Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-03
ORIENTAL MUSIC
MYSTERY SOLVED
BUTTE REPORTER INVESTIGATES
"WASHEE" HOUSE AND CHI
NESE ORCHESTRA"
Inquiry Develops That Wierd Noises
From Laundry Emanate From Small
Portable Photograph and American

A crowd clustered around a crude
shack in Butte one day recently.
Men lOunged around on the side
walk, warming themselves In the hot
sunshine; women and children o n
gregated about, enjoying themselves.
Men nudged each other, Sounds
good, doesn't it? Kinda funny,
though, eh?" From within came the
notes of reed and flute, blended to-
gether into a shrill cacophony hat
BORE a faint resemblance to modern
jazz and yet had a swing and rhythm
swaying their bodies to.
The crudely written sign that hung
c%reakingly in the faint breeze bore the
tell-tale words. "Wung Chung Laun-
dry" The building was a makeshift
affair, odd lengths of boards gathered
here and there, nailed together in hap
hazard fashion gave it the appearance
of a crazy-quilt design. 1t looked as
if a strong wind might send the entire
affair tumbling down about the oc-
cupants' ears. Only a portion of the
front was painted and that, many years
ago. The rest wa old and stained
and weather beaten from years of snow
and rain.
But it was the source Of music-of
a kind-and to those loungers on West
Copper street it provided a reverend
ing fount Of amusement and laughter
not to speak of the nerve
tingling chords that emanated from
within. Music it undoubtedly was, the
lOungers agreed, and what vas even
fhV;11,pn Cbirocn r,,Icin cfVoinhf
from the mystic Orient.
"They got a regular orchestra in
there" one man volunteered.
you don't say" queried a woman
breathlessly.
"Sure, I seen them going in there.
Three or four Of them Chinese come
in there every day and then the music
starts. They play all the time. All
day and half the night. I guess some
of them plays while the others washes
and irons. Speeds up their work-like
that farmer in Wisconsin who plays
music for his COWS SO they give more
milk"
A Chinese orchestra in Butte. Here
was something that would bear in
vestigation. Butte has had Turkish
orchestraS, Austrian orchestras, italian
orchestras, Greek orchestras and the
plain every day variety OF Yankee Jazz
OrchestraS. But q Chinese orchestra.
Here indeed was new
Quickly a reporter, who had been
hanging around the fringe of the
crowd, approached the front door. He
opened it and walked inside. The music
came louder now. But the musicians
were not in sight.
They're in the other room, he sur
missed as q Chinese came padding out
from the dark recess in the rear to
tend to his wants. The reporter FUN
bled in his pockets for a laundry
check. Slowly he went through every
pocket in his clothes. The laundry
slip was lost.
"You losem check?" the Celestial
queried politely.
yah, I guess I did. But hopefully,
II know my laundry. Maybe it's IN
there" pointing into the rear room"
And suiting action to words the re-
porter walked quickly to the rear
room, brushing aside the curtain that
hung between the door.
Two Chinese were industriously IRON
ing clothes. In a still farther to
the rear three others were washing.
All hummed a Chinese melody, &C
companying the shrill music that
shrieked and walled startlingly in the
small rooms.
And there, perched on a little table,
sat a common little American portable
photograph, grinding away on a record,
also made in America, producing the
Celestial melody SO sweet to the ears
Of the laundrymen.
you findem check, yes" the laun-
dryman asked again.
mo, ! catchem later" the reporter
replied as he walked out.
did you see the orchestral" the
lounger who spoke SO convincingly OF
its members a few minutes before,
asked.
Eyes, sure--a swell bunch OF musi-
Clans" the reporter replied as he STROBE
away. The mystery Of the Chinese