Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-11-12

tended, as in other cases, to ward off
the evil spirits and welcome in the
good. Along the sides of those mar
row passages were number of small
doors one of which our guide opened
! and we passed in. The interior was
| Chinese home. A space SO low that
we Americans could not stand upright
in it. \ space so small that it barely
resembled a good sized dry goods
box. A place so dark even in the day
time, that ray of light was a thing
unknown. A place so filed with sick
ening odors as to almost stop our
breath. And yet in that narrow, dis
NAL, loathsome, horrible place, hordes
of Chinese crowd in and live as thick
as sardines in box. Adjoining one
room would be another, and SO on,
under block after block. The rooms
were mostly deserted when we enter
ed them, the occupants being upon
the streets. They do not crowd in un
til nearly three O'Clock in the morn
ing. Then, they snatch few hours
of sleep and are ready for the business
of the day. In the room we entered
we discovered a Chinaman and his
wife both reclining upon a bunk and
smoking opium. Cinnamon have no
beds, the bunk serving as a place of
repose, and also as a seat. They sa-
luted US as we entered, and were able
to converse with us in English. A
wick in basin of oil was burning on
little round table in the corner of
the room. Hung against the wall was
a small cupboard containing a few
dishes. The guide punched up some
thing at the foot Of the table, and out
popped a little Chinese girl. She was
dressed after the manner Of a Chinese
doll and looked precisely like one.
The guide asked her to sing to us in
English, and she sung the hymn
entitled 81 love Jesus" pronouncing
the words quite plain. Then she sung
a Chinese song, after which, I present.
ed her with a Canada copper over
which she seemed to be greatly pleas
ed At the mention Of Canada the
two upon the bunk got down to ex-
anime the coin. Canada, somehow,
held a great charm for them. 1 could
have done nothing to have pleased
them more than presenting them with
that Cananada copper. The little girl
ran out and brought in other Chinese;
and when we left them nearly dozen
had gathered around that little flick
ering fame, and were examining that
copper and jabbering like so many
wild geese. ,Iou ra4 IeatH
Passing down one Of the principal
streets we noticed large building in
to which numbers of Chinese were
continually filing in and out. Upon
inquiring the cause we were informed
that the place contained Chinese
prostitutes owned and controlled eX-
clusively by the Chinese alone. There
are certain alleys in Chinatown mo-
nopolized by the Chinese, in the
wretched dens of which are unfOrtu-
nate women called "Odalisques, who
are virtually slaves. They are bound
byst9r contracts, a violation Of which
means mutilation and death. 1t is not
my intention to write of this class
more than to give them passing no
tice; but that the public may know of
the hell there is in Chinatown, I will
state that it is automatically reported
that it contains 10000 prostitutes reck-
oning all nationalities; and as every
street, window, and available place
seemed to be filled with them, I do
not doubt the statement in the least.
Much that is seen there is disgusting
-abominable- damnable; and, be-
lieve me, there is no better place on
earth for missionaries to introduce
little evangelical work than in China
town, San Francisco.
Our final visit was down among the
"Highbinders." The Highbinders
among the Chinese is society SINH
lar to the Malta among the Italians,
and is the source of much trouble to
the police. He who falls under the
ban can seldom escape, and it is rare
that one Of the murderers are brought
to Justice. 1t was the work Of High
binders down among the dark pas
sages that caused many of them to be
boarded up; but if necessary, they will
follow a victim from end of the CONT
nent to the other to accomplish their
object. I had proposed to slight no
part OF Chinatown when I secured my
guide therefore, as visit among them
was considered more Or less danger
Gus, the detective offered to escort us