Show guess less what the old photo of sixty years ago Is abo about ut f laj VIP VA p t R ar aj I 1 this is a photo taken in evan ston wyoming about 60 years ago it was a common sight year this is a year when all old pho tos are dug out of ancient albums or other places where kept and arid published in our many periodicals the centennial year has made us all conscious of the old of the pio of utah and adjoining states the scene depicts a chinese new year years s day celebration held on a certain phase of the moon follow ing the winter solstice and usual ly was held in january somewhat later than our own new years day not riot of fun evanston at that time had many chinese working in the coal mines or on the railroads and from rock springs to ogden there were probably about four and chinese when it came time to hold their new years day big time t ime they sent to san francisco then head of all chinese activity in the western states and borrowed the huge DRAGON for a parade up and down the streets of evanston A great throng of chinese gather ed in the town assembling from all parts within many miles radius chinatown was jammed silk robes mandarin caps so called with long hair braided reaching the knees the bound feet of the chin ese women of high class the many folds of silk and cotton garments the padded felt shoes the marked display of gold ornaments all this was a common sight at that time the whites went en masse to Chinta town to witness the celebia tion the joss house was always the center of attraction before and after the setting off of the bombs there one would see the chinese ladies those with bound feet or those of the coolies class with na tural feet shoes removed bowing on knees to an image of buddha with burning tapers around the al tar incense sticks giving off the peculiar chinese smell of worship the main event for the whites was the procession of the great be spangled dragon made of silk a domed with plates of gold leaf set on mica scales this huge writh ing gorgeous thing was supported by short poles held by men who walked under the swaying twist ing snake like form A man walk ed before it teasing the reptile with a great ball on a stick which he flaunted in the creature creatures s face at which the dragon s head darted with gaping jaws tongue lolling in anticipation of a savory meal of human flesh and its great eyes rolling red and fiery it was ver realistic hundreds of chinese followed in the wake of the winding twisting hungry dragon others flanked its sides for it was about a hundred feet long the time being in jan uary at rare intervals the streets of evanston were bare but more often the chinese toiled with their precious burden in deep snow the photo shows such an occasion thousands and thousands of fire crackers splitting the ears with their pop pop pop rattling away like machine gun fire intermixed with glorious bursts as bunches ex plodded in unison the devil was driven away in all that clatter the hundreds of chinese were sol dmn faced strict deportment ord erly the dragon was paraded up Evans evanston tons s streets and back and then placed on great strings of saw horses while other activities followed the great occasion was the firing of the bombs in the plaza of chin a great pole was erected from this pole hung long strings of ly then but has since passed a way and probably will never be repeated there in further time the photo will firecrackers going off constantly then the first bomb was got ready whoso caught that bomb after fir ing caught it in the air and kept it retained it in hand not defiled by touch upon evil earth that man became the keeper of the joss house with all the perquisites em and standing face that gave the honor was eagerly sought in the scramble that per son must be master of the prize he must retain it for it might be snatched away from him and the honor lost fiends incarnate mark ed that stage of the day days s celebia tion rivalry was intense As a boy of about nine to thir teen I 1 never missed one of these events at one the contestants were stripped to the waist an aag er excited jabbering throng jost ling pushing for advantage bul lies rampant the bomb went off high in the air a tumult of writh ing shoving emotionally strained chinese followed its upward course hoping to be in the position of its downward fall down it came hun deeds of hands were shoved to ward it eager to grasp the prize men were knocked down sudden ly a knife flashed out of a hidden place in a belt a chinaman was slashed across the belly with a wide deep gaping wound I 1 saw the wounded one take his hands and forearms and try to stem the outpouring intestines from that gaping hole under his own power he walked away toward a house for refuge no one even so much as assisting him absolutely edif ferent and the white police said in effect to hell with it let em scrap it out As long as they slash each other who the devil cares just another cause for a tong war the knifer will get his that s sure and nothing was done then the drinking bout at night A not riot of fun for the purpose was to get the rival drunk fingers were held up and instantly the player must holler out the correct number if he made an error as forfeit he must guzzle a shot of chinese whiskey the cheapest grade the whites had which would tangle foot and tongue pronto sq s efficacious was it A potent wit duller so when any contestant be gan getting drunk with an uproar of fun they pelted him with ting fing ers and made the unfortunate 9 loser pay the forfeit by getting drunker and drunker all hilarity how well even now be a rare curiosity have you guessed what it is about better try again no well read the text below for explanation many any years later do I 1 remember the count in that dialect up to ten yim gay shorn shay ugh top pop gu sip then for eleven gu sip yim etc up to twenty try half drunk to pick that jargon to fit a number of fingers flashed be fore your nose gamblers all the chinese were the most inveterate gamblers I 1 ever saw how often have I 1 stood at the side of a fan tan table and seen them count the coins taken off in a big brass cup bets high if a player won a yell of delight and out he ran from the gambling den pierced the air with a scream and bought a string of firecrackers to drive away the evil one and woo milady luck and the feast of roast pig after wards roasted full size on a huge plank apple in mouth skin a beautiful brown cooked to a turn tea in thimble sized dainty egg shell china A smoke of three draws from a brass pipe how often have I 1 stood beside a cubby hole in a bunkhouse and watched an opium smoker A tiny pellet of opium taken up on a metal wire and turned in the al cohol lamp flame until just prop erly soft then put on the orifice of the pipe the pipe stem was about ILS 18 to 20 inches long and 2 inches in diameter of bamboo when all set then place the affixed soften ed pellet of opium over the alcohol flame deep inhalations and bliss the dreams from opium are all that anyone could wish for sweet calm wonderful before you your hearts desire just floating oh so near always to be got in hand with the next smoking no wonder the chinese fell for it why work and toil and arid slave when four big draws gives more bliss more happiness than a pot full of gold yes this photo of china big day stirs a dormant imagination scenes that lay undisturbed are brought by it back to memory how aften as a lad fifty five to sixty years ago have I 1 witnessed big day hoards heards its firecrackers seen its roast big been excited in the turmoil of the first bomb seen the silk dragon parade the streets ever hungary to eat its tormenter been in the gambling houses seen the opium smoked in the dens and witnessed solemn prayers in the joss Jos house sHouse all this is brought back by the photo of the old times |