The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-01-30

way from house to house and emerge:
perhaps on the other side of the blocl
and moves calmly along looking as limo
cent as the day. Underground ways ex
ist only in the graphic accounts" of the
imaginative newspaper man.
! In the district known as Chinatown
bounded by Kearney, Stockton, Califor
MIA and Pacific streets, and comprising
ten blocks, there are in round numbers
about twenty-five thousand Cinnamon
/ OF this number it is safe to assume that
about twenty thousand smoke opium
They smoke opium as the white man
smokes his tobacco. Every house is to
| that extent an Sopium joint" But
good tourist, you will not find ''herds OF
white boys and girls in these dens hit
/, ting the pipe" as the same correspond
ent who imagined the 'labyrinths" has
depicted. The laws of California can
not prevent the smoking of opium in the
smokers house or lodging; but if he per-
, mits others to smoke then the law con-
strues the action as a violation of the
ordinance prohibiting "the sale or Civ
ing away of the drug ''to be smoked on
the premises" and Furnishes the violation
by fine or Imprisonment prescribed as
the penalty for misdemeanor In conse-
quence, the Chinese will not permit
white men, boys or girls to smoke in
four years has police raid been pro-
ductive of results in finding any Caucas-
ians smoking the opium in Chinatown.
Frequently the police have caught the
Chinese, but not as often as our mag
NATIVE newspaper writer's tell us. The
greatest and most deplorable evil, and
one with which the visitor to Chinatown
will not come in contact, is that of Chi
nese slavery. There are many houses
of ill-fame in this quarter, and the pro-
curing, buying and selling of Chinese
girls for these dens of infamy constitute
a regular and Lucrative business. Girls
are sold into these places at as early an
age as twelve years. They are impris-
oned and guarded and watched, and if
they do not the bidding of master or
mistress are beaten and abused. Occa-
sionally one of these suffering mites of
humanity will manage to get word to
Miss Lake of the Methodist home, and
then by stealth and the aid of the po-
lice the unfortunate one is sometimes
found and released. Oftener she is spir-
tied away to some hiding place and to a
life that is worse than death.
But if lepers and depraved whites are
not among the attractions of the Chi
nese quarter of San Francisco, there is
much to be seen that will amply repay
the curiosity of the stranger who is sea-
soned to the slums of the eastern cities.
The temples or gloss houses" already
mentioned, the restaurants, the stores
and curio shops, the markets the alleys,
the lodging houses, the theater, the mis-
sions, and the queer crannies of the dis
trict, are all interesting to people not
familiar with them. 1t is certainly all
very picturesque, but it is also very
dirty, and one visit generally suffces.
The joss Chinese temples of
worship-are quantity and curiously
beautiful places to visit. The great
wooden deities so hideous and ugly that
one sees them in their dreams thereafter
are yet interesting. They are highly
colored and gilded and each god-for the
Chinese have scores of guardian deities
-repose on a magnificent altar ded-
icated to his abode. The gods are all
manufactured in China and shipped to
this country. Upon their arrival here
they are installed in their temples with
elaborate ceremonies and thereafter in
cense and lights continually burn before
them, and at the proper times propitia-
tory offerings are laid at his feet. The
constantly burning incense gives the
place a sickening odor and one is glad
to escape to the outside air.
The stores and curio shops, from the
smallest to the great establishment of
Sing Fat & Co. are worthy of visit.
Each contains something of interest.
Silks of the finest texture, fragile china
and porcelain, lacquered ware and ham,
mered brass and, what is most beauti-
full to me, the embroideries, ranging in
price from a dollar up to $500. l have
seen a four panneled screen with solid
carved ebony frame and the silk panels
embroidered with lilies and chrysanthe-
NUNS, valued at $500, and think moth
ing more beautiful of its kind could be
made. The markets, too, are places of
interest for the tourist. The many
queer looking vegetables, SO strange to
American eyes, the curious birds, dried
and prepared for food, the Chinese
butcher carving the meats-invariably
pork-are all interesting, but one does
not feel like partaking of any of the
viands. However, when one visits the
restaurants everything looks clean and
appetizing and many of the dishes. can
be enjoyed by the Caucasian visitor.
Everything is served on their delicate
decorated chinaware, and the various
dishes are placed on the table with
mathematical precision. For really
delicious cup of tea try one of the Chi
nese restaurants. Drink it without SUI
nnr or cream taking with it some of