Doyers Street, Chinatown, New York City, 1890s.
San Francisco probably had the most famous Chinatown in America when the above classic photograph was taken in the 1890s, but NYC’s Chinatown was no slouch when it came to colorful street life. The following are a quartet of brief stories about the famous neighborhood from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of that era.
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“She Missed Him in Bed” (June 1, 1890): “Julia Lee is the most famous woman in Chinatown, in New York. She is athletic and some time ago was married to a distinguished Oriental, part of whose name she bears. Lee Get is but a pygmy alongside his big German-American wife. Get has a weakness for fan tan and the money which he realizes from a small store in the basement of 11 Mott street is freely expended at his favorite game. At a late hour Friday night Lee stole from the side of his wife in bed and crossed over to 12 Mott street. There he joined one Lung and Sing Chung in a game of fan tan. When Julia missed him she started in dishabille to find her spouse. Lee was ingominiously led from the gaming table and dragged into the street. Julia hit Lee in the face and disturbed the symmetry of his nasal organ. His yells were loud enough to bring a policeman, who was a block distant, to the scene. The policeman knowing Mrs. Lee’s reputation took her into custody.”
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“Dangerous Localities” (March 9, 1879): “Some of the localities of Chinatown are positively dangerous, even with an officer. Among these is High Binder’s lane, where murders are often committed. It is the abode of the desperate and daring, and their numbers are countless. They have trap doors for the unwary and refuges in which they hide from the officers of the law. They come upon their victims in droves, rob him, maltreat him, and sometimes scar him with knives.”
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“Smells, Scenes and Noise” (March 9, 1879): “A Chinatown eating house consists usually of three stories. The first floor is for cooking, and the apparatus is very extensive. The second story has tables for the common folks. The third story is for grandees and distinguished people. But a Chinese cook is not restricted to the kitchen: tell him you are hungry, and he will immediately fetch his fire, his cooking utensils, his provisions, and cook under your very nose. He squats down anywhere, makes a fire in or on anything; a basin, dish, pan or pot; there is no limit to his invention. He will cook in the middle of the street, or in the centre of his guests in a restaurant.”
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“Exciting Day in Chinatown” (July 15, 1895): “It was Brooklyn vs. New York in Chinatown yesterday afternoon, and the arrival of the police broke up a small sized riot before the question of supremacy was definitely settled. The trouble had its origin two weeks ago, when Ah Hung, 30 years old, of 20 Pell street, hired Ah Kin, 50, of 20 Pell street, but recently of Brooklyn, to work in his laundry at $10 per week. On Saturday night Ah Kin, instead of receiving $20, was only given $7 by Ah Hung for his two weeks work and an argument ensued. Ah Hung refused to give up the other $13 and inquired in choice Chinese, “What are you going to do about it?”
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San Francisco’s Cbinatown, 1897: