The Washington times., 1894-07-08
CLEANEST RACE We HAVE
There Is Nothing Dirty About I
Chinaman.
ERRORS ABOUT HIN CORRECTED
There Il No More Dainty or Tidy Place Than
Chinese Kitchen--A Chinese Restaurant.
The Richest Nan in Chinatown-Ths Mon
gol's Two Daily Baths.


up the famous Chinese quarter OF New York
In genuine Mongolian interest this quarter is
second only to the noted Chinatown OF San
Francisco. Half hundred diverse civiliza-
tions have Il focal center for themselves at the
beginning Of the Bowery, i've minutes ride
in cable car from the city hall and the post
Office. In his fastness of crooked streets jus!
off Chatham square-Peli, Doyer, and Mott
John Chinaman steadfastly refuses to be
Americanized.
Small as the quarter is, it shelters nearly
$500 Mongolians. Those who know these
orientals rs brothers say there are between
six and seven thousand Chinese. "Chinoisers'
and '.Chinks" in the metropolitan district
that is Brooklyn, New York, and Jersey City.
Chinatown is the Mecca for each and every
one Of these thousands.
Chinatown is generally spoken OF as squalid
and crowded, its inhabitants are denominated
dirty haythen,' and when one suggests a
Chinese bill of fare the American joke-maker
talks about rats and shudders at some imag-
mary uncleanliness.
Crowded Chinatown certainly is. but squalid
is the last word to apply to it. At the risk OF
being set down as Il ialsifier and an unparal-
leled misstater, will affirm that the Chinese
aic tIC CiodLcSt iccplS Oh Shlib- iOu NcAit
literally eat Off the floor of q Chinese kitchen.
No American or continental kitchen is in the
running with it, it is SO scrupulously clean.
The Chinaman seldom bakes. He boils and
fries. For these purposes he uses great hem
ispheres of pots, with huge covers. They are
made OF single pieces OF metal. without the
joints our American utensils possess. Ask a
Chinaman why this is. and with lifting OF
his shoulders he will tell you that they clean
much more easily. and that with perfectly
smooth interior there is much less danger OF
particles Of dirt lodging inside.
DAINTY TO AN EXTREME.
Tables in Kitchens and eating rooms nre
scrubbed to point OF infinite daintiness.
have watched Chinese cook making Chinese
spaghetti out of flour paste. winding the
product deity around two poles until 1t
looked like q great sheet OF purest, finest
linen. The kneading boa-d might readily
have been used Tor plate, and one would
not have minded licking up any crumbs that
had fallen there.
Not far away from the kneaiing table in
any Chinese kitchen you please stands Il
great bowl OF that Mongolian delicacy, chop
slow. famously roasted pork. a meat that in
the hands of Chinese cooks sends forth a
most appetizing odor. and which has been
cured in China in the smoke Of fragrant
woods and herbs.
Except perishable viands practically every
thing on n Mongoliun bill OF fare comes from
China ITSELF Quaint and curious baskets, tie
like of which cannot be imported in New
York, stand il each kitchen, .illed with len;ils
barley, sprouts, dried fish and many other
articles OF food peculiar to the Orient. The
fires burn steadily in odd ovens, rather re-
sembling those OF the old Dutch type. and
are fed with hemlock wood, whenever that is
10 ia had tal,r f- rlx- ,l..a
cook never uses coal if he can possibly help it.
Start out as a gourmet II Ia Choinese, and
this is one dish you should try. The delights
of 'bird and u small cold bottle at the
historic ''Deimonico's on the avenue are
tame when compared with the roast wood
pigeons, spitted on n stick and served with
curious sauce in the Chinese Delmonico's"
at IL Mott street. The pigeons are literally
cooked to order" They are Kept. alive aad
happy, IN wicker cage on the window sill
of the kitchen. and upon the request of the
'diner-out" as many as ar needed are with
drawn.
HARRY LEES PROFITS.
Harry Lee King is the Chinese Delmonico.
He is an Americanized Chinaman. good
natured. keen and clever. Though he caters
lost none of its characteristics. and conven-
tlOUdl OIlcDthlS sWdTlli tutTt ny lut uOZtnS.
The prices, and therefore the margin Of profit.
are much smaller here than in the more widely
known restaurants uptown, yet. nevertheless,
Harry Lee King manages to clear 81 coo TO
IS. 900 a year. sa ,,.r.
A moments depression for Wong Ching
Foo. the lawyer i'll chief OF the colony, a very
small oriental. possess ID OF a college educa-
tion, and with nothing hut his iarc 20 show
his race. Wong Ching is thoroughly Ameri-
EvpD his ils-n. fl,pS., pF Afsls--i-
cans. He talks glibly on politics. races AMI
the fashions Once he edited n breezy paper
called the Chinese American but the oriental
support was not sufficient. He is the
Meeting link between the people OF the colony
and the world without.
Another idea regarding the Chinese needs
This is with reference to their
near-handedness. 1t has been said
that Cbinaman can live on a few cents n
day. Without doubt he can: but it is Fact
that he very seldom does. He wants good
and ncurishing food OF the finest quality
and he gets il. A recent typical ilnch friend
and myself had at Harry Lee King cost IS
,ents.
Every Chinese dinner includes pot after pot
Of tung-chau (hot tea). 'Tung -chau' is the
most frequent cry in a Chinese restaurant.
Tea is free ad libitum to every patron. Even
more. it would be given to every tramp and
,eggar who asked for it. huge vessel is
kept upon the stove.
FOLLOWING coSFUcrUs.
curious tradition explains this custom
Centuries before Christ uttered his memo
able words about that "cup of cold water
he prophet Confucius said that whoever
hculd give cup of hot tea to the wayfarer
honld receive his reward.
have spoken of the real cleanliness of the
hi,,no ahf oct ahar, 81
Kitchen is the immaculateness Of the cooks.
The Chlhaman who should fail to wash him.
elf morning and night from top 20 toe
would be no Chinaman at all. 4 recent Su- |
of the Southern Pacific railway |
old this OF his experience while managing |
he construction of one OF its sections: Chi |
Iese iaborers would be the best we could get |
it wasn't for the trouble we have in supply |
ng each Of them with i've gallons Of water a |
ay."
''Surely one Chinaman doesn't drink all |
hiatt" began his interlocutor.
The superintendent laughed.
"Not n bit of it. Chinaman rarely drinks
rater. Bnt he requires every drop OF that
mount 10 wash himself with
Yeut Sing, OF Mott street, the largest grocer
I Chinatown, is also. in all probability. its
ichest man. His fortune is certainly $780,
O0- Quong l Gong is another social power
4 the district. He is u big rice i'm porter in
,oyer street.
have not touched on the moral question
/ chinatown" Let 1t be said that il is not
$ bad rs has been stated. There are many
ivil marriages between the Cinnamon aud
10 white girls. The Chinaman makes the
est husband in the world. All his money is
rought right home; he is never cruel. or al
lost never, and his wife can have her own
weet will, especially il she be an American
oman. CaaA.wELL CH,LDE.
Eugcnie's Movements.
The ex-Empress Eugene has gone bac K TO