Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-26
NEW YEARS IN CHINATOWN IS
PICTURESQUE
ceIestiaIs indulge Themselves in Gam.
bling and Pipe Smoking, While
White Tourists Damage
Property

Sing vi, adored Of the ladies, wor-
SHIPPED by his mother and petted by
the nice missionaries at the Chinese
school, sat on the comfortable surface
of an upturned tea box In the house
of his fathers on Apablasa street last
night and shook his little oily head
in sorrow.
1t was the second day OF the new
year celebration and the lad crossed
one silk covered foot over the other
and unused Of former years. He was a
bright little chap, just past seven, and
as straight as ramrod. but his good
looks did not help him. for in spite of
the cheerfulness supposed to attend all
new years festivities, the boys father
was losing at fan tan and there was
sorrow in the house.
over in one corner of the dimly
lighted room the mother rested on the
hard bed of mating. while she puffed
and toiled at an opium pipe. In the
other corner the innocent tinkle of the
fan tan buttons came from the hands
of the dealer and Sings father bet
again.
Three" he said. The other bets
were quickly made and the metal cup
came down over the pile of glistening
buttons The dealer moved the cup to
one side lifted the buttons from be-
meath 1t and counted in tours.
Smaller and smaller grew the pile
until at last the odd number was left.
Two" called the dealer and the lucky
player pulled in his winning.
Sings father had lost He got up
with grunt of dissatisfaction and
started toward his cash box. Unfort-
unately for the lad he was directly
iii the path of the disgruntlcd parent
and with a quick cuff on the ear the
father sent the youngster spinning.
Child Is Defiant
In a second the boy was on his feet.
his head erect and his eyes flashing.
High upon the tea box he jumped The
players stopped and looked at him. The
soft eyed mother quit her pipe for a
moment to glance at the lad as he stood
there in the light. his hands out
stretched and his head defiantly erect.
And then came the crisis There
within the very presence of the great
grim joss, the lad sang; sang with his
words echoing in his baby treble and
his hands cinched in the desperation
of his purpose.
''Nanky doodle getcha gun, nanlSy
doodle dandy, nanky doodle come TO
town dlinkum up lie blandee."
The crime had been committed and
the father dashed toward the boy, but
there was a clatter of flying feet as the
defiant young American sprinted for
the open, WIN a Srunt the tatner re-
sumed the game.
Outside Sing was again at home and
a. dozen tourists, charmed by his quaint
ways, took immediate charge of him and
gave him a dollar to show them China
town, where the celestials are cele-
brating their new year.
This season it is being done in q
quiet manner. Last night there was
scarcely celestial to be seen on the
W n tnf Of
women and boys, marched up one street
and down the other calling and shout
ing to everyone and turning the neigh
borhood into a modern tower of Babel.
Sightseers Damage Property
AT the Masonic temple on Apablasa
street a party of young students out
with their girls for a lark, broke in the
door in their mad rush and crea ted
general disturbance with the result