The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-13
OLD CHINATOWN
IS FADING AWAY
Population Shrinks frem $500
TO 700
SINCE GAMBLING STOPPED
Cities In Jersey Get Many of the
Sporting Element-StrIct Watch
Kept on Chinese Quarter
Since SigeI Murder.

From the New York World.
Chinatown is passing away. The exc
| dus has been on for weeks, but has as
sumed such proportions lately that 1t has
| begun to worry not only merchants in
that quarter. but property owners. There
are many vacant stores IN Chinatown.
One hundred and seventy Cinnamon,
many of them taking their families. de-
parted Wednesday, bound for China by
way of Vancouver. Many have been in
business i'll the Chinese quarter, have
made money and are going back home
to live the remainder of their days. The
majority left because blight had struck
the Chinese quarter.
Chinatown's business has been falling
off since last June. when all gambling
was stopped with the advent of a new
police captain and a new police inspec-
tor. Then came the murder of Elsie
Sigel, and the police became more ac-
tive. Chinatown has been under con-
slant police espionage ever since, be-
cause of fear that the rival tongs would
begin shooting.
Gambling is at the bottom of the bust
ness depression that has struck the
quarter. Before Inspector John DAILY
and Police Captain Michael Calvin were
sent to police that district everybody
was prosperous and waxing fat Every
gambling house was open.
In the PaImy Days.
There were $50 fan tan and pie cow
games running, and the hackers of each
| game gave up SIS week protection
money to somebody or other. When the
new police commanders took hold the
Chinese gamblers were told to close.
! They Followed Instructions, suppostng
the order was temporary and only d
bluff"
One who was told positively that no
| gambling would be allowed was Tom
Lee. mayor of Chinatown, and the lead
err of the On Leong Tong. Captain Gal
| vim told him there would be no fan tan
nor pie gov played in the district while
| he was in charge.
| You damn fool cop" said Tom Lee.
Tom has been accused of having a
proprietary interest in a Mott street
gambling house, but there is no gam
bling going on there now. Tom was
found there yesterday by a World re-
porter and asked how things were going.
"Velly rotten he responded. ME be
here maybe S5 years and never SO rotten.
Business bad; everything velly bad.
Cinnamon go way, business so bad"
Around in Pel street the same con-
dition exists. Mock Duck, one time local
chieftain of the Hip Sings, held forth
in prosperous days in Pell street. One
! of the biggest gambling houses in the
! quarter used to be running there. The
place was deserted yesterday. So was
one in a basement in Pel street which
the Hip Sings used to frequent.
| In fact. all doors of gambling houses
were open for any ones inspection. OF
the few that were locked the keys had
been given to the police A World report
er had no difficulty in inspecting them.
! IF the Chinks don't give us the keys
or leave the doors open We break in the
| doors'' explained uniformed police
man.
Departing Every Day.
Chinatowns population in prosperous
| times is 25O0 and this number is doubled
on Saturdays and Sundays by visiting
| Cinnamon. The number OF Cinnamon in
the quarter yesterday was estimated by
| a policeman at 700.
They are leaving daily--not singly.
but in groups" said this policeman. The
| Chinese won't come here when there is
| no gambling. They used to come from
| all the nearby Jersey towns, as well as
| from all over New York city. When gam
! bling stopped they stopped coming.
Many have moved to other cities.
| Dozens of them have gone to San Fran
cisco. Newark and Jersey City get a
| lot of them now, for they can gamble
there. They tell me they have to pay
only 81 week protection money in Jer-
| sey
"All the Chinese merchants are kicking
about hard times, but many of them are
| just holding on in the hope that
| things will open up bit. The
| Chinese farmers over on Long Island are
| having trouble in disposing OF their veg
! etables, because the Chinese are not here
to buy them. And, say, If you want to
hear a real wall of distress get hold of
some one that owns property around here.
| They are sore, and don't care who knows
| It,"
| Up to this time property owners have
received fine returns for their investments
| in Chinatown, for when the Chinaman has
money he pays good prices.
work their way into dock and tie up
| stringing out 80 lengths of hose and
! getting the water through them.
Change In Authority.
The fire captain is in command of the
boat at a fire. UP to the time that the
boat reaches the blaze the pilot is boss,
/ but just as soon as the scene of action
] is reached, the pilot becomes subject to
! the orders of the captain. He takes and
executes orders for maneuvering
around blaze into hooks and corners
OF docks that can be reach ed If that
is not possible, she stands off and d.
holding on to anything.
In rough water or in smooth the
men handling the battery of water must
be as agile as monkeys. They are BON
sailors and firemen. They must be ia
miliar with nautical usage, must be
able to handle ropes and be familiar
with the machinery of their boats. The
municipal civil service commission, in
looking over firemen's examination pa
pers, usually finds that few appli-
cants have been sailors at one time
or another, and such men are assigned
to the freboat branch of the service.
1t is hardly truthful to say that tie
men, while not actually doing fire duty,
are idle The boat must be kept trim
and tidy at all times, when not actu-
ally in service, her brass kept bright
and shining, her decks clean and ship
shape The fireboat is about the size
OF q tug, but is not built on as clumsy
lines She is a more trim craft, mar
rover than tug, and in get-up re-
semblina somewhat a navy boat. Her
stationary nozzle reminds one of
gun.