The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-12

chiefly the native tAnnamites. with hero
and there a ChinMnnn, 81 tell garoc d,S u III
dain ful, $InscrLtuble4a and pros perous.34 This
Is duo to the fact hat only a few CHI na-.
men IRE allowed u to live IN / Saigon and 4
those are Of tllas BE ter class Of merchants.
The French liave@llit upon a clever eX-s
pedient for dealing with the troublesome
Of having thousands Of Chinese SO
of the most appalling personal II q bits llv--
ling III close con tact 81 with the Europearg
populat ION. u The need N of the Chinama1lS
lis recognized: ! lie is accepted as g useful
if ENJOYABLE citizen, but he Is not al wed
to live within $the8city limits Of Saigon
lations insregard to- building, and TINS ~
means that Vail Cinnamon except; the
wealthiest5mustgkeepS out OF the tow lt3
In $ order4s$to Il accoIlmo It II e. va ~
crowds OF Chinese who flock b o. Coch.n,j
China, a city has been. net apart for cir
use u few miles on to o { Saigon. lt3l Is
called cholon. and there John Ghinamana
city Of Cholonis administered by Chinese
|Sof1iclals under French ton 80
long as nothing occurs to Ginterfere viii
the public interests of the country the
French leave the Chinese to manage
things as seems best to them. s
Two results attach themselves to this
policy-one that Cholon Is no t benuti--3
Saigon is both. t$ If i.S$5S & ,SG S. NJ
&f On my return to tile hotel Il found let
ters a vai ting me from various gen tlemen
Ito whom d N had sent my ltroductlohs.
One OF these contained IN invitation TO-
dinner and $toSa performance Of n t,aus r
at the Opera House In the evening.
~ The dinner was&an event which4wlll
alinger ma NJ moons in my memory: For
more than n year l had been q wing on
tho nbomnaile viands which pnuseate
the weary traveller in his patient round
from hotel to hotel along q trail streto
ing from Afghanistan the Gulf of
4Pechill. There had BEEN = IS q true, an
occasional relief when some rrincc Y Or
Ypotentate bid me- to his hospitable board
but on 1he whole L had become used to
regarding meals as o necessary eyil i5
NV first dinner party IN Sal on would
have done credit to the Cafe Martin,
From the pate do perdreallx. ca lies !; et
to the rresale5 de- Shanghal,s
everything was perfect; M y host 9st 5ln-
formed me, 3replysto my del 8 y TED com
3ments, that his chef was mn Annamite
whom he had taken to Paris on the occa-S
sion OF his last leave Of absenc e. and 4
that FOR three months tho docile fAslatlo}
had studied the mysteries of French cook
ing at one OF the great staurants Of
the capital.
After dinner, the opera. Ve8were car
3ried down into town In swift and silent
tricshas along roads as tslnoot lSas a BILL
lizard table. A brilliant moon and O. per
5fectly still atmosphere combined to- I've
every tree aud building the appearance
of q stupendous stage setting In frosted
silver. Tho imposing residence Of tho
governors general. with It's ornate facade,
rose like some fairy castle from ITS en-
9circllng garden III even tho cathedral. ~
large but unlovely edlficef Off very for
nal style of architecture lost some Sof
Its crudeness in that wonderful light 4
and the illusion of unreallty was on 4
HANGED MS we turned into the rue Catlnat5
by the strains of n string orchestra,
which ISSUED from house Il completely
hidden In a grove Of dense trees nnd
shrubs. &. VA Ii Ss5 Il Fl, i5 "a Il
AS soon as we reached tho SQUARE IN 4
which the Opera House Is situated we en- 4
tered upon a scene where 1t was possible
10 forget that we were III far Off Cochin
China, 8 The Opera House Is flnnked by
hotels ana cafes, brilliantly lighted by
electricity, and out on the broad side
walks were gathered q hundred small
theatre parties, seated Mt tables drinking
coffee and enjoying u flnal cigarette be- I
lforo the commencement Of tho perform
anco, All the ladies were N charming
gowns representing the latest ideas from
Paris; the men lwero for the most part In
uniform or black evening dress, " except
those Who were ,lnaccompanled by ladies',
for whom plain white linen suits are re-
garded as a perfectly proper evening
dress, y NE # q s W II it4i.s
The scene inside the Opera House was
delightful to one whose Indulgence u tho
way OF theatrIcals had been confined for
a long time to rare attendance NJ poorly
;patronized shows In the b. China coast
ports, Every seat was filled. and With q
Variety var Of types which In Itself was "
source Of great interest when the cur
tain was down and tho lights up The
gereaterT part OF The audience was, n Of
course, made up OF Frenehmen, Of lcials
military, otiiclals civil. officials judicial,
officials medical, army 3ttleers, navy. OH
MED. where the conditions permitted, by
wives, daughters, nisees,i B cousins GF
sisters. ID n :, u {, y, !,