The San Francisco call., 1907-06-23

with snyctery. II Is in the air he
bresthee. It en1snates from his
personality It IS part Of him
in the old Chinatown OF San Fran
cisco. lying for years at the very
foot OF the walls of the mansions of
the BONANZA kings, overhung by the
glsmourous atmosphere OF their great
and sudden wealth, the oriental drew
snout him all the mystery OF the east
and made OF his restricted, tawdry
district land OF romance. When he
was burned out IN the great IRE he
escaped as best he could. and. finding
his way TO Oakland fell into the hands
OF the enterprising real estate men and
established himself in an irregular area
lying between Seventh and Webster
streets and the Oakland creek
There the Cinnamon have remained
for over a year. There have been the
six great companies, the Chinese con-
sui and most of the business houses.
Chinatown in its entirety was trans
planted into that district. Now the
six great companies, the consul and the
business houses are about TO re-estab-
fish themselves in San Francisco and
the oriental city which existed in the
center OF Oakland for more than u
months viii one day be found TO be
vacant. and the rich harvest which the
real estate men have been gathering
viii be entirely garnered. San Fran
cisco Chinatown win come back. TO its
own an q single night. That will prob
ably be the night Of July Is
Did the Chinese live like poverty
stricken refugees during this past
year? Not a bit Of il. They have
Jared the same as ever. They have
eaten the same food, smoked the same
tobacco and opium and have gamhled
even more freely than before. In all
essential details the Chinatown OF
Oakland is a replica OF the Chinatown
OF San Francisco. It lacks in sur
Tounoings. 10 be sure. One does not
come upon II so suddenly. 1t does not
begin just across the street from the
old Poodle Dog. nor end at the Bar
barry coast The glamour Of the
wealth Of western civilization does no:
glow above il on Mob hill No ship
spreads its brass sails in the square
below TO the memory of Robert Louis
Stevenson. None Of the atmosphere
peculiar 10 san Francisco helps the
stage settirg in the Oakland China
town. IT is in the midst Of shady
streets in a quiet residence district
Very matter Of fact switch engines and
lumber wagons are all that disturb
the suburban stiffness. And yet the
oriental has enveloped himself there
in mystery.
The Chinese in establishing their
quarter in Oakland rented hastily con-
structed buildings without even as
much pretense to architectural effect
as q pitch-roofed barn. There are no
buildings there as prepossessing as a
country store. which. with wide
wooden awnings screening the entire
sidewalk, they rather resemble. And
the Chinese themselves have done very
little 10 help out the effect Yet one
feels the mystery OF the orient no less
effectively than in the old Chinatown
IN San Francisco.
May Vanish In a Night
Something Of the mystery of exist
ence attaches to the walls within
which men and women have lived and
died. That peculiar quality comes to
the habitations OF white men only
after generations have come and gone
Rut with the oriental il does not take
vears TO grow. In the Oakland China
town It came IN q night. 1t will also
10 sn q night, like some tropic plant
fhat springs from the dank ground to
stU full height, spreads out the gaudy
coarse petals OF its heavily perfumed
blossom, then withers and turns black
.sno 10 gone.
walk down the broad, dusty streets
ef this plain. unadorned Chinatown.
Here "a & 1tnlsy structure which was
oHce 6ouaebody'g private residences The
front has been built out 10 the lire o.
the sidewalk. A door swings half open
snd down ionR dark passageway gou
ear see q dim gas jet burning. An
epsum den, pessibly. Or, since this is
OakIaad's chiaatown, q fantan game
mere likely. For the one great a6ra n
tsae that Oakland he's had 10 the MIND
ef the Chinese is that they have hesa
allowed te gamble ~stisout being ais
fHFbees But the chine1ahn's instinct
fer mysterious 6etags will not ~
feiied. There Hssy be 40 occasion fdF
3eekegtel they nay have had tnfpfmG-
ten 20 make them eeassdsHt that tie