The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-11-20
KEEPING THE SHOP
Sleek and Placid Men Patiently
Waiting for Customers
An English Member of Parliament Give.
Graphic Sketch of street Scenes
In Canton-Novei Effects
in Color.

In an interesting paper in Century
Florence O'Driscou. VI P. has given
many graphic sketches OF Chinese life
Mr.. O'Driscoll says:
The shops were of all sizes. Some
were seven or eight feet square. with
the back premises closed from sight;
some were twenty or twenty-five feet
wide, reaching back thirty or forty
feet. Perhaps an averaSe-sized shop,
in d fashiona bic neiGhbo-hood, was
about fourteen feet wide and twenty
two 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 ct the back.
There was almost invariably an oblong
opening through the roof, 10 admit
light and air. unclosed TO the sky in
summer, but with provision for glazed
light in winter. In the poorer class OF
houses this silylight could be shu, by
drawing n cover over it
To certain extent the wares We're
displayed, but not as IN our windows
Pottery and hardware had better dis
play than soft goods; food was exhib-
tied in open trays. or was hung up.
The goods, as a general rule, were
made IN the shops where they were
sold, ard worlmen were TO be seen
fashioning the articles in all the stages
of their manufacture. There were
some shops where no worknen could
be seen. and in their place staff OF
clerks sat ready 10 wait upon custom
ers: these We're not numerous, and
were as a rule shops relying chiefly
upon tourist trade. The Cantonese
shop-keepers struck me as being gen
orally fat, sleek, pot-bellied gentle
men. Commonly the only articles OF
clothing worn either by them or by
their assistants were loose Chinese
drawers fastened round the hips. In
winter they don a soft, warm, padded
blouse. Placid, notwithstanding
folk were they, taking life coolly, sit
ting thus naked TO the waist, ceaseless-
ly waving their fans while they waited
for custom, for which, however, they
did not appear to tout.
Signs OF all colors, sizes and shapes
hung out from the shops; from board
seven feet long, hanging vertically TO
q little strip of wood or paper of
about the same proportions in inches
The lettering of these signs was
goSgeous-gold letters on a crimson
ground, ve-milion on a black ground.
blue on white, or some other striking
contrast 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
gIvphics-quite unlike the fiimsy for
geries sold in Europe as Chinese Ian
terms At night these were lighted,
the Chinese being very fond OF illumi-
nations. All sorts of oils were used
fish oil, tallow, vegetable oils, kero-
sene, Of which last over one million
gallons of the American variety are
burned yearly in the city. AT the time
of my visi: the authorities were intro
ducing electric lighting for their streets
and for the better class shops and
houses.
When everything was well 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;d 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 bewilder-
ing, a variety that was endless.
In the less fashionable quarters the
trades were generally somewhat cen
tr.lized: five or six fish shops stood
close together; and so 1t was with
b. kers, ironmongers, glass blowers,
silk weavcrS. carpenters, cabinet
makers. oCf.n-builders. b!acksmiths.
fruit shops, restaurants Where one
Of trade was located there were gen
erally found several fellows