The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-03
FEASTED IN SILENCE.
A CHINESE BANQUET RUINED BY A
MoNGoLiAN WARD M'ALLlSTER.

San Franchises Celestial Four Hundred
Plunged Into Gloom and Anger by the
wanton Dupiicity of Its Insinuating So
oiaI Dictator.
The Four Hundred and more of China
town--that is to say, the 400 and more
chicken butchers, pawnbroksrs and sausage
manufacturers, were in a wild tlutter of
social excitement The melting cause Of
the furore was the dinner given 10y the Mer- |
chants Exchange of Chinatown to the |
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 diued in the true
oriental style by the Chinese Six Companies
and Attorney Riordan, aud last night it
came to the turn of the unclassiied men of
trade in the Mongolian 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 a three story
structure, with balconies ia the oriental
style and profuson of tinsel, red paint
Chinese lanterns and music that would set
the teeth of an alligator on edge. To this
repository of Mongolian 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 afllict the heather
and in some degree even up matters by
charging them six prices for the unaccus-
toned luxury OF a ride in four wheeled
chariot.
The hour of the dinner was o'clock to
the minute In Picking this is the fashion
able time for taking the evening meal, for
the law of Confucius has so set it 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 the trial of the plenipotentary
from whom they We're separated by 20
diplomats in costumes that looked like the
hand painted nightshrts conferred on pop
ular bridegrooms by admiring female rela-
tives. The merchants were also attired in
long flowing garments of the robe de mutt
pattern.
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-
ipotentiary would take seat somewhere
in the main banquet hall, where the ora
tors of Spoford alley, which is noted for its
eloquent speakers, would have a free whack
at him. One fat pork butcher had u roll of
Chinese Autographed eloquence in his peck
ct, and several Jackson street and Cum
Cook alley fipanciers were about as well
heeled. 1t promised to be a great night for
the Chinese language, and in expectation
of prolonged flow Of eloquence q brass
band and an extra stock Of rice brandy had
been provided. The unexpected, however,
hQnnaunH 81 . n WA does
tous occasions
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown is a
sleek pawnbroker who does business back
of the jackson Street theater. His dictum
is supreme court law on all social questions
within 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 pretenae OF being
hard pressed and soaked their silver
watches, He has done roaring trade for
several days, but his prosperity is at an end
1t is suspected that he tacltly allowed at
least so merchants to believe that he could
rub elbows with the plenipotentiary. Mat
tiers reached such "A crisis at 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
hail. all bedecked with berries and redo
lent of burning sandal wood odoriferous
punks and delicious birds nest soup. which,
next to boiled caulhower 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 para yzed merchants
could catch their breath the minister and
suit were out of sight in n snug chamber at
the farther end Of the banquet hall, where
all that could be seen Of them was the oc-
casional fiutter of the plenipotentary' fan
or a glimpse of diplomatic foot stuck out
beyond the edge OF screen that hid it
from the vox populi.
A distressing silence fell on the assem-
bled merchants, aud dark and significant
scowls were turned on the Mongolan Ward
McAllister, who, after ushering the pleni-
potentiary out of sight, took a seat with a
couple of athletic looking pork butchers In
distant corner of the hall
The menu, which comprised everything
in the markets of Chinatown, was dis
cussed with evident pleasure by the pleni-
potentary and the diplomatic corps, for
occasionally bursts of merriment come
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 on their sharks fins
and went through the pretense of shoveling
rice and mince duck with their chop sticks
but their appetites were gone, and the only
thirst that afflicted them was a thirst for
vengeance on the man who had Inundated
and betrayed them
After feasting for an hour and IA half in
this sequestered nook the plenipotentiary
and suit reappeared, and bowling TO the
merchants, who kowtowed right and left,
strobe down stairs to their carriages and
ratified off to the Stockwell theater.
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown let
himself out of the restaurant through
skylight, and at the latest accounts was
awaiting the society reports of the banquet
in The Spofford Alley Gazette on the roofs
of Chnatown.-San Francisco Chronicle.