The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-07
THERE 5 Only ONE
REAL G .INAI0HN
And That 1t Is to be Found in
San Francisco.
FIDELITY TO CUSTOMS
Followed There but Not in
Chinese Quarter of New York.

New York and san Francisco being the
two largest seaports in the United States,
and each the metropolis Of its state. it is
no wonder that they are credited with
similar characteristics. In fact, a San
Franciscan may feel homesick in any
part Of America until he reaches New
York, and vice versa, for, allowing the
difference il population. san Francisco
minus elevated railways is New York on
a small scale. There is one marked dit
ference between the two cities however,
and that lies in the size and character Of
the Chinese population
Two blocks from the business quarter
OF San Francisco IS situated Chinatown.
Long years ago when Frisco was only
a little mining town. in the days OF -,
this portion OF the city was occupied by
the aristocracy. Many Of the houses are
pretentious three-story structures. with
their once spacious rooms now partitioned
of into little apartments, just large
enough to accommodate a bunk, q chair.
and tea caddy. In front Of these houses
are now huns great red shining lanterns,
some the size Of a barrel. the doors are
pasted with strips OF red paper, that in
describaDle red peculiar to the Chinese.
with good luck characters printed upon
them.
First we viii visit the sacred oven of
Mon War Sher. where the sacred papers
are incinerated. This is d large oven Of
brick TO which each inhabitant of China
town sends his waste letters and papers
70 be burned with the accompaniment of
incense and prayer. All paper upon which
a Chinese character has been written or
printed is sacred and may not be torn up
or thrown away. but must be reduced to
ashes and the latter are also disposed of
with equal care. Kew York has no sacred
furnace. The sacred papers are burned in
-the private houses in pans provided for
the purpose. On the way to the Joss
house you pass a shop where whole roast
pigs, smoking hot just from the oven, are
dripping grease in the ashes placed below
for the purpose. The skin of these pigs
before roasting were treated to wash of
honey and that accounts for the shiny.
transparent. reddish brown color seen in
ali Chinest roast meats.
Next in cocoanut store we see q Chin
aman saving in two the monkey-faced
fruit, and we are fascinated by the dex-
tority with which he catches the liquor
Il
the cocoanGt is made into candy, the IL
quor is used for wine. Across the mar
row street a group or children, gath
cred around a peddIer OF chopped ice and
clad in brightly coIored garments of
orange, violet and vivid green flash in
the sun. The Joss houses for there are
many are filled with magnificent gold
leaf-carving. Great brass dragons belch
clouds Of incense. tiny swinging lamps
with nut oil burn constantly night and
day. rich embroidered tapestries and gold
lace decorate the walls. on the sidewalk
We SPY a fortune teller. In every three
blocks, at least twQ of these strange char
acters can be found and they are well
patronized by both Chinese and whites
for the former never take an important
step without first consulting the forces
and pulling luck stories or tossing a coin
under the watchful eye of a licensed
prophet.
To see the underground dens Of which
so much is heard one can step of the
sidewalk almost anywhere. although in
this il is safer to procure the services Of
a guide. and then down to sometimes
three flights one may wander for blocks
without seeing any but artificial light.
Homes in these underground places are
similar to those above ground, and often
very respectable families can be found
> living there In nearly every Chinese
home a corner is set aside for tiny pri-
waite jess, and there incense is constant
~ burning and sending up spirals o'
smoke
For restaurant, we viii take a look at
one of the largest. Hang Fong Low 3
place is called the Waldorf-Astoria of
'Frisco's Chinatown. Eggs fifty years old
can be obtained here for the Celestial
and for the American preserved ginger
or pineapple chicken. This Chinese res
taurant is three stories high; each floor
IS set with tables, the top being reserved
for parties. The banquet hau has beauti-
fully colored noors.=the walls are covered
with gilt carvings; an arrangement over
the coke stove. upon when are three
artistic brass kettles. each holGing gaI-
lon or more. forms sort of canopy. a
fantastically colored Chinese dragon
presides over this portion OF the room.
Everything is spotlessly clean from cellar
10 garnet Cared ebony chairs are ar
ranged IN rows around the four sides OF
the room; ebony stools are used for seats
al the tables
Chinese dinner consists of about seven
courses. beginning with China rice whis-
KEY. picked cess. mustard pickles. lem
ons and sort OF transparent plum. to-
Rethor with nuts and sweetmeats. These
are placed on the tables before The guests
sTrive The soup is followed by an end
cess array of ueats-chopped. hashed.
roasted. fried. salt sour. sweet. shiny
roast fowl brilliantly coloreJ meats of
ell kinds; then pastry Dessert is pre-
served fruit and sweetmcats then tea
served piping hot in little bowls
As we leave the richly furnished ban
ouet hau and walk through the narrow
passage to the stairway. we stop in ad-
miultion Of the weird picture framed by
the kitchen walls The flames burst
through the crevioes of the old ranse ana
surround in mysterious red and brown
shadows the wrinkIed Chinese cook. who
is vigorously stirring something in q huge
brass pot Mere brass caldrons cast re-
Elections on the brown-staincd walls that
are toned 10 beautiful scftness by time
and smoke. What "a feas, Tor an artist
Is this Chinese kitchen.
Up a dark. narrow stairway 60 sort
of garnet floor. an interesting place To .
visit. IS lantern factory. Nearly all the (
great shining lanterns that find their WY
Through America are brought 20 lie here. f
and here they receive tne doft touches .
which rencc~ them 50 picturesque that AZ .
Sthe same tine impregnable 70 rain
on another floor is man kept busy