The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-02-06
CHINATOWN BUSY WITH
NEW YEARS PREP ARATIONS

One of the most picturesque of the
oldtime local celebrations will pass af-
ter February II, when the dragon
which has been familiar feature of
Chinese New Years will be given the
Saint George thrust and relegated to
the shelf for evermore. The Chinese of
Hawaii are to have their last oldtime
celebration Of the Chinese New Year
on February Il, and in future WIN OBJ
serve the New Year of the civilized
world in accordance with the decree of
President Sun Vat Sen, who has de-
clared that the Chinese New Year shall
accord with that of other nations.
Before February II the local Chinese
hope to hear that their new Republic
has been recognized by the Powers.
Should that act be published the Chi
nese of Honolulu will celebrate as they
never have before. The revolutionary
societies will organize a parade which
for Bizarre orientalism and occidental
convention will probably never be wit
messed again in the Hawaiian Islands.
The old style will be shown in the
parade, but it will be tempered by the
new, and the former will then give way
TO the latter. The United Chinese So
ciety will meet tonight to discuss the
coming New Years celebration and
may select committee to act in parade
matters with powers to act, should any
news favorable to the new Republic be
received.
Squaring Accounts.
This is the season of the year when
the Chinese are squaring up accounts.
Every Chinaman who owes money is
collecting all that is due him so that
he can cancel all his own obligations.
He must be square with the world on
February 16, New Year IS eve, so that
on the morrow he may face all his
countrymen with his conscience clear.
With all debts paid he will not face
the possibility of bad luck for the en-
suing twelvemonth. This is a rule
rigidly adhered to among the Chinese
whether at home or abroad. 1t be.
hooves all householders who may be
behind in their accounts with their Chi
nese cook or yardman to square up
with him. If householders forget it or
try to, they will be reminded of the
matter before the week is over. While
it may not lay heavy upon the con-
science of the householder, the latter
may rest assured that the ghost of a
dragon will sooner or later haunt the
home.
Change in Chinatown.
Down in Chinatown great change
has taken place. The oldtime barber
shops, those quaint hole-in-t he.wall
places of business, where queues were
newly braided, scalps shaved, ears
cleansed and the head groomed, are dis
appearing since the revolution in China
commenced. In years gone by this was
the season when the barber shops were
gay with new trimmings, fresh paint
and washbowls bright with polish. This
was the time when the "barber-sho
chords" were the vogue. 1t must have
been in Chinese barber shop that
" barber-shop chord" first originated,
for there the Chinese musicians were
wont to gather, attune their instru-
ments to the singsong of the leader,
and then split the welkin with the
screech of the fageolet, the scratch of
the VIOLIN the crash of the cymbals,
the barbaric deep tone of the shark
skin drum and the clatter of the sticks.
But now the barber shops are no
more. The revolution in China against
the Manchu throne caused a revolution
in the style of hairdressing. With the
first advance of the rebel army came
of Honolulu. They demanded shears
The old-style BARRIERS were at a loss.
They knew how to WELD a razor upon
lips, cheeks, chins and polls, but shears
were an unknown instrument in bar
bering. Sum Fat, kindly-faced Chi
nese barber, who has welded the razor
for thirty-fve years in China and Homo
lulu, is learning the Occident way of
now. His little shop on
X ekaulike street is still as popular as
ever, but the old man is slow to acquire
the ways of occidental barbering.
Shears have been added to his equip !
ment The shears are still strange in
his fingers and he is slowly reaching an
as to how the hirsute
of his customers shall be
His is one of the few old
shops left in Chinatown. 1t still has
It's square,rigged chair and green and /
red painted stands and the oldtime
shaving bowl.
Another oldtimer.
Around the corner on Hotel street !
close to the busy Chinese restaurants |
an oldtime shop has been changed. The
old.style chair is still there and the
oldtime basin, but on the other side
of the room are three new American |
barber chairs, the kind that lie back |
and swing around ON a swivel base |
Reside these chairs are the former
BARRIERS of the obsolete school of bar
bering. They have acquired the snip
snip art and are becoming as deft in
the trimming of the glossy black hair
Of their customers as their fellow.
BARRIERS in other sections.
The tailor shops all through China !
IL