The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-04-27
pH1LApRLpHIA CH1NAMRN.

Philadelphia and the habits of the
people, perhaps short article on the
subject may be interesting.
In this colony, on Race street, be-
tween Ninth and Tenth streets, there
are two thousand FIVE hundred Chi
nese, who a few weeks ago celebrated
their New Year, the festivities con-
tinuing for week. This New Year
is the thirty fourth year of the En-
peror Kuang Su, and the celebration
was merry affair of loafng, feasting
and visiting. During the week there
was Chinese fair at the mission
house, o18 Race street, and every
day there were ceremonies in the new
Chinese Temple, o34 Race street,
where the venerable Wong Hau,
high priest of Confucius, conducted
the services.
As the clocks struck the hour of
midnight, bedlam of noise broke
out in the colony; frecrackers, big
and little, we're set off from every
house, and the tuneless beat of the
hargo ssyo hal, the tom-tom of the
Chinese, stole on the air. There
was much drinking of that most Sc
ductive Of drinks, the Chinese rice
wine. As the witching hour ap-
preached, shoekeepers put up their
shutters and kept them that way for
a week.
Only the restaurants violated the
period of celebration and merrymak-
ing. Business is too good for the
restaurants to close their doors even
for a night and the resorts were
crowded with curious American sight
seers.
Every Chinaman, be he heathen of
the Bret Harte type, or a converted
Mongolain, is ready for the New
Year. 1t is a pleasant Chinese Gus
tom to pay all debts on or before the
break of the New Year. If the money
is not plentiful enough to satisfy all
the obligations, the debtor is in dis
grace and must bear the Sights and
jeers of all in the colony.
This last New Year celebration was
a most notable one, as it marked the
Inauguration of the new Chinese
Mission of the Christian League of
Philadelphia at o18 Race street, which
was the centre of the festivity. Here
big bazar was held and a new bell
rang out joyously to usher in the
glad new year-the greatest and the
only Chinese holiday.
Visitors in Chinatown received
hearty welcome from the three hun
dred and more Cinnamon connected
with the mission and from the thirty
helpers who assist in the work. The
Rev. Frederick Poole, director, ar
rayed in his Chinese robes, was the
moving spirit in the New Year cele-
bration at the mission. He makes
and returns calls among the Chinese
merchants, many Of whom, although
retaining their ancient faith, have
made substantial contributions to the
new building.
1t is the best equipped Chinese
mission building in the country
another cause for felicitation fo- this,
our beloved Philadelphia. The Chi
nese call it "Fu Wing Yang" ''the
hall of happiness and glad tidings."
1t is twenty five feet front, with dis
tinctive1y Chinese architecture of
Chinese light yellow tiling, with red
pagoda roof embellishments and hang
ing Chinese lanterns. The first floor
is devoted to the assembly room on
the second floor are located the off
GERS of Director Poole and Secretary
Bond of the League (whose head
quarters are now established here, }
and the pleasant reading room of the
Chinese Y. M. c. A. furnished by
Mrs. Crozier. Upstairs are dormi-
tories for the Chinese boys who are
struggling to educate themselves, and
the bathrooms-something new and
an object lesson to Chinatown.
Many Philadelphia churches and
individuals have provided the fur
nishings. The banners on the walls
which were the gifts of the Chinese
League of New York, are notable
features. The long black satin ban
ner stretches across the wall benin d
the platform, bears the words in gold
letters, "IE-SU OF NGO"-'Jesus
loves me-"
The Philadelphia Chinese Mission
has Sunday school of one hundred
members and kindergarten of twen-
ty children.
A visit to this mission is a revela-
ton as we'll as an interesting study
so much is done here to educate, ele-
vate and Christianize these people.
Rev. Mr.. Poole and his secretary, to-
gether with many others, are doing
the Masters work among the people
in this colony. What a contrast is
here presented to the degradation in
which the poor Chinaman is STEPPED
| in his own land. A few weeks ago
the writer listened to lecture deliv-
cred by Judith Ellen Foster entitled
"The Open Door," In this lecture,
Mrs. Foster, in her strongest Ian
guage, depicted the condition of the
poor people of China. their numbers,
their depravity and their poverty.
She said "TLey come up out of the
ground like rats they die like flies
they breed like rabbits they sin be-
cause of ignorance they know no
God; fear no future and die like
beasts. "-A. K. e. ~, in Mewto0c7l
| (Pa.) } Enterprise.
THE DOGS DISPOSITION.
The Superintendent of streets IN