The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-24

lowed out into beautiful box. This con-
tanned several pounds of tea of very
choice variety, and in the center of the
box there was a little cas1et containing n
handful or SO OF tea which was worth $3.50
a pound, and was perhaps the costliest
tea In existence. The tea outside of this
was delicious, bat the $3.50 tea was drink
Tor the gods. President Harrison showed
the tea to his friends and now and then
had drawing made for those who were
closest to him.
One day a Western Senator who knew as
much about tea as COW does about choc-
oIate caramels spent AZ evening at the
White House. During his stay President
Harrison spoke of this wonderful tea and
SAID he would give him Q bit of it. sup
posing, OF course, the man would under
stand that he would have a drawing made
and they would sip it together. He sent
one of tie servants for the precious casket
<>S15Q tea and handed it over to the Sen
yPc6r TO examine. The Senator took il and
looked at il, and then said, az am much
obliged, indeed, Mr.. President, and / will
take 1t home TO the madam" He there
upon put the box in his pocket. One of
the Presidents official family, who was
present at the time, told me of the Incl
dent, and l asked him as to what the Pres
ident did.
''What could he do >" was the reply. "He
couldn't ask the man TO give 1t back with
out offending him, and the result was that
he earned away the box, which was worth
more than its weight III gold, and which
venture was no more appreciated by the
people who got 1t than the poorest of the
japanese Variety
The Chinese tea which we get for dollar
pound brings about % cents pound in
China. and what the Chinese call good tea
Is worth at least a dollar a pound whole
sale IN China, and it would bring in the
nited States 81 pound. Tea which costs
$40 a pound is by no means uncommon
among rich Cinnamon. and there are some
Chinese nabobs who serve up $50 tea to
their guests. The man who knows nothing
of tea, but thinks he knows good deal,
wants the liquor to be dark colored, and
considers this is a sign OF strength. The
best Chinese tea is often as clear as crys-
tai and the color of good tea should be a
very light yellow, hardly as dark as light
amber. The first leaves Of the tea plant
are the tenderest, and the first picking, of
course, brings the most money. We use
every year about $11 600, 900 worth OF Chi
nese tea, and we are fast becoming big con-
sumers of Ceyion and Indian tea. / have
travelled through the tea district of the
Himalaya Mountains, and have tasted the
tea which grows on the border of Thibet.
This is said to be the natural home of the
tea plant, and il is claimed that the tea
was taken from here 10 China and there
grown. The English now have vast tea
plantations in India, and these are in
creasing every year. The Chinese do not
think that milk or sugar should be used
with tea. but the tea should by no means
be boiled. l was treated to cup OF tea
during a visit | made to How Qua, the
famous millionaire of Canton. This man
is said to be worth $50, 900, and the tea
which the servants brought in was about
the color of Georgia pine.
The Yang -Kiang is the river which
runs right through the center of the Chinese
Empire, cutting the country almost in half.
/ was told that the best teas were raised
south of this river, and that no good tea
could be grown above it. The great CEN
tral tea market is, as l have said, at Han
kow. Here there are vast tea factories and
tea warehouses, and the very air is filled
with tea. / visited many OF the factories
during my stay, and the methods OF pre-
pairing the tea for market are by no means
of an appetizing nature. lust outside one
of the largest establishments l saw half
naked coolie, who had pulled off his gown
and with his pantaloons pulled up TO his
knees, standing in box OF tea which was
about to be shipped TO England, and tread
ing the leaves within 1t In order to pack
them closely to ship them. A dozen other
coolies. also in their bare feet, were en-
Gagged in the same work. The weather was
warm, and the persplratlon was rolling
down their yellow skins, and was, Judge,
readily absorbed by the tea III the boxes.
In another part OF the eStaDASnIneAI sd"
lot of Chinese girls, who had feet no bigger
than your fists, picking over tea. Their feet,
which were bandaged, were half-covered
with the leaves of the second-grade tea,
which they had thrown down into the
baskets below them, as they were rapidly
handling the leaves, sorting over each and
every one of the thousands OF tiny bits OF
green before them. AT Annoy | was told
that a vast amount of tea was spoiled
about year or so ago. 1t was so ruined
by dampness or something that the Ghi-
nese would not use it. The factors then
spread it out on the dirty wharves, where
it was mixed with all kinds of foul stuff,
and dried for shipment to America and
England. / have heard it stated that the
tea grounds of some Chinese restaurants
are taken out and redried, and in some
cases shipped to America. ] doubt this
very much, but it is true that the Chinese
use their tea grounds over and over again,
selling them to the poorer classes. The
preparation of the tea for the market is
ALMOST altogether by hand. The tea dis