Show I Guess What The Old Photo of Sixty Years Ago Age Is About c i f p 8 J l III A I I L I 4 rr 4 J S S 'S A 5 1 J This is a photo taken in Evanston Evanston Evanston Evan- Evan ston Wyoming about 60 years ago It was a common sight sigh t year year- This is a year when all old photos photos pho- pho tos are dug out of oC anci ancient nt albums or other places where kept and published in our many periodicals The Centennial Year has made us usall all conscious of the old of the pioneers pioneers pio pio- veers of Utah and adjoining states The cene depicts a Chinese New j Years Year's Day Day- celebration held on a certain phase o of the moon following following follow follow- ing the winter solstice and usually usually usually usual- usual ly was held in January somewhat later than our own New Years Day 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 thousand thousand thousand and Chinese when it came time to hold hord their New Years Year's Day big time they sent to San Francisco then head of all Chinese activity inthe in inthe the western states and borrowed the huge DRAGON for a parade up and down the streets of Evanston A great throng of Chinese gathered gather- gather ed in the town assembling from all parts within many miles radius Chinatown was jammed Silk robes Mandarin caps so-called so with long hair braided reaching the knees the bound feet of oC the Chinese Chinese Chin- Chin Chinese ese women of high class the many folds of silk and cotton garments the padded felt shoes the marked display of gold ornaments ornaments- all this was a common sight at that time The whites went en masse to to witness the 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 natural natural natural na na- tural feet shoes removed bowing on knees to an image of Buddha with burning tapers around the altar al altar altar al- al I tar incense sticks giving off the peculiar Chinese smell of worship The main event for the whites was the procession of the great bespangled bespangled bespangled be be- spangled dragon made of silk adorned adorned a- a h a-h domed with plates of gold leaf set seton seton seton on mica scales This huge writhing writh- writh writh-j writh l ing g gorgeous thing was supported by short poles held by men who walked under the swaying twisting twisting twisting twist- twist ing snake like form Corm A man walked walked walk walk- ed before it teasing the reptile with a great ball on a stick which j he flaunted in the creatures creature's face at which the dragons dragon's head darted with gaping jaws tongue lolling in anticipation of a savory meal I I of human flesh and its great eyes rolling red and fiery It was ver realistic Hundreds of Chinese followed in inthe inthe inthe the wake of the winding twisting hungry dragon others flanked its sides for or it was about a hundred feet long The time being in January January January Jan Jan- uary at rare Intervals the streets of Evanston were bare but more often the Chinese toiled with their pr precious cious burden in deep snow The photo shows such an occasion Thousands and thousands of firecrackers firecrackers firecrackers fire fire- crackers splitting the ears wit with their pop pop-pop- pop rattling away away like machine gun gun- gunfire fire Intermixed with twirl glorious bursts as bunches exploded exploded exploded ex ex- In unison The devil was driven away in in all that clatter The hundreds of Chinese were sol sol- sol sol- faced strict deportment orderly orderly ord ord- orderly erly the dragon was paraded up Evanston's streets and back and then placed on onn great strings of saw horses while other other- activities followed The grea great occasion was the firing of the bomb bombs In the plaza 0 of Chinatown Chin Chin- a great pole was erected from this pole hung long strings of firecrackers going off constantly Then the first bomb was got ready ly then but has since passed away away a- a way and probably will never be repeated there In further time the photo will A Whoso caught that bomb after firing fir Cir i ing caught it in the air and kept i it retained it in hand not defiled 1 by touch upon evil earth earth earth- that i man became the keeper of the Joss House with all the perquisites emoluments emoluments emoluments em em- and standing face 1 that gave The honor was eagerly I sought In the scramble that person person per- per son must be master of the prize 1 1 he must retain it for it might be snatched away from him and the honor lost fiends incarnate marked mark mark- marked ed that stage of oC the days day's 1 tion Rivalry was Intense As a boy of about nine I to thirteen thirteen thirteen thir- thir I teen I never missed one of oC these events At one the contestants were stripped to the waist an eager eager ii er excited jabbering throng jostling jostling jost jost- ling pushing for advantage bullies bul bul- lies rampant The bomb went off oft high in the air ir a tumult of writhing writh 11 ing shoving emotionally strained writh-I writh Chinese followed its upward course hoping to be in the position of its downward fall Down it came Hundreds Hundreds Hun Hun- of hands were shoved toward to toward toward to- to ward it eager to grasp the prize men were knocked down Suddenly Sudden 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 saw the wounded one take his hands and forearms and try to stem the outpouring intestines from that gaping Role liole Under his own power he walked away toward a house for refuge no one even so much muchas as assisting him Absolutely ferent And the white police said in effect To hell with it Lot Let em scrap it out As long as they slash each other who the devil cares cares cares- Just st another n her cause for a Tong war The me knifer will wilt get his his his- that's sure and nothing was done Then the drinking bout at night A 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 so efficacious was it A po potent ent wit I duller So when any contestant began bean began be be- be- be gan an getting drunk with an uproar of f fun they pelted him with fingers fing fing- fingers ers rs and made the unfortunate fortunate loser oser pay nay the for forfeit eft bv by drunker and drunker All hilarity How well even now I many years later do I remember the count in that that dialect dialect up to o ten Yim Gay Shorn Shay Ugh Top Pop Gu Cu Then for eleven gu- gu sip yim etc up to to to- twenty Try half drunk to pick that jargon tofit to tofit tofit fit a number of fingers flashed before before before be be- fore your nose Gamblers all The Chinese were the most inveterate gamblers I ever saw How often orten have I stood at the side of a tan fan-tan table and seen them count the coins taken of off in a big brass cup bets high If a player won won a yell of delight and out he ran from the gambling th the gambling den pi pierced the air with a scream and bought a string of firecrackers to drive away the Evil One and woo won Milady Luck And nd the feast of roast pig after- after j bo be a rare curiosity Have you guessed what it is about Better try again No No- No NoWell Well read the text below for explanation wards Roasted full size on a n huge I plank apple in mouth skin a beautiful brown cooked to a turn Tea in thimble-sized thimble dainty eggshell eggshell egg egg- shell China A smoke of three draws from a brass pipe How often have I stood beside a cubby hole in a bunkhouse and watched an opium smoker A tiny pellet peet of opium taken up on a i metal wire and turned in the al alcohol alcohol alcohol al- al I cohol lamp flame name until just properly properly properly prop prop- erly soft then put on the orifice of oC i the pipe The pipe stem was about I 18 to 20 inches long and 2 inches in diameter of bamboo When all set then place the affixed softened soften soften- i ed pellet peet of opium over the alcohol flame deep inhalations and bliss I IThe IThe The dreams from opium are all aJl 1 that anyone could wish for Sweet I calm wonderful Before you your I hearts desire just floating oh so so near always to be got in ip hand with the next smoking No wonder the Chinese fell for it Why work and toil and 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 five fifty-five to sixty years ago have I witnessed Big Day heards its firecrackers seen its roast big been excited in the turmoil turmoil turmoil tur tur- moil of the first bomb seen the silk dragon parade the streets ever eve r hungary to eat its tormenter been in the gambling houses seen the opium smoked in the dens and witnessed solemn prayers in the Joss House All An this is brought back by the photo of the old times |