The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Bit of Old China, by Charles Warren Stoddard

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Title: A Bit of Old China

Author: Charles Warren Stoddard

Posting Date: February 9, 2009 [EBook #3313]
Release Date: July, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by David A. Schwan

A BIT OF OLD CHINA

By Charles Warren Stoddard

China is not more Chinese than this section of our Christian city, nor
the heart of Tartary less American.

Here little China flaunts her scarlet streamers overhead, and flanks
her doors with legends in saffron and gold; even its window panes have a
foreign look, and within is a glimmering of tinsel, a subdued light, and
china lamps flickering before graven images of barbaric hideousness.

This description Of Old San Francisco's Chinatown has been taken from
Charles Warren Stoddard's book, entitled, "In the Footprints of the
Padres," which contains his memories of early days in California.

A BIT OF OLD CHINA

"It is but a step from Confucius to confusion," said I, in a brief
discussion of the Chinese question. "Then let us take it by all means,"
replied the artist, who had been an indulgent listener for at least ten
minutes.

We were strolling upon the verge of the Chinese Quarter in San
Francisco, and, turning aside from one of the chief thoroughfares of
the city, we plunged into the busiest portion of Chinatown. From our
standpoint--the corner of Kearny and Sacramento Streets--we got the most
favorable view of our Mongolian neighbors. Here is a goodly number of
merchant gentlemen of wealth and station, comfortably, if not elegantly,
housed on two sides of a street that climbs a low hill quite in the
manner of a tea-box landscape.

A few of these gentlemen lodge on the upper floors of their business
houses, with Chinese wives, and quaint, old-fashioned children gaudily
dressed, looking like little idols, chatting glibly with one another,
and gracefully gesticulating with hands of exquisite slenderness.
Confucius, in his infancy, may have been like one of the least of these.
There are white draymen and porters in the employ of th