excitement. The melting cause Of
the furore was the dinner given by the Mer-
fhants' Exchange of Chinatown to tho
minister plenipotentiary 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 unelassified 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 PROPULSION OF tinsel, red paint,
Chinese lanterns and music that would set
the teeth of an alligator on edge. To this
repository of Monaghan delicacies all the
invited guests were proudly wheeled in
American hacks piloted by acute Jehus
who figured with grim satisfaction on the
glorious opportunity to afflict the heather
and In some degree even up matters by
charging them six prices for the unaccus-
toned luxury Of a ride in q four wheeled
chariot.
The hour of the dinner was o'clock to
the minute. In Peking this is the fashion
able time for taking the evening meal, for
the law OF Confucius has SO set 1t for all
time In China.
Precisely at z o'clock the hacks began to
roll up to the 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 tho trial of the plenipotentiary
from whom they were separated by 90
diplomats In costumes that looked like the
hand painted nightshirts conferred on pop
ular bridegrooms by admiring female rcla-
tives. The merchants were also attired in
long flowing garments of the robe de mutt
pattern.
7 The guests were soon seated without any
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-
iipotentiary would take seat somewhere
in the main banquet hall, where the ora
tors of Spofford alley, which is noted for its
eloquent speakers, would have free whack
at him. One fat pork butcher had roll Of
Chinese Autographed eloquence in his peck.
ct, and several Jackson street and Cum
Cook alley financiers were about as well
heeled. 1t promised to be great night fol
the Chinese language, and in expectation
of prolonged flow of eloquence brass
band and an extra stock of rice brandy had
been provided. The unexpected, however
happened, as always does occur on momen
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 a radius Of six blocks of his store
and he naturally fell into the position Of
chief director of the nights festivities H,
had been much sought after for severa
days by aspiring merchants who desired tc
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 roaring trade fol
several days, but his prosperity is at an end
1t is suspected that he tacitly allowed al
least so merchants to believe that he could
rub elbows with the plenipoteatiary Mat
tiers reached such crisis at z o'clock that
there was nothing left for the MongoliaI
Ward McAllister but to snub the Who'll,
band of ambitious guests and thus get him
self out Of the frying pan, so to speak, b.
/ jumping into the fire. To the unspeakabl
CONSERVATION of the guests, the head of tn
grand procession did not stop when /
REACHED the middle of the spacious banque
hall, all bedecked with berries and redo
lent of burning sandal wood, odoriferou
/ punks and delicious birds nest soup. which
: next to boiled cauliflower and corn bee
land cabbage, is the most fragrant of al
Kitchen connections.
+ Right straight ahead went the plenipc
= Tertiary, piloted by the Monaghan Meal
g lister, and before the paralyzed merchant
: could catch their breath the minister an
suit were out Of sight in snug chamber a
THE farther end Of the banquet hall, wher
lall that could be seen of them was the OF
/ ,casional flutter of the plenipotentiary's ia
: or glimpse Of diplomatic foot stuck GU
Q beyond the edge of a screen that hid
: from the vox populi.
z A distressing silence fell on the Assem-
S bled merchants, and dark and significar
d scowls turned on the Mongolian War
j. McAllister, who, after ushering the plen
potentiary out of sight took seat with
: couple of athletic looking pork butchers
distant corner of the hall.
The menu, which comprised eyerythin
in the markets of Chinatown, was di
cussed with evident pleasure by the plen
potentiary and the diplomatic prps, 4,
occasionally bursts of merriment con
over the screen from their room, but IL
motley crowd in the main hall had Meth,
eyes nor stomach for the feast. TIL,
chewed mechanically on their sharks fiji
and went through the prGtense of shovelii
rice and mince duck with their chop stick
but their appetites We're gone, and the on
thirst that afflicted them was thirst
vengeance on the man who had humiliati
and betrayed them,
After feasting for an hour and a half
this sequestered nook the plenipotentia
and suit reappeared, and bowling TO 4
merchants, who kowtowed right and LEI
strobe down stairs to their carriages al
Idtbltu Oh W tue otOChhell tnett1tT,
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown
himself out OF the restaurant through
skylight, and at the latest accounts W
awaiting the society reports Of the banqu
in The Spofford Alley Gazette on the roc
of Chinatown.-San Francisco Chronicle
Beigium's Coal Strike Ended.
BRUSSELS, Oct, 6.-The coal miners W
struck In the Borinnge district resum
work yesterday In the Chartered distri