The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-10-19
TAR HEEL BOYS
DISSERTATIONS
A Trip to New York's Chinatown,

! heccutiy IieuO OF mine asked me
to take him through the Bowery and
| Chinatown, about which he had heard
great deal but knew practically moth
ing.
So one Saturday evening we got up
| a party of five and started out to see
| the sights. lly friend had been living
in New York quite while but never
had much chance for sightseeing. He
thought the Bowery park That
illusion was dlspelled, however, as soon
as he visited some of the foul dens for
which the street is famous.
We wandered around the Bowery
until about midnight, when we started
for Chinatown. The later the hour In
that quarter, the better the time for
sightseeing.
As we turned from the Bowery into
narrow and crooked Pell street 1t SEEM
ed as if we had been suddenly trans
ported to Pekin. The street is lined
with small Chinese signs OF every de-
scription, which look as if a hen had
walked up and down them before the
paint was dry. The jabbering of the
Chinese, with their pig-tsils and ORR
entail dress, produced picturesque
effect.
We made our way to number fifteen
Pell street, and climbed up a rickety
flight of dark stairs to a regulation
Chinese restaurant. As we entered the
door feeling much akin to sea-slck-
ness suddenly attacked us. The sight
was enough to turn the stomach OF an
ostrich. The whole place was filthy,
and the circular board tables looked as
II they had been doing sea-duty for
year on Spain's submarine feet
Seated all around were men and
women busily engaged in eating the
delectable(?) y Oriental food before them.
AS we sat down there was slight
commotion near the doorway, but no
one seemed to notice it except our
selves-it was merely drunken woman
who had refused to pav her bill, being
thrown cut. When she was put ont
she tried to batter down the door with
a cobble-stone, but In this she was un-
successful.
When quiet was restored the almond
eyed waiter came around for our Or
ders. Four OF the party took chap
suey, the celebrated Chinese dish, and
the fifth ordered yackaman. We were
little curious to know what chap
suey was composed OF, never having
seen it before, but our curiosity still
remains unsatlsfed. If one were very
anxious to know It's contents he would
need to have q chemist analyZe It, It's
visible ingredients are bits Of celery
and onion, grease and small strips OF
meat, probably rats ham, fried brown.
It looks extremely appetiz'ng II one
could forget his surroundings while
eating it. With each order they serve
a tiny dish of Chinese souse. Each OF
our dishes was already full Of souse.-
evidence Of the fact that those self
same dishes had been served to at least
a half dozen people before us, who had
only tasted them out Of curiosity.
The yackaman was little more
palatable, being made of rice and tew-
ed chicken.
With every meal they serve pot Of
tea that is really excellent. The cups
are the daintiest things imaginable
each one holds just one good swallow.
But they give you no sugar. II yon
want that luxury you have to pay ex-
ira for 1t. The Chinese do not use it
and probably think other people have
the same taste.
We all ate very little except one OF
the bows, who, being a native New
| Yorker, an amateur sailor and hungry,
managed to worry down two plates OF
chae-suey, bowl of yackafnan, bowl
OF rice and seven cups Of tea.
| While he was doing this terrible ex-
ecut.on we were enabled to get better
view OF our surroundings. II the rea1
OF the place was q laundry whera a
number OF "chlnks" were buslly en-
gagged ia ironing shirts. Beyond the
laundry we could get glimpse OF the
kitchen where we could see long rows
of chickens that seemed TO be under
going drying-out process. The,
looked as if they might have been taker
| from the ruins Of Pompeii.
| 1t the table next ours sat a tough
looking individual who was eatins
with seemingly great relish /. bowl
s,;ne endless stuff that resembed Whit
ribbon. He made way with i /.
holding hanlf,,! above his head anf
swallowing 1t by degrees
KIDNEY Is a deceptive disease :
: thousands have 1t an
: fIh IDLE. don't know it. If 20
wont nulck results YOU can make n