The San Francisco call., 1910-04-24

4 thOroughfare Of Chinatown, on
n Washington street is the quaint
est, most picturesque little pa
coda In all the Chinese quarter. So
typically Chinese that 1T might-ex-
cept for one thing-have been lifted
bodily from the very heart Of the
Flowery Kingdom and set down in our
midst, and that one thing is little
sign over the door in plain English:
The Pacific Tel. and Tel Co"
However, two little dragon flags,
the Chinese emblem, one on either side
OF the entrance, were futtering gayly
in the breeze and ] felt as I pressed
the latch and opened the big. black
door the curious, mysterious little thrill
OF. not exactly fear but of something
impending, that I always feel upon
entering a Chinese abode OF any de-
scription. For the time being ! had
left my country behind me and was
entering foreign land.
The door opened directly into the
main portion Of the pagoda.
Ny first thought was:
How impressive it is"
The place was, for the moment de-
serted, and ] had time to look about me.
One sees interiors and interiors in
the course of ones daily life. This
one IS unusual and really beautiful At
fret glance the whole place seems
black, as the entire interior woodwork.
walls and furniture are in the ebony
finish, polished and relieved here and
there with gold The room is large
and giYas one an impression of spacious
mesa. proDably by reason OF the dome
ceiling, which is formed by the reced-
ing stories Of the pagoda-
The light subdued yet sufficient, is
admitted by little colored glass win
dOws IN the roof. The glass is an imi-
tation Of the transparent lining of an
oyster shell, which is really used in
China for lighting purposes.
Opposite the front door and at the
other end of the room is a wide glass
window. really a partition, with lit
tie glass door on either side of it and
close behind ii, extending half way TO
the ceiling, are a couple of dainty
flower screens, in pale blues and greens
and pinks.
Ny curiosity was instantly aroused.
What was behind those screens?
Time would tell-perhaps-but for
the present / had to content myself
with the beauties OF the room I was in
On the right side of the room. fenced
in by q grille in Chinese design are the
desk and counter where the business is
transacted. On the opposite side are
the booths, three in number, with more
grille work over their doors. At the
back, on the wall over the glass par
tition that harbors those fascinating
s-reens. is the sign of the dragon
again, two immense ones done in gold
and colOrs. The cream colored ceiling
top is elaborately frescoed in gorgeous
colors and gold. On either side of the
room, at the entrance, are carved ebony
settees.
Presently; as ] stood admiring the
olace, a man came through one Of the
glass doors that led back to the
screens Chinese, nearing middle age,
tut he was dressed IN trousers and
shirt Of American cut: his hair was
Short. and when he spoke 1 noticed
gold in his teeth. Evidently. so far
as was possible, he was Americanized.
rs the manager in2r 1 inquired
mo, he is out collecting" was his
reply.
-Nothing very foreign or mysterious
about that, was there?
do you know when he'll be back?"
He may be back any time, or per-
haps not before 6 or Z o'clock-I can
not tell"
I must confess I was disappointed,
for Loo Kun Shu, manager of the
Chinese telephone exchange, is a dis
tinctly. interesting person. A native
son. never having been in China, he
combines a delightful personality with
business shrewdness, his financial rat
ing being in the neighborhood of $780,