The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-09-30

Strange Scenes in the Great City
How Millionaire and Pauper Get
AIong-A Night Visit to China Town
The Italian Quarter and the He
brew District-f1alf the World Does
Not Know How the Other Lives.
(Fred L. Merritt in News and Observer J
"Cab or carriage? Cab or car
rage"
My first impressions OF New York
begin with the addition of this ques-
tion-spoken in strong Yankee ac-
cent at the Old Dominion wharf, foot
of Beach hstreet-asI step off the steam
er Princess Anne. There are wheeled
vehicles of all kinds, street cars in
cluded. The cars are cheaper, SO l
struggled for place in one. Pell-mell
men and women rushed for the seats
and when these were filled, stood
swaying in the narrow aisle-women
in costly gowns nudged and jostled by
men in their working clothes.
knew at once that | was in new
world and the South was left far be-
hind me, for half the people standing
in the car and clinging to the straps
were women and half those sitting
down were men, and not mother S
son of them got up before reaching his
destination to offer his seat to a wo-
man. The South may be behind in
many things, and this deplore, but |
can thank merciful Providence that
gentlemanly conduct is not a lost art,
even in its largest cities. If it is true
that manners make the man, then it is
certain that we have decided advan-
tage of some other sections of our
country.
1t is late in the afternoon. The
city is very solid and very gray-a
brick and mortar and granite city.
Everything that strikes the eyes has a
strangely massive aspect. Even the
speech is different from the soft speech
of the South-a quick, clear pronunci-
alton, mixed with French and German
gutturals. This is due, of course, to
the fact that large per cent. Of the
population is composed of foreigners.
1t is always interesting, on arriving
in strange city to wander about the
streets alone and receive some ru-
dimentary and unbiased impressions
before kind friends find you out and
proceed to show you the sights and
fill you up with information and sta
| tistics. In this we hear yet stranger
tongues and see things more curious.
Turning our steps the first night to-
ward the East side we find there long
streets and whole blocks, where not a
word of English is ever spoken. Null
berry street one can easily imagine a
street in Rome. Italian faces, Italian
shops and Italian words-are all one
sees and hears. Six story tenements
stand like gaunt tattered giants in the
darkness of the dirty dimly lighted
street. The unwashed windows scarce
ly disclose any evidence Of life within.
Even the shops are all dark now, but
blurs Of flaming smoking torches at
each corner show that the saloons are
still open. 1t is not yet late and there
are plenty Of people on the streets.
Children everywhere half of them
asleep on the doorsteps or the trucks
standing against the curbstone. Poor
young things, on such night they
must have stihed in the wretched
crowded hives of humanity. Even out
here on the street the air is laden with
foul odors. Not word of English is
heard-only cultural Italian. We are
in Little Italy.
On Baxter street are the OIL Clo'
shops where the Hebrew holds sway,
and tries to persuade you TO enter and
examine his display of bargains. Once
in he will try to convince you that
black is white, or resort to some equal
ly contradictory trick to effect sale.
But tonight all the Cohens have gone
to sleep.
Not so with the inhabitants OF the
next thoroughfare you reach-Mott
street. This is Chinatown. Here
only the language of the Celestial
Empire is spoken, and some 1000
Chinese make it their home. All the
stores are Chinese shops, as you will
see from the upright signs with their
big carved characters and tassels of
cloth, glimmering picturesquely in the
dim gaslight.
There in that basement, | am told,
is an opium joint. Men are crowded
around in the dim light-mostly re-
posing in rude, wooden bunks-smok-
ing opium, nearly everyone Of them.
The pipe is made Of a large bamboo,
with hole near one end to put the
opium ball in. The almond eyes look
me over long and curiously while
tell an interpreter who | am. Then
the game goes on.
1t is called fan-tan, and is played
by the light of three candles at low
table covered with a bamboo mat. B.
side the players there is silent ring
of watchers and wagerers about the
table, and others, smoking, looking
down from the hunks. The yellow
candle glare, coloring all these impas
sive faces, makes their placid race
smile seem as the smiling Of gilded
idols in the joss house few block:
further on.
In this joss house, next day, l found
many boxes, much resembling tea
chests, covered with Chinese lettering
Each contains the bones Of a deaC
man-bores that will be sent 10 Chins
~e.t bo& coil thoy roCNo