Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-02
10000 VISITORS AID
CHINESE CELEBRATE
STRANGERS WELCOMED WITH
GOOD WILL GREETINGS
Streets and Houses Decorated by In-
habitants in Honor of the New
Year, and All Are Peace
full and Happy

More than 10000 people saw China
town last night and fully one-half that
number were entertained by the various
commercial bodies, clubs and merchants
in that free handed and hospitable
manner in which it is usual for the
Chinese to greet their friends and the
strangers within their gates when they
come with good viii.
There was riot of color in the deco
rations and through the garish lights
which cast half defined shadows here
and there everything took on tantas-
tic appearance. ~
Despite the police there were sporadic
outbursts of enthusiasm in the fire.
works line and here and there perfect
fusilade of firecrackers made the air
hideous with this form of joyous ex-
preston on the part of the yellow men.
There were but few cases of hoodlum-
ism during the evening, and these were
promptly squelched by the Chinatown
squad under the command of Sergeant
c, E. sebastian and the Chinese rner-
chants and club men united in saying
this great crowd of white visitors last
night was the most orderly and we'll
behaved of any in several years.
The visitor to Chinatown last Light
was treated to rare sights and peculiar
scenes. He witnessed the worship OF
idols and gods, the exercising and cast
ing out of devils, the ceremonial visits
and the queer oriental modes Of felicita-
ton.
Houses All Open
But few shops and houses in the
quarter were closed, and two of the
largest halls in the community were
thrown open for the reception of visi-
tors.
In one of these the great golden dra-
gon the largest and most beautifully
hideous of it's kind in America, was on
exhibition and in the otrer there was
the set performance of little Chinese
tots wishing each other a long and
prosperous life and a safe and happy
gathering to the bosom of Confucius
when their days in this world were
ended. Hundreds crowded the hall
where the dragon was and hundreds
more witnessed the peculiar but beau
tiful exhibition of courtesy and grace
on the part of tie Chinese children in
their exercises.
There will be many an American
stomach in bad order thir morning be-
cause # the quantity of strange and
unknown articles of food and confec-
ton which were eaten.
Several Of the tongs and many of the
clubs and mercantile associations
served banquets at which nothing but
Chinese dishes, known in this country
only on New Years, were served and
the portions were given with a liberal
hand.
Eat Strange Dishes
Candied fish, shark fins boiled in
syrup, birdnest soups highly spiced,
bits of pork and chicken swimming in
bowls of spiced and sweetened oils, eggs
imported from China, sueys and chiocks
and bolaimana with fresh ana dried
vegetables, mushrooms and sea weeds,
fish and fowl and flesh of all kinds,
cooked in celestial modes and served
in the most delicate and fragile bits of
oriental pottery were found on every
table, and then, there were candies and
nuts of all kinds peculiar to the Chinese
more delicious than is served anywhere
except in China.
1t was only eff the streets that the
celebration was seen at its best. In the
little narrow byways and alleys which
by courtesy are designated as streets,
there was only the congested crowd, the
smell of punk sticks, burning powder
and the fantastic lights.
Behind the dingy doors We're sights
of oriental splendor and splendid deco
ration, lavish hospitality and bright
ness and cheer.
Chinese new year started off most
auspic.opsly, and the yellow neighbor
was seen at his happiest and best.