The Washington herald., 1907-03-31
CHINATOWN'S MYTHS.
San Francisco Fire Exposes
Popular Stories.
SPRING FROM FERTILE BRAINS
Old Police Reporter Declares That
Much Written About subterranean
Dens Never Existed-'Sightss Often
Arranged by s'Guidesp for Tourists.
Authorities Know Eveny Haunt.

san Francisco's Chinatown has prob-
ably received more free advertising since
It was burned In the great April IRE
than It ever got before, a former Golden
Gate newspaper man said the other day,
and it's all on account OF the great mys-
terions and weird subterranean passage
ways and tunnels that never existed"
The speaker had done police work in
the Pacific Coast metropolis. so he said
and much of his time had been spent
among the Chinese. The Hall Of JUS
tlce, where the police and detective head
quarters were located. was just one block
from the heart of the Oriental settlement
which had become famous among the
tourists Of the world. After a few Incl
dental remarks about the great murders
he had worked on, how he had pulled
OF innumerable scoops that no one ever
heard about. the newspaper reporter con
tinued. Of course rolling a cigarette be-
forehand
Nothing hut Dreams.
i have been reading Of these mysteri-
Gus tunnels ever since the fire occurred. 20
he went on. after the cigarette got TO
working good, land I have never seen a
story to the contrary that these passage
ways ever existed As a matter Of fact
the reports about these tunnels are all
fakes. However. 1 must confess that the
idea has made excellent reading matter
In fact, It has been fascinating 10 me,
although / knew positively that there was
nothing true about the stories. Neverthe-
less. / have read every one Of them.
"Of course. Chinatown had It's tunnels
and its dark somber-loOking holes in the
walls and other similar entrances and
exits 10 underground living quarters. but
the dOuble-deck cellars and all that are
bosh. Pure bosh. 7 say. The buildings
along Fish alley ano all the other streets
had cellars. just as other ordinary build
ings In au American cities And In many
OF them Cinnamon lVcd, conducted their
business, manufactured various articles.
smoked opium. and gambled. But there
was nothing mysterious about them 'rhe
police authorities. and particularly the
white officers. who talked the language
and had been In the district for years.
knew, every cellar. every s0-called tun-
mel, every underground passageway. and
every nook ana crook in The place
search of Ruins Disappointing.
II visited many Of these cellars before
and even after the FIRE. / was familiar
with the ways Of the denlzens and knew
several of the leaders Of the good and
bad factions well enough-weI. J was well
acquainted They took me 10 places and
trusted me. AS a matter Of fact. they
took me into their confidence, and usually
/ knew everything going on In the sec
tion. This is how I happen 10 know that
the mysterious underground passageway
stories are without foundation.
Naturally. after the FIRE, and when
there WAS nothing left Of the frame build
ings but their foundations. ! visited
Chinatown again. I sought out my old
Chinese friends, went among the debris
in the search of relies and valuables. and
visited the cellars with the propriefors Of
the stores that had been. [ had expected
to be startled by mysterious finds Fact
is. I had my mind set on a feature story
OF the unknown caves and mysterious
surroundings. And then / wandered
around without finding anything aston
ishing. There were no double-deck eel
lars, no secret passag ageways- and no rem
nants of big doors with spring locks Of
Arabian Nights resemblance. And all the
time / Was looking for them. I was dis
appointed
Arrange Sights for Tourists.
1T is true. however. that there we're
many places in Chinatown that the pro-
fessional guides knew nothing about
And they cared less. The tourist was
taken over the regular route day IN and
day out. and during the night as well.
Sna wear after the other 1t is also a
fact that when business was on the wane
that the guides got together and estab-
lished a fake opium den Here it was
possible TO see men and women, white
and otherwise. and the proverbial OTien-
tai smoking opium To his hearts con-
tent But all Of them. and particularly
the old WTinkled Cinnamon, were paid
fO- their services.
Being paid for smoking opium" the
Cinnamon used 10 think It's piper
And then they dreamed on.
But the tourist never knew the differ
ence saw the sights, went home, and
told about the great opium dens Of San
Francisco and Is stiil thinking about the
spectacle"
When the reporter got this far, he was
too far gone with thoughts OF his oi,
former haunts to say much more. and
he arose and stretched himself and reach
ed for his papers and the bag with the
tag
But they're building old Chinatown UP
again, they tell me" he said. And
when it's completed, I'm going back
That's all.
MEERsCHAUM IN NEW MEXICO.