New-York tribune., 1901-08-18
MAIL FOR CHINATOWN.
THE CELESTIAI.S IN NEW-YORK HELP
THE CARRIER TO DISTRIBUTE
THEIR LETTERS.

Chinatown. with its underground passageways.
dark alleys twisting halls and concealed doors.
would he the hardest district IN this city for
the postmen TO cover If il were not for the
many branch postofices which the Chinese have
established. Every mercantile establishment in
Mott, Pell and DOyers SITS. and some of the
restaurants and clubrooms virtually sub
-1stofiices. Mail for individual Chinese. the
riffran Of the quarter. is addressed in care OF
of these established houses. and the work
of the postman is thus much simplified-
1t is fortunate for the Chinese that this state
Of affairs exists, for, efficient the postal de-
livery IS, il would be almost impossible 10
deliver the Chinese mail if the postman had to
hunt up every for whom letters from
China are received. II would be harder job
than finding John Doe" Of pooroom fame. The
Chinaman who is not in business keeps out of
the directory for one thing. Then. the name by
which his relatives in China know him is likely
TO be entirely different from that by which he
is known in Chinatown. for every Chinaman
with the least bit of pride has two or three
names. There are other complications that
would enter into a personal delivery
Letters from China usually come addressed
In English TO some well known firm. At one
end Of the envelope. written in Chinese charac-
tiers, is the OF the man Cor whom the let
ter is intended, and a request that the firm
will please deliver il at the earliest opportunity.
The larger firms have their addresses printed
on envelopes which supplied TO their regular
customers. The Chinese consider handling mail
matter in the light of an honorable trust and
there has never been any complaint that letters
are delivered to the wrong person. \ Chinese
may have had a serious falling out with a firm
and may have transferred his business To a
rival. but mai. addressed in care Of his former
connection always reaches him
The Chinese are great letter writer's OF
course there is great deal OF business corre-
spondence between Chinatown and Chinese
ports. but much of the mail matter is of a
social nature. Many Chinese who have good
command Of the intricate written language of
the Dragon Empire make a good living writing
letters for others of their race who don't know
how to write. When Chinese in this city
writes to his relatives in China he incoses an
addressed envelope.
The postman is more reverenCed in China
town than the policema I. In fact. that hardly
expresses it for the policeman only gets the
reverence which comes from fear of the law
while the postman, the LINK which connects
the inhabitants with the land Of their BIRTH is
most popular. He is a fortunate every
Chinese New-Year's week. for he receives many
presents. If he tried drink all the Chinese
wine offered to him his rounds i'm the holiday
week he would never live through it,
One does not have to consult shipping guide
In Chinatown II learn when the next mail is
due from the Far East. The Chinese know To a
day when every mail arrives. and figure to the
hour regarding the posting of China bound let
tns. They know that il takes thrty-three days
for a letter 10 go from New-YOrk To Hong Kong
il it is sent by the Vancouver steamers. They
also know that il takes little longer If sent
by the San Francisco or Seattle routes conse-
quently the Vancouver mail is always the
heavier. AT this time of year there are saiiings
from Vancouver every three weeks. In the