Now why should a huge negro
run through the street with a piece of new green felt around his
stomach? No one knows. And another time a small Chinese maiden bumped
into me because she was so absorbed in that great American institution,
the funny sheet.
On one of those side streets, in there somewhere, one of those streets
untoured by tourists, I saw some Chinese boys, dressed in American "Boss
of the Road" unionalls, playing baseball and calling the call of Babe
Ruth in sing-song Chinese. Then near them was an empty lot and what do
you suppose it was filled with? Scotch thistles, and edged with wild
corn flowers. Even Nature enters into the fun.
There is a story of an Italian who went through the streets somewhere on
Leavenworth, calling, "Nica fresha flowers," and from the opposite side
of the street a Chinaman with flowers would call, "Samee over here." All
went well until the Chinaman began to outsell the other, when the
Italian remonstrated. "Yella for yourself, see," he said, to which the
Chinaman answered, "Go to hellee," and went on as before.
This story was told to me by very reliable eye witnesses. The buff
cochin rooster and the huge negro and all the others I saw myself. And
many other strange things which I have not room to write, I saw in that
spot where Chinatown merges into the Latin quarter.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25