IN TWO CITIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19048, 27 June 1924, Page 7

IN TWO CITIES

They do some things better in New York, says the Star. For instance, London’s Chinese quarter is a mean, deerept district of dull, drab streets and depressing slum houses. But Pell Street, the famous Chinese quarter of New York, has been made famous by the charabanc companies which leave the Times Square district every night with scores of sightseers for Chinatown in charabancs gaily decorated with Chinese lanterns aud painted in dazzlingwhite.

The Chinamen of the quarter are all prepared for visitors. A few Chinamen in coolie dress and wearing pigtails are stationed in lounging attitudes around Pell Street—it is rarely a visitor to Limehouse catches a glimpse of a pigtail—and strung out in a fascinated line behind the glib guide the visitors are conducted to a building covered with hectic decorations.

“Folks.” says the guide, shifting his gum into his cheek, “we are now about to visit de Chinese Temple, and to see de High Priest. This’ll cost youse half a dollar, folk, but its worth de dough.” The visitors climb some rickety stairs and are ushered into a room with gaudy hangings and a central altar lighted with red lamps. The guide in the choicest New York accent gives his own account of Chinese religious beliefs and customs, and introduces the “Hign Priest,” a blandly smiling Chinaman, who, says the guide, is one of the two Chinese postmasters in America. The other is in San Francisco. Immediately following the discourse on religion, the “High Priest” invites the visitors to a stall in the Temple just at the side of the altar, where small idols, chopsticks, postcards, and other mementoes are on sale for a few cents.

There is a lot of picturesque romance hidden away in Limehouse. It seems strange that no one has thought of exploiting it as New York exploits her Chinatown.