The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-12

That boom. that Is, the boom, wal
not exclusively an episode OF 1887 mol
Of ni iSM and 1883 Il was not 2 spon,
ment' an event when had cast Il.
shadow before, and It had become
symptomatic several years before II
"broke OUT on us and In the long run
nearly broke us. We can now begin
TO the rein OF King John. meaning old
King John Barleycorn. as OF the past.
Mr.. Thomas II. Payne has recently
sent 10 me with his compliments a
highly interesting and spicy. little vol
| ume entitled 'In the Sweet Dry and
slider themselves afflicted. There may
| be balm In II for them. as there might
be also in reading the Rubaiyat OF
| Omar Khyyam. They are surely well
| come to whatever virtue and consila-
ton they find in either as a thirst ex-
when King John Barleycorn reigned In
| portions OF the western hemisphere, II
is said that a man could absorb enough
| of his favorite beverages In the course
of night to make him feel and talk
like millionaire and multimillionaire.
then wake up next morning to find him
self feeling like 30 cents" The boom
had O. similar effect on most OF us In
Chattanooga. But along In those days.
Chattanooga became much more cosnno-
pOlltdn IMAM IL nuu ever Detn DeIOTc,
or ever has been since: Indeed, It was
SO cosmopolitan that II seemed fairly
metropolitan. One might have fam
cled himself living in New Orleans, In
Chicago. or LII Old N'yrk.'" We had.
to begin with, saloons and gamblers
galore. There were gilded. red lighted
and lime-lighted resorts OF vice in
shameless numbers. colonized and far
distributed. About the usual number
OF German. Swiss and Italian residents
were here, but more French came and
located than we eyer welcomed as cit
liens before. and there have never been
SO mapy at any one period since. Even
Chinese were Sin our midst In con-
siderable numbers. with due accompa-
niments of laundries and opium Joints"
Doubtless numbers Of the persons now
living here could testify that pretty
spected young men could be found In
one of these places almost any day.
entirely given over to the deadly wiles
of that body and soul destroying drug.
In these resorts evasions and viola
lions OF law could be easily and cheap
ly procured.
Beer In Washtubs.
For instance, beer and like luxuries
were smilingly served by the heather
Chinese at times when even our always
sufficiently bold saloon men were afraid
to serve them. Not infrequently lib |
eral quantities of beer were sold TO
the over thirsty In washbasins, per- !
functorily rinsed for the purpose. and |
Lee HI Hung often found himself able |
to give Mellican man three times as |
much for nickel as the grasping reg |
ular dealers charged. But there was |
a good deal of difference in the service. |
Cinnamon lived here, married here. |
and died here. One of them married
a negro woman. Some of them went |
IN Christian churches Pihia Aia nd '
Sunday schools. The name OF one at
least may now be found, think, upon
the rolls Of DIR. Bachman's ancient and |
honorable First Presbyterian church.
They observed their national and re-
liglous rites, to more. OF. less extent.
one being their feast to the dead, OBJ
served at Forest Hills cemetery. They /
took out chicken and various dishes,
together with wines and liquors good
enough for white folks and live ones
graves and left to be disposed OF by
the departed at their leisure. That
some hocus-pocus was now and then
practiced in this connection. is prac-
tically certain. One Of the celebrants
was rather more advanced in thoughts
as we think them than most OF his
countrymen, and had a warm heart.
He would have made good member
Of Mrs. Hardy's Humane Educational
society. He. "swiped" the provender
rum One Oi the BTdVesb dIteT the OIneTe
had gone away brought 1t to town and
gave II to needy negro family living
near his home. He must have had a
philosophy something like that Of Little
Brooches father:
And I think that savin' a little child
An bringin' him to his own
Is a darned sight better business
Than loaf1n' round the throne
Smart Cinnamon.
Some of our Cinnamon were smart
Is whip" and | recall one, a laun-
1ryman, known simply as Charley, who
me as smart enough to be a
ward politician. One night was out
ate with a newspaper man who thought
hat he could show me sights worth
eeing and give. me opportunity to hear
hings worth hearing. AS we were
passing through the neighborhood of
Iharley's laundry, he discovered the in
I want you to listen now, while have
ome fun with that darned Chinaman."
he said, walking to the front door.
Hello, Charley. Workee allesamee like |
lellee, huh?" But Charley worked right
N and never said a word, never even
ooked up. So the newspaper wag
urned to me and said, You see Char
ey, that Chinaman in there? Him say
i'm man, but some Mellicanmen say
harley ironed on and never bothered
o look up, but he did give voice to
ertain thoughts that arose within his
Consciousness, and they were. yeah,
n some Mellican men an a good many
Their men say you're a damned fool. |
nd ! say | think they are exactly
light. Ny friend is still in the news