The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-09-15

How very Ike an American jewelers.
storel Two groups OF statuary are on
either side Of the door as you are well
within. Several chandeliers promise a
brilliant interior at evening. The pro-
prietor Is behind a counter. His stock
Of jewels Is In a number of drawers at
the side Of the room. A large show
case In the corner contains specimens
Of faience too large for the drawers. A
customer appears to be buying some
thing just as one might do In America
Here is a tea house, or restaurant
Perhaps in China they will call their
tea houses restaurants some day, just
as we have adopted the word "cafep
from France On the ground floor the
great teapot for hot water as big as
ten horsepower boller-is ready always
to supply the steaming cup. The tea
rooms are above, extending over sever
al other stores The farthest is an
opium room, with its wide benches and
stools Of equal height, upon which the
deyotees may fall back, lulled by the
pipe dreams induced by the insidious
drug that is responsible for China's
most deplorable Of vices. This little
model is the only evidence discoverable
Ia all the great exhibit that China ad-
mits the existence of the opium smok-
ing habit among her people. But, then.
we have opium rooms in New York and
San Francisco.
Beneath the tea rooms is a rice or
grain store. The signs probably bear a
legend as familiar throughout China as
the Grain, Flour, Feed and Baled
Hay signs are to Americans. Rice Is
the great staple food OF China. AT his
meals the Chinese has his bowl OF rice
as we have our potato. His meats,
bread. cakes and fruits are his delica-
cles ana are to be partaken OF only
spariEsy. Il have never seen q drunk
e. Cai2ese, said gentleman to me
vito Ina tsayc.ed 5000 miles from the
c5ast 1910 China Yet the Chinese
dAahs his wine. but BY thimblefuls and
upon appointed days only. Gluttony
ana unbridled indulgence are not for
the Ghieese. Opium smoking was orig
lnally tie white mans vice, and the
better class Of Chinese deplore It's pres
enee within the empires boundaries
Here is a Chinese eentleman's town
house with two outer rooms where the
cody porter stands to receive the
guests OF his master CHANGING in, we
may see the gentleman taking sip Of
tea. In the far room is the shrine
with ancestral tablets and incense Jars.
II we look about in the exhibit all
around us we may see the real furni-
ture with which a gentleman's house
in China is furnished. Note the great
rugs with long pile and fine pattern.
The Chinese are thorough in what they
do, and here is the proof Of that thor
oughness. The sedan chair, carried by
two coolies, sits upon the floor Of the
large entrance room, waiting the mas
ter's convenience. as a wealthy Amer
leans carriage waits at the curb or
in the stable.
Hats and shoes are a Chinese bust
ness combination. In the hat and shoe
store the round hats with button dec
orations that indicate the social stand
ing and the shoes with felt soles that
insure comfortable physical standing
are ranged In glass cases on the walls,
just like any American store might
be- The coarser grades are at the
back part OF the store on open shelves,
where moth and rust and dust may
corrupt If the proprietor falls to adver- |
tise In the local paper. Everything Is
graded in China ia much the same way |
as elsewhere In the world. The refined |
and elegant things get their proper set
tings the good hats and shoes In the
glass cases and the coarse ones unpro-
tected. The cultured people have the |
good houses because culture demands |
them, and the rough and unrefined /
dwell in the humber abodes, all grad |
ed by the common natural law that
knows neither cline, country nor creed, !
rS1zz
The Chinese umbrellas to mend /
man has a most Respectable looking
store. Below are the finished goods
aud we peep through q lattice to see
him at his labors on the second floor.
Shoes are part Of his stock-shoes
that never saw any animals back, ex-
eept perhaps to ride to market. So.
while there's nothing ike leather
when well put together" the Chinese
shoemaker can get along very well
without 1t. Fans as well as shoes 20
with the umbrella stock, and the fan
Is as commonly used as the other arti-
cles.
You might mistake the silk store for
q tea house, for tea drinking is the
most noticeable occupation Of those
within view. But the tea is every
where. Tea Is part Of every social
and business conference. Tea Is the
Chinese promoter Of good fellowship
The balance wheel that keeps head and
heart steady when there is business to
70 or personal experiences to recount.
The silks are seen above, whittier some |
II the little tea parties have adjourned
q examine colors and qualities and to |
strike q bargain. One Of the little
wooden men is washing his face with
10Th hands just as you or | might do