Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-12-18
CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS.
The Mongolians Who Live In New York
Are II Fun Loving People.

Are Fun Loving People.
The Chinese are fun loving people
IN spite OF their general air Of indiffer-
ence in the presence Of strangers. They
race up and down stairs CT sometimes
through the streets ON frolic, every
man laughing until ne y out of breath,
pulling cues, stealing hats and playing
| all manner OF practical jokes on one an
other. l recently heard great commo-
| tion i'll Doycrs street on hot Sunday
afternoon, when the street was crowded
| with Cinnamon, and, fearing trouble,
| hurried hastily to the S,ace, only to find
one man the butt of another mans joke,
trying to get away from his pursuer,
while about 500 laughing men joined
In the fun and finally administered
good natured justice to the pcrpetrator
of the joke. At another time on Sunday
| afternoon l heard sudden outcry and
scuff1e overhead, and the running of
scores Of feet. l ran into the hall, fear
ing that tho building was on fire, and
with sickening dread at my heart for
the Italian children in Bethany Sunday
school, which was then in session in
| t1iJ AiJjHAlpil LD'ILlS SuN ii HAL CUIlluS
down stairs and asked him what was
the matter, With shrug of infinite
dlsdaln, he remarked "Oh, my people
too muchee laugh" and passed Oh his
way. 1t was only \ eClloolboy joke play
ed by one group of men on another, fol-
lowed by q general melee, III which
shouts and laughter and the incessant
clattcr Of wooden soles on board floors
made us think Of 'pandemonium let
loose" :"
Some of the keenost and purest humor
and some Of the Wittieat sallies | have
heard have fallen from the lips of Chi
namen in lower New York | well re-
member the amused and coutemptuous
look with which Chinaman once said {:
''Mrllc"u man sayce (undeIstand) Chi
naNan alice same number one fool. Chi
naman sayce Melican man alice same.
Chinaman every timo gettce top side
Mclean man (which does not contain
IL reference to pu2ilism, but merely
means that III battle of wits tie Chi
Naman "seps through" the American
man and will come out on the "t0p
sid. - They are very quick at rcpurtec,
ANA their black eyes will sparkle with
amusement and fun il you jest with
them OF when they start the ball roll
ing among themselves.
They dwell together fer years in the
same apartments, happy and comforta-
bic. They minister to one another in
sickness, bury Il relative Or neigh Dor
when dead without calling Oh public
charities for help, and i'll the case Of q
relative assume the support of the fam
lily OF the dead man when he is gone.
These pooplu--thcsC much deridcd pco
plo-spona hours together il one anoth-
er's apartments, conyclsing together,
eating together sometimes smoking tie
long water pipe, always with pot of
stcaming tea between them. In two
years | have seen thousands Of such
groups, but never yet have found these
mon drinking liquor together. l have
found them playing GamCs--sOmCtincs,
but not always, Gambling--haTo found
them playing their musical Instruments,
which are harmonious TO thon, however
much they may lack OF melody to other
ears, ur Auvo found them reading OF
discussing the last Hougkoug or Shuug-
hal daily, bat / repeat / have mover
found thom drinking liquor or in any
degree under the influence OF iutoxi-
oant>
The Chinamau celebrates lis we'd
ding, not by a drunken rar0u,9l, bal by
the fin It feast filat Ii+ p'g .t3no.: c.:r
command, to which not Only his imMc-
/ IL i,t ,l,.ti Il