Evening star., 1898-10-22

would even imagine from the appearance
OF the shops themselves.
One Of the big men of the quarter does
n annual business Of almost hll. q million
He not only has "A good share OF the local
trauc. but he exports goods 10 South Amer
lea and Australia as we'll. Ind, "a most OF
the merchants are exporters well as i'm
pDItcrs.
The Syrians are polite and courteous in
the extreme. The majority affect Amcri-
can dress, though occasionally ole is found
Mh" wears a fez in preference To a hat.
Ihey comrar" iarorably in neral inielli-
Eence with small American wholesalers
ana show considerable ami often surpris-
ing insight into commercial question even
trade.
They speak good English as a ..uIa. and
profess themselves as very wed satisfied
itcs.
Turks as Traders.
The Turks are principally peddlers. They
contine themselves to rugs and tapestries.
much as do the Armeniana. whom they
closely resemble. When however. Turk
rises out Of the peddler class and sets up
as shopkeeper. he combines tobacco with
whatever other goods he mas keep in
stock. He is something OF genius as an
advertiser, and about the first thing he
does, when ne gets a plate glass window
between himself and Jhe public. is to put a
woman behind that plate glass rolling Gig
arettes. The woman is V-ry apt to be his
wife, and If he has children they 20 on eN-
hibitiOn. too, as a part of tnn show. Need
less to remark. this is a display of ,iomrs-
uc1tY he would hardly indulge in in lis
native land, where the ladies of the house
hole are carefully secluded. These Turks
get on amazingly. They sell all sorts OF
oriental odds and ends IN addition TO Gig
arettes and tobacco, and are generally able
TO retire after Il few years ard return home
with enough money put Icy To make them
comfortable for the remainder of their
days. This of course, is the ambition Of
all VIXEN they come here.
Down in Chinatown.
The Chinese merchants Of New York
have a very considerable local trade to
supply, consequently the stores On Mott and
Pcll streets are both wholesale ana retail.
They also do a surprisingly large business
in the small towns, where quantities OF
kn.cknacks are carried by the laundryman
as a side line"
The Chinese stores show infinite va
riety of goods. A glance reveals nuts, lily
bulbs, sweetmeats, rice and rose wine
IN very high favor with all bibul0us celes-
tiaIs-chiuaware and, OF course, tea. But
as compared with the shops in San Fran
cisco. those in the New York colony are
small affairs.
Most of the New York stores are branches
of the California houses, which owned
10y trading companies that have heir head
quarters "a the other side OF the Pacific.
The Chinese shopkeepers make no con-
cessiOE to western ideas. Their stores are
as typical their surroundings will per-
nit, and the staid-looking merchants abide
Icy blouse and pigtail. In their whole atti-
tude toward the foreign devils with
whom they do business they are in sharp
contrast to the japanese. who make them
selves as thoroughly American as possible.
If his dealings are sufficiently large to
warrant il the Japanese merchant is
tain TO have his place fitted out in the most
up-to-late fashion. In far as his almond
eyes and yellow skin will allow he keeps
away from any suspicion of orientalism.
1t is a question however. If. with all his
fuss and glitter Of surroundings he is the
solid business man the Chinese shopkeeper
Is.