The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-12-21
FEASTED In SILENCE.
A CHINESE. BANQUET RUINED BY A
MoNeoLiAN WARD WALLIsTeR.

San Francisco's aCeIestiai -Four Hundred
Plunged Into Gloom and Anger by the
wanton Dupiicity of ITS Insinuating So
cia Dictator.
The Four Hundred and more of China
towu--that Is to say, the 400 and more
rhicken butchers, pawnbroksrs and sausage
manufacturers, were in wild fiutter of
tacial excitement The melting cause of
the furore was the dinner given by the Mer-
Chants' Exchange of Chinatown to the |
minister }, plenipotentiary from Peking
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 unclassfied 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 three story
structure, with balconies in the oriental
style and profusion 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 ride in a 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 it for adj
time in China.
Precisely at 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 plenipotentiary
from whom they were separated by 90
diplomats in costumes that looked like the
hand painted uightshirts conferred on pop
ular bridegroums by admring 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
II was expected of course, that the plen-
ipotentiary would take a seat somewhere
in the main banquet hall, where the ora
tors of Spofford alley, which is noted for it's
eloquent speakers, would have free whack
at him. One fat pork butcher had a roll of
Chinese Autographed eloquence in his peck
ct, and several Jackson street and Cum
Cook alley fiDanciers were about as well
heeed 1t promised to be 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,
nj, 4
tons occasions.
The Ward McAllister of Chinatown is a
sleek pawnbroker who does business back
of the Jackson Street tbeater. 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. 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 fol
several days, but his prosperity is at an end
1t is suspected that he tacltly allowed al
least 50 merchants to believe that he coulC
rub elbows with the plenipotentiary Mat
tiers reached such crisis at o'clock tina
there was nothing left for the Mongolial
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 til
grand procession did not stop when
reached the middle of the spacious banquc
hall, all bedecked with berries and redo
lent of burning sandal wood, odoriferou
- pa.nk,ani delicious birds nest soup, which
next to boiled caulifower and corn bee
and cabbage, is the most fragrant of a
kitchen connections.
Right straight ahead went the plenipt
Tertiary, piloted by the Monaghan McA
lister, and before the paralyzed merchant
could catch their breath the minister an
suit were out Of sight in snug chamber 4
the farther end of the banquet hall, whel
all that could be seen of them was the o.
casional flutter of the plenipotentiary' ia
or a glimpse of a diplomatic foot stuck OF
beyond the edge Of a screen that hid
from the voX populi.
distressing silence fell on the assen
bled merchants, and dark and signifcaI
scowls were turned on the Monaghan Wan
McAllister, who, after ushering the plen
potentiary out of sight, took seat with
couple of athletic looking pork butchers
a distant corner of the hall.
The menu, which comprised everythiI
in the markets of Chinatown, was di
cussed with evident pleasure by the pier
potentiary and the diplomatic corps, f
occasionally bursts of merrment con
over the screen from their room, but Il
motley crowd in the main hall had Meth
eyes nor stomach for the feast, Thu
chewed mechanically ON their sharks fl
and went through thepretense of shovelil
rice and mince duck with their chop stick
but their appetites were gone, and the on
thirst that afflicted them was n thirst
vengeance on the man who had humiliat
and betrayed them.
After feasting for an hour and half
this sequestered nook the plenipotentia
and suit reappeared, and bowling TO t
merchants, who kowtowed right and lie
strobe down stairs to their carriages a
ratified off to the Stockwell theater:'
The Ward McAilister of Chinatown
himself out of the restaurant through
s<ylight 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