The morning times., 1896-02-12
CHINATOWN IS Ill AG0G
Oriental New Year'WlN Be Ce|e-
brated Today.
FEAsTING AND CALLING
Washing VIII Be Laid Aside and
the Chinese Residents VIII Ex-
change Greetings and Presents.
1t Is Their Greatest Holiday ana
Is Royalty Observed.

Today is the Chinese New Year. Among
the men of pigtails and two-storied shoes
it win he observed as a day of feasting and
merrinent.
All Chinatown will pause in its pursuit
of the great and much coveted American
dollar, and for twelve hours devote its
every thought and faculty to having a good
time.
Today the laundries will be closed and
the merchants will turn their shops into
feasthallsand temples, in which the orientals
god Of pleasure will hold forth supreme.
Every Chinese house in WashingtGa will
be gaily decorated.
IN ORIENTAL EFFECTS.
All last night the Cinnamon worked with
flags and silk and many colored. paper
ornaments. Every shop is mass of gilt
tering tinsel and waving peacock feathers.
Last night reporter visited the store of
Quong, Sang, Lung & Co., on p ems ylvania
avenue between Third and Four-and-a half
streets.
The place was crowded with Cinnamon
Cinnamon and lean, poor and rich. They
sat about on boxes and bales scattered
about upon the floor, or perched upon the
counters and show cases. A half dozen
men were at work putting up the decora-
tions.
They seemed to be under the direction of
n little old man, who sat near the stove
and smoked a long-stemmed pipe, which he
removed from his lips now and then to
mutter some order or direct the arrange
Inen6 OF some show piece.
Over all hung a thick cloud of smoke and
the pungent odor of incense pervaded the
atmosphere.
In the window bloomed a beautiful
cluster of Chinese lilies, and every nook
and coIreI of the shop held some queer
looking plant or blossoms. either real or
limitations as a reminderithat these were
subjects OF the Flowery Kingdom.
ALL IMBUED WITH, HOLIDAY.
A few doors above, onf the Avenue, at
No. 34c, is the place of business OF Tuck
CheoHs X Co., importers andChinese grocers.
Here everything was hustle and confusion.
Mr.. Trch Cfeong, the head offthe firth is
an ApericaniZed Chinaman, who speaks tue
English language fluently anIi has adopted
our customs and nianners1 He;was super
vising the decoration of his store, and Dart
ing hithcT anG thitfler atnong fis assistants
putting ol. the finishing touches.
An oh. ana feeb,e-look king man, with his
skirts tucked up about Sfbis knees, was
mopping the floor and splashing water on
every one who came near him. A little
Chinese baby who evidently had seen but
few new years days, war perched upon
packing case viewing the proceedings in
wide eyed and silent ast stonishinent.
Mr.. Tuck Cheong was too busy TO say
much, but he stopped for a moment TO say
some, hing q about teday's festivities. YES"
he said, tomorrow is our New Year day,
and l suppose we celebrate it much after
the fashion you Americans do. Everybody
will rest tomorrow aud the day Will be
spent in feasting. paying calls and having
general good time"
Here Mr.. Cheong broke off 10 give some
orders to a man who was putting up an
immense PLAGUE, covered with queer-look-
ing marks and tinsel ornaments.
PROUD OF THE DAY.
When il had been arranged to his salts
faction he returned and continued. We
Cinnamon take great deal OF interest and
pridein our New Year Day. It's celebrated
with more pomp and spIendor in China
than any other holiday. Nothing is too good
for Chinaman tomorrow. AT The differ
ent houses the best of everything is sprea d
out upon table, and all who call are well
come TO partake of the feast.
MANY send TO China for special brand
of tea or peculiar kind of sweetmeat that
| cannot be obtained in this country. When
we call upon each other the visitor brings
his host present and the compliment is
returned later in the day when their posi-
tions are reversed"