Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-09-19
ODD CITY SCENES.
Something Queer for Even UNIQUE
San Francisco.
A STRANDED TRAGEDIAN PLAYS.
Deadly Mimic Combats In an Arena the
Like of Which Exists Nowhere Else
on this Earth.

entail actors, who added glamor to the
Mid-winter Fair, have not all gone
from San Francisco. There is al least
one Chinese actor who is DAHL, engaged
in transforming the alleys of Chi
natown and holding out his hat fo,
niclSels between acts. His perform
ances are unique, and, oddly enough
they appear dramatic to the Caucasian
eyes. Nothing odder than the "barn
stormer' from China and his surround
ings has been thrust forward to attract
public attention in this cosmopolitan
city in long time.
Imagine. first, long, narrow alley,
walled up by quite high buildings OF
either side. Attached to the walls OF
these buildings are numerous projec
tions, small rooms constructed of wood
balconies with ratings, "cubby houses
with or without windows. From the
bottom of this well-like alley, looking
upward to the blue sky, the architectu.
raj projections mentioned having the
effect to make the sky appear to be nc
wider than mountain stream, every
thing human or appertaining to human.
ity, seems grimy. The walls of the
buildings are stained with smoke and
SCOT. The balconies and other hanging
structures are dingy to perfection, with
out any visible blemish of cleanliness.
The Chinese children and the Chinese
women who peer over the edges of bal
comics or out Of windows belong to the
great army of the unwashed." Even
the China lilies, blooming in pots
which are adorned with dragons in
miniature, are "smudged, to use an
expressive New England epithet.
From the alley numerous doors lead
inward and upward to dirty purlieus.
If the painter ever has applied his brush
to the doorways, doors or window cas-
ings, or to the interiors of rooms which
are dimly discerned as doors open and
close, it was in the long ago. The
coolies and time have both placed their
hands on the paint, and it has been
worn quite away. But there is an opu-
lence of curtains, red and dirt-encrust-
ed. What is behind these the Cauca-
sian cannot discover very well. Chi
namen squat in front of the curtains on
dingy stools. They are spies, or rather
sentries. Their faces are unresponsive.
Their eyes are sly and indicate suspi-
cion. Some Chinese families live i'll
these abodes of filth. There are opium
dens. gamblers, ETC., also here housed.
The floor of the alley is a compound
of cobble stones, dust, ashes and decay
ing vegetation. 1t is bordered by mar
row sidewalks, uneven, and catching
unsavory drippings from the overhang-
ing projections. These rills of filth
seem to be no annoyance to the habitues
of the alley. Down they come at in
tervals, sparkling in mid-air with
what few rays of sunlight come into
the place, but when they strike Chinese
blouse, Chinese pig-tail or betrousered
Chinese women, the effect is not wholly
edifying They are impregnated with
SCOT. They probably preceded from
some pan of Chinese dirty dishes.
The sparkle in air was an illusion
1t was as meaningless as the polish OIL
the jade-stone green bracelets which
encircle the dirty arms of the Chinese
women. The floor of the alley has one
or two level spots, and these are o.
small area, perhaps four feet wide ant
ten feet to twelve feet in length Pc
spot. The restricted roadway give
passage for only one vehicle at time
Ordinarily the Chinese walk in thu
middle of the street. shambling owe
the cobbles, slipping on cabbage-stalks
stalking along generally in single file
The right-of- way of the vehicle is neve
disputed-even when an open-air theat
rical performance given by one actor
"on the boards" The actor adjourn
whenever the Caucasian huckste
drives his sorry nag along.
1t is now o'clock in the afternoon
say. The Chinese cobbler on the eas
side of the alley is reaching out for
thread. The Chinese small girl, wit
long black hair hanging down he
shoulders, gay in shoes ornamente
with spangles, white stockings, blac
trousers with touch of purple in tn
shading, jade-stone bracelets and ea1
rings. big -sleeved jacket and painte
face, is industriously steering throug
the alley a small Chinese boy. dresse
fancifully in many colors and spangle
and with a small, dangling queu'
which with silk has been eked out
the size and possible utility of bal
elephants tail. Wrinkled Chimes
hags. bare-footed and bare -ankled, s
along with an appearance OF lookiI
for something which they never expe
, to find. Their hair is beplastere
2 Their long finger nails are grimy al
) misshapen. Their garments are coars
, A tall, gray-headed Chinaman. with
t ose-fitting skullcap, smoking
opium pipe, sits in his doorway, and
: he meditates he looks with approval
.~la