Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-10

! emerald, among the greens, are favor
ties. The Chinese dyers and silk deal
| ers recognize 900 different bright"
colors, and from this long list the sing
song girl picks the raw material of
| her clothes. The coat is of one color.
! the collar and edging of a second. In
| addition to this the material is bro
| caded, painted or embroidered The
! effect Of a dozen persons dressed in
| this manner is startling in its brill
fancy. Nor is it lessened by the rich
silken robes worn by the Chinese gen
tlemen present or by the banners and
chromatic decorations of the apart
ment.
! The sing-Song girls chat with one
another a minute or two and then be-
come silent as one of the number eX
ecuteS an instrumental solo. She plays
well, keeping accurate time and dis
playing here and there considerable
talent But the music, even at its best,
is not altogether satisfactory to the
American ear. There is no shading in
the quantity of sound. Every note Is
equally loud. The notation differs
from our own. Two consecutive notes
are sometimes merely a small fraction
of Il half-tone apart, and sometimes
two or three tones. The key varies, or,
rather, there is no real key whatever.
1t is major one moment and minor
the next. Within five minutes the
key may change a dozen times. Be
sides this, nearly everything is in the
upper register. The full lower notes
are almost unknown. Ordinarily music
starts with e on the treble clef and
expires somewhere far up in shrill
squeak.
BY the time two or three pieces
have been performed the guests have
all arrived and the company adjOurnS
to the dining hall. This is hand
some and capaciouS chamber similar
in furnishing to the reception room.
IN the center is the dinner table, which
is longer, wider and higher than those
employed at home. The chairs are
huge but very comparable affairs of
tinely-carved ebony, inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. They are built after
n model which would meet the APP
prevail of fat mems club, being large
enough for a giant. Additional ease is
given to the guest by arranging the
chairs nearly two feet apart. After
your place is designated, you remove
your coat, hand it to an attendant, and
take your seat.
Then the Sing-song girl comes for
ward with a low stool and sits half
behind you to your right. The girls
have relinquished their musical inStru-
ments, and now each bears Il silver
tray on which are water pipe, cigar
lighters, cigarettes and cigars. This
they lay on the floor beside them.
The walters bring in the first course.
The girls arise and serve the guests
from the central dishes. At first they
do 1t in dignificd and serious fashion,
transferring the food to your plate,
bringing delicacies to you from various
parts of the table, filling your teacup
and pouring into your drinking cup
the hot wines and liquors so popular
with the Monaghan. All the time they
keep up running fire Of conversation,
IohlIlS ollt oN(ohb anu ltlllHS lDIluy
story the next making fun of you ut
one moment and of your neighbor i'm
mcdiately afterward, humming an air,
whistling a catch, initiating a bird,
doing anything and everything to pro-
woke mirth and laughter.
At the end of Is minutes or as soon
as there comes lull in the proceed
ings recess Is taken and Il truce de.
clared with eating. The girls have
foreseen 1t, and as the guests lean
back in their chairs, offer them their
choice Of pipe, cigar or cigarette. In
many cases a smart girl will have
found out mans preference, and
have 1t at his lips before lie realizes
what she Is doing. Those who prefer
to sit still remain in their chairs;
others rise and stroll around the two
rooms and such halls as may be open
to guests, and still others lie down on
a bunk and try the seductive fumes of
opium. In the meantime the girls
have handed their fans to the host and
taken seats In corner of the apart
ment alongside the orchestra. The
fans are of ivory or silk and contain a
list Of popular songs and pieces beauti-
fully inscribed upon the sticks. The
host selects one or more and returns
the fans to the owners. The number
chosen is nearly always song, and
may be anything from a simple ballad
to a part song requiring every one
of the performers.
No manuscript or roll is produced.
Such an act would be considered mira
dig. 10y Chinese professional. No
one can be Il successful artist unless
she can carry in her memory the
words and music Of at least five hun
dred compositions. Generally the
piece is a vocal solo, duet or trio, The
singers accompany themselves on a
either, mandolin and violin. Their
colleagues may play second or similar
Instruments while their male orches-
ira brings in the heavy work. This Is
amusing, II not annoying. One tam.
tam, the bass, consists Of snake skin
drawn over what seems an ancient