The Irish standard., 1895-10-12
'HO JOHN CHI an Wis
Interesting oescrIption Of tho Joints.
In the Sums OF San sE
francisco.
LETTER OF EDITH SESSIONS UPPER.
Chinese Thsaters and tbs Horror In
which Actors Are
Held.

EFF you want to go through China
town and see it thoroughly and in all it's
phases, get Billy Glennon to take YOU
was the advice rendered me by those
who know the ropes, writes Edith Ses-
sions Upper, from San Francisco.
So I sought Mr.. William Glennon, who
for 10 years was police officer in Chi
natown and who is now the detective Of
the Palace Hotel. Glennon is a verita-
ole Beau Bru1nnel in appearance, man
ner and dress. He boasts of having
conducted more distinguished visitors
through Chinatown than any other po-
liceman in San Francisco. His watch
chain sports g. handsome locket, given
him by Henry Irving as souvenir of
the actors trip, and ladies of all ranks
and professions, from Mrs. Harrison to
Amelie Rives, have been his protegees on
visits to the most picturesque portion Of
San Francisco.
In the first place Chinatown is really a
little city by itself, a town swarnling and
bristling with these weird, curious folks
who in ceaselessly running hither and
tnEhet remind one Of nothing so much as
an army Of black beetles, hurrying about,
disappearing suddenly in the ground and
as suddenly bobbing up again. There
are 10000 Of these black beetles in China
town. and everyone Of them is out after
nightfall. You step from the crowded
modern American streets of San Fran
cisco straight into bit of heathendom.
The Transformation is so sudden it feazes
you for time. Down narrow streets
filled with trucksters shops, chicken
coops, temporary pig pens, fish stalls,
holding your nose. The flare of burning
peanut oil on little braziers Eliminates
the gaudy josshouses, the deafening
crash of tom-toms and bang of cymbals
from the theaters torment your ears, the.
mournful Celestial gibber1sh every
where resounds, dark, evil faces glare In
yours for an instant and are gone, only
to be replaced by more dark, evil faces
this is Chinatown. These streets
center in dismal open courts, reeking in
filth and surrounded by rooms scarcely
bigger than ratholes wherein the black
beetles burrow. "Chinks'' thrive best.
and hubble closest where sunlight can
not come.
The barber shops are never failing
sources of amusement. You stand before
them perfectly fascinated by the perform
ances going on therein. The sign Ks
fcur-legged frame, the legs painted green
with scarlet knobs on top. Inside the
BARRIERS are industriously shaving with
razors of triangular shape, about two
inches long, an inch wide at one end, hol-
low ground and weighing about two
ounces. Other artists are applying deli
cate instruments to the cleansing OF the
eye-lids The refined process of swab-
bling the ears and pulling hairs out of the
nostrils is also in full blast. The walls
arc decorated with false cues. When
Chinaman is sent to prison his cue is cut
off. OF course this is a terrible disgrace.
When he comes out the first thing to be
dcne is to get cue and braid it in the re-
mains of his former glory. This is the
way police officers discover jailblrds. IN
making an arrest they grab at the cue.
If it comes off they know they have man
with a pasta cute way of discovery, in
fact. 1t is a mark of great disrespect to
wear the cue coiled in the presence OF SUI
periors. The smartest cue saw in China
town was on the head of one of the most
notorious highbinders in the quarter. 1t
was at the entrance of Cum Cook alley,
Or Murderer's row, where more murders
are committed than in any other street
In Chinatown ''Look behind you quick
ly,' whispered the detective. There is
one of the worst characters among the
highbinders" turned and looked at
him. He was dandy, that one-sleek,
trig, jaunty, with wicked, bold eyes,
! stare Of insolent defiance and a don't-give-
a-d-n air. He was exquisitely tidy in
his dress. and his pigtail almost touched
the ground. He nodded to Glennon, eyed
our party contemptuously and strutted
by like pompous young peacock.
The theater! All, there was the fun!
The price of admission varies with the
time of entrance. We went in about 10
o'clock and paid flour bits as they say
there, or so cents apiece Cinnamon go in
early in the evening for Is cents and later
for 10 cents If the play stops one minute
before midnight the audience can demands
and get it's money back. No women are
allowed on the floor of the theater. They
sit in the boxes, while visitors go upon the
stage and sit with the players. It is GER
tainly a trial for ones nerves and risib.l-
ities. There are no curtains, no flies, no
wings. The musicians sit at the back Of
the stage with their coats of, keeping up
din Of gongs, tomtoms, fiddles and
cymbals which is simply internal.
But fearful as it is it is as nothing to
the yells of the heavy villain or the shrilf
squawks Of the victimized heroine. The
actors paint their faces in the most fright
full fashion. An Apache out for gore
would not show such variety Of colors.
The whole performance is like q hideous
night mare and funny beyond expression.
The Cinnamon. though, take it very seri-
.ously, and the only ones who laughed
were those who nudged each other to see
ne laugh. Any one who likes walks up
from the audience and wanders In and out
of the dressingrooms at the back of the
stage. Over the stage Is the josshouse OF
the actors and back Of this their living
rooms, for they never go out Of the the
alter II they can help 1t. Cinnamon have
the most utter contempt for actors, and II
they catch them on the streets will tear
their clothing from them a4d beat them
,,n+;l &tn,, ayos h1onkS In thu face g Him