The Washington times., 1909-06-26
CHINATOWN IS MECCA
FOR CURIOUS CROWD
Lower PENNSYLVANIA Avenue, Center of Attraction for
"Slumming" Parties -Orientals Guard Secrets
Closely Behind Closed Doors

I 50-cent package of tea. Seldom is any
! one ever invited to take a peek back
of the zig-zag partitions and Railways
| that seem to he the principal charac-
/ teristic Of every Chinese emporium,
whether laundry, store, Or restaurant.
for no American has ever been able
10 discover and no Chinaman viii give
away the secret. One -ning is certain
there is nothing back Of them that is
worth while seeing
At the top of two flights of rickety
old stairs a Chinaman. dressed in native
costume, IS ever on guard at the door
opening into the rear room on the third
floor of the musty old building at 31S
Pennsylvania avenue. The odor of burn
ing incense can be plainly detected be-
fore the second floor is reached. and
the paSSa geWay is dark and gloomy.
Behind the door. which looks as II it
would drop from its hinges every time
X is opened, are some OF the hidden
mysteries and customs of the Orient
that have been brought to this country
from the strange old empire across the
sea. It Is the joss house of Celestlals
in Washington who still worship &C
cording TO the teachings of Buddah.
Emperor and Buddha.
On an altar, always facing the east,
is a life-size painting of the Emperor,
and beneath is Buddah, seated on the
sacred lotus. supported by the avatar OF
Suyka. the lion.
On the sides Of the sacred altar the
incense pots are always burning and
giving forth their peculiar odor, The
room is dimly lighted by shaded burn
ers, and shadows seem to continually
flicker across the face Of the Emperor.
And ever on guard is the trusted door
keeper, who sees that the lights never
go out; that the incense is always
smouldering. and that none but those
AaHv ~ =
hold.
For a few minutes every morning the
heavy curtain made of some dark ma
terial that covers one of the small win
dows is lifted back so that the sun,
as II comes up from the east. can cast
a golden reflection across the shrine of
the House of BUddah and light up the
face Of the Emperor.
Great Dog Watches.
Way across land and sea Great Dog,
the god who rules in the great temple
in Canton, is pleased. Some day the
yellow men sitting in the little joss
house in Washington hope to go back to
Canton and worship at the shrine Of
/ Great Dog, but If Buddah should call
them before they 90 back, Great Dog
| Will know what was in their hearts and
deliver them into NirVana, the perfect
| life on the Other Side.
There is no sign on the street door
or IN the passageway to indicate what
Is on the top floor Of this old building,
which at one time was in the center of
the most fashionable residential district
Of the city Gradually the residential
| section moved further and further into
| the northwest. Business places occu-
| pied the handsome old residences. Then
! business moved further uptown, and
| Cinnamon proved 20 be good tenants for
| the old buildings BECAUSE they didn't de-
/ mand that improvements be made all
the time
But every Chinaman in Washington
knows the location Of the joss house.
Stin those who enter all have queus
cOiled up on top Of their heads and
have not acquired the American habit
of tucking their shirts inside their trous-
ers.
Reform Association.
A few doors up the street is a place
for the yellow men whose hair has been
trimmed short and whose clothing is
that Of the American. It is the hall Of
the Chinese Reform Association, and I
Is just like any other hall IN Washing
ton. There is no altar or idols ike in
the Joss house, and the lodge room of
Of mystery compared With II.
The members of the Reform Assocfa-
ton are the Christ!antZed Chinese, most
OF whom go 10 Sunday school. They
are the ones accused BY the Other fac
ton or playing the missionary game.
Most Of the Cinnamon in Washington
sleep IN small rooms partitioned off in
the rear of their stores or laundries
There are a few, however, who are mar
ried TO white women. and who own
city. While some of the Celestiais have
white wives it is rather an unusual
thing to see white woman In any of
the Chinese establishments in this city.