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NZ Truth, Issue 72, 8 December 1906, Page 6

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A CHOW'S GREENS. Pestilential Pigtail's Philthy Practice. Washing Singlets, Socks and Vegetables m the Same Water. This is a true story and worthy of all men to be received as "sich." If the details here set forth produce feelings of violent nausea to the reader we take comfort m the fact that they may also move him to guard himself against the evil pointed out, m future. As everyone knows, the greengrocery trade of Wellington, as m most other centres, is almost entirely monopolised by the Chinese, and it is those absentminded patriots who eternally, skite about the heavensent propensity of the "boys of ' the bull-dog breed" who are, by their patronage, keeping the pigtail cabbage depots 'goirar. Wonder what these thoughtless fools will think of this little narrative. A short time ago a Wellington builder was effecting alterations to so;jQe premises situated behind two greengrocers' shops m Manners-street. One .day a number of the men working there saw a Chow washing clothes. Said apparel took the form of a number of filthily dirty singlets, some pairs of socks, some shirts and a few other dainty details of a "civilised" Chow's wardrobe. The washtub was a zinc-lined sink, but it had no waste pipe to run off the [water. The slit-eyed Chow scrubbed away for a time, and presently deemed the shirts, and singlets— not forgetting the sniny toe-rags— to be sufficiently cleansed to pass muster. [Then he wrung them out, wearing the bland smile that won't come off. and piitched them out m the sun to dry. The workmen watching were surprised to see a Chinaman washing clothes of his own. It came as a bit of a shock, and they thought they 'laid 'been misled as to the Celestial idea of cleanliness. But there was a rude awakening m store for them. Having disposed of the articles of attire John hied him into the shop and reappeared immediately after with a load of brussels-sp routs ! Without a moment's hesitation he upended the greens into * the tub of water which had been previously utilized for washing the dirty duds — and not for a moment forgetting those socks. The builders' men were disillusioned of their momentary notion that they had discovered a cleanly Chow. It is safe also to bco that they were not purchasers of the brussels sprouts at this delectable Chinaman's establishment. But - the fact remains that someone had them, and probably that wasn't the first nor last occasion upon which greens washed m toe-rag water have been ea+en by fastidioxis whites. The moral of this savory narrative is that anyone with a st-OMaoh more succeptible than rhinoceros hide will take care to patronise white traders for their vegetaWn requirements m future. That X unless they prefer the flavor of swear ClriTiame-n's feet with their greenstuff. •