The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-15
SHOPKEEPERS.
The Sleek and Placid Men Patiently Wait
For Their Customers.


For Their Customers.
I'm The Century, Florence O'Dris-
coll, M. p, has an entertaining pa
per, "In the City of Canton, where
in are given many graphic sketches
of Chinese life. Mr.. Driscoll says:
The shops are of all sizes. Some
iwere seven or eight feet square, with
the back premises closed from sight;
some were % feet wide, reaching
back &c or 40 feet Perfs,ps an aver
aged sized shop in fashionable
neighborhood was about IA feet wide
and 20 feet deep. II was open, of
course, to the street, with no shop
'front.' but generally there was a
counter along one side and another
at the back There was almost in
variably an oblong opening through
the roof to admit light and air, un-
closed to the sky in summer, but
with provision for glazed light in
winter. In the poorer class of houses
this skyliaht could be shut by draw
ing a cover over it.
\ To certain extent the wares were
displayed, but not as in our win
dows. Pottery and hardware had a
better display than soft goods. Food
was exhibited i'm open trays or was
hung up The goods, as a general
rule, were made in the shops where
they were sold, and workmen were
to be seen fashioning the articles in
all the stages of their manufacture
There wore some shops where no
workmcn could be seen, and in their
place a staff of clerks sat ready to
wait upon customers. These were
not numerous and were, as a rule,
Shops relying chiefly upon tourist
trade. The Cantonese shopkeepers
struck me as being generally fat,
sleek, potbellied gentlemen. Com
monty tho only article of clothing
worn either by them or by their as
sistants was loose Chinese drawers
fastened round the hips. In winter
they don n soft warm, padded
blouse. Placid, unexoitable looking
folk wero they, taking life coolly,
sitting thus naked 10 the waist, cease
lessly waving their fans while they
waited for custom, for which, how
ever, they did not appear to tout
Signs of all eolors, sizes and shapes
hung from tho shops, from a board
10 or ~ inches wide and or z feet
long, hanging vertically, TO little
strip of wood or paper of about the
same proportions in inches. The let
tering of these signs was gorgeous
gold letters on q crimson ground,
vermilion on black ground, blue
on white, or some other striking con-
trast. Bright colored lanterns hung
all across the shop fronts and around
the walls or were suspended in the
center. They were bamboo construc-
tions covered with tough oiled paper
and painted with signs and hero
glyphics, quite unlike the flimsy for.
geries sold in Europe as Chinese Ian
terms. At night these were lighted,
the Chinese being very fond of IL
lpIninations. All sorts Of oils were
used---fish oil, tallow, vegetable oils,
Kerosene, of which last over /, 000,-
600 gallons of the American variety
are burned yearly in the city. At
the time of my visit the authorities
were introducing electric lighting
for their streets and for the better
class shops and houses.
When everything was we'll alight
The sight was very fine. Even in the
daytime the effects of color were
novel, pleasing and warm. Black
and brown lacquered work cabinets,
metal bound; ebony tables inlaid
with ivory, marble and mother-of-
pearl; deep blue and maroon colored
pots, gray and gold ware, yellow and
green; gold dragons embroidered on
black satin gowns, blue and silver
wraps and cloaks of vermilion and
purple; richly cut carvings in quaint,
fantastic shapes--a blaze of color
that was bewildering, variety that
was endless.
In the less fashionable quarters
the trades were generally somewhat
centralized Five or six fish shops
stood close together. And so it was
with bakors, ironmongers, glass
blowers, silk weavers, carpenters,
cabinet makers, cofin builders, black
smiths fruit shops, restaurants.
Who're one of trade was located
there We're generally found several
fellows.