Christmas in Chinatown nine tales on the tenement stairs
On a Chinatown tenement stairwell Ah Oi Ah Olent listens to neighbors Ah Choy Come and Ah Yeung recounts from the mission and temple world. They discuss a foreign god and a feast known as Chamas, gifts from a blue-eyed woman, and the moon goddess tale as a caution. Ah Ol laments Lu Chan and the loss of home while the children trade stories and sweets.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ah Olent
Chinatown
Choy Come
Ah Yeung
Mission School
Chey Cone
Choy
Ar Ol
Mel
Jesus Clist
Chey
Ah of
An Yeung
Ah Oi
Indy
Ah Ol
Earth
Ah Onadly
Tcheon
Meyer
Yan Lee
Tehiin-Howal
Ah Ot
Lu Chan
Matt
Ly Chan
al Yeung
Choy Como
Abel
Bertonville
Lamlie
Wil Warrant
Higgins
Thomas Peter
van Smith
Sam
Tom
Gift of the Christmas Tree and the Lost Beloved
A Chinese family scene unfolds as children Choy Come and Ah Yeung chase a wind blown Christmas branch for Ah Oi. Lu Chan, a stranger, arrives seeking Ah Ol and reveals he has found Miss Ah Ol. He is led to Ah Ol by the children and vows to return her to a land of beauty and peace, the River Thinn Houal and Lake of Flowers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Choy Come
Ah Yeung
Choy
Ah Oi
Yan Lee
Ah Ol
Jong
Ahn Yeung
Lu Chan
The Sculptor's Grief Over Apollo Belvedere
A sculptor mourns his Apollo Belvedere, lamenting the statue is too beefy for the team and thus short of manly perfection. The brief vignette hints at artistic aspiration versus idealized form in a concise, moody reflection.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Apollo Belvedere
They Air It and The Knowledge Garment Idea
A brief exchange jokes about the belief that knowledge must be aired often or it will become moth eaten. The speakers discuss the notion that airing ideas preserves them like a garment.
Not an Enthusiast in Fall Races
A brief dialogue humorously contrasts interest in horse racing with opposition to betting. One person asks about going to the races this fall, the other declines, noting reluctance to support bookmakers while still showing willingness to improve horse breeding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nix
Not Bo Gossip Spreads in Village Sketch
A fragmentary village sketch notes gossip about a woman described as heavy, weighing about three hundred, signaling social chatter and localcharacter dynamics amid a terse scene.
They All Knock Him Composer or Player?
The fragment shows a child asking what to call a person who writes comic operas. The father hints at a term but the line is cut, leaving the intended label unstated. The dialogue suggests a pun on profession and title in a humorous exchange.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James
The Reason. Weathered Walks and Car Machinery Woes
The exchange describes a man named Karr examining his auto to diagnose an issue while prisoned by a clever metaphor about windings and serpentine paths. The motive is curious and the tone hints at a humorous, casual roadside repair moment.
Day of Peace Carol Verse Expresses Joy and Hope
The verse celebrates Christmas peace with hopeful youths and maidens, bells of peace ringing, and a festive feast. It envisions Christ in every circumstance, angels at every door, and a joyous Day of Peace ushering plenty and cheer for all.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Earth
Heaven
A Bird's Christmas Tree Brings Birds To the Window
A writer in Suburban Life describes making a shelf outside the window to support a pine tree for a birds feast. Suet is hung on branches and chaff spread in the yard to attract birds as winter approaches, with a full birds feast planned near Christmas.
It Was Too Risky A Santa Gift For The Old Man
A customer enters a music store to buy harmonicas for an older man who plays one instrument, The clerk notes the old man only knows The Old Oaken Bucket, and the woman purchases a harmonica for a Christmas present after comparing prices.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sam
Santa Claus
Window feeding at Christmas tree draws diverse birds
The shelf with burlap holds chaff to feed birds who visit the window. Snowy weather increases visits as usual food is scarce. Species seen include rays, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, snowbirds, song sparrows, tree sparrows and myrtle warbler. A lace mouth curtain hides feeders from outside while birds are curious.
Christmas gifts with a jive motive and small change
A bishop departing for Japan discusses acceptable gifts and recalls a crockery shop scene where a plainly dressed woman earns a dollar after asking for more than a gift. The tale ends with a shopman winking, noting another dollar and a reminder of him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bishop Foss
Japan
Still to Let Upscale House Remains Unleased
A real estate agent cites the finished home as the largest in the lot and notes difficulty finding a tenant. The builder confirms the property is complete but not yet leased, highlighting a slowdown in occupancy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tgat
Worth Admiri Swindell Golde Remark
An aged millionaire muses on Swindell Swindells, recalling a late night loan of $100 and expressing reluctant admiration for the act as Gobsa comments on the scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Swindell Golde
Swindells
Gosh
Gobsa
Airship Invented for Dog House Practical Use
A feature notes Ile bax created an airship intended as a dog house. The inventor responds with a pragmatic view, expressing satisfaction that the contraption has a usable purpose.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ile Bax
Old Oak en Bucket and Old Black Joe Catch Joseph in Tune Mix
Fragmentary dialogue complains about a singer named Joseph and his tuning. The speaker fears switching tunes like Old Black Joe may spoil domestic harmony and hints at a will leaving everything to them. The exchange suggests late 19th or early 20th century musical satire or household scene.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joseph
No Santa or Uncle Sam Message Echoed to Children
In a playful broadside the author urges readers that there is no Santa Claus and no Uncle Sam, noting many people who deny them speak to children plainly and dismiss threats as nonsense.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Santa Claus
Sam
Uncle Sam
Christmas Tree Joke Sparks Local Exchange
A dealer asks what's wrong with a man who left after a bad sale. Uppem, described as rich and proud but stingy, hangs Christmas presents on his family tree. A humorist quips about a joke cut from the page as a correction.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Uppem
Sympathetic Wife Asks About Heavy Fine Personal Fallout
A humorous exchange unfolds as Bacon asks if the wife is sympathetic and Egbert notes that upon learning the Standard Oil company was fined, she asks how it would feel to pay a massive $29,242,000 sum, illustrating social commentary on corporate penalties.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bacon
Egbert
Standard
Not Lonesome Exchange Over George Letters
A fragment shows a conversation where one person asks if the other is lonesome without George. The reply emphasizes busyness, noting mornings spent reading George's letters and afternoons replying to them, implying depth of engagement beyond loneliness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
George
Unclear fragment lips out a festive season verse
Fragmentary text presents garbled lines about Christmas shine spring dances and merry imagery. Names and places are illegible, with distorted phrases and possible references to songs or poems. The source yields no identifiable event or persons to summarize clearly.
A Christmas Tyee in a Big Forest
A frontier family meets new neighbors during a rugged early forties Christmas in the forest. Tom and Sam Befriend settlers building a cabin, share a camp meal, and plan a forest Christmas with a homemade tree and taffy pull, celebrating neighborly welcome and community growth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Tom
Sam
Sump
Forest Board
Ani
Meg
Pioneer Jim and the frost bound farmer poet
A nostalgic verse praises a pioneer named Jim as the frost settles on blossoms and corn. The speaker credits him with steady lyrics, noting Riley should be grateful for Jim’s skill in a quick, two part verse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jim
Riley
Fragmentary Memoir Line Sparks Stage Dream
A fragmentary dialogue contrasts aging worries with a youth's ambition to perform. The exchange hints at character, growth, and a plan to pursue the stage once reaching a certain age.
An Awakened Conscience In Abridged Dialogue
A fragment references a woman who avoids bridge parties and rails against gambling as a sin. The dialogue questions whether she has suffered losses, hinting at social judgment and moral concerns in a small community.
Papa's Break
A quirky fragment shows a casual exchange about Wiley’s appearance and a remark on her teeth, hinting at a humorous, informal conversation captured in a newspaper snippet.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Canton
Sou
Christ
Cretermn
Ah O
Ah Yuen
Chilidren
Yun Lee
Taal
Leeds
Santa
Ward
Tone Amenee
Auantic
Bam
Papa
Wiley
Mao
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