The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-10-20

ground very fruitful, ana thcy Gather III
three, four and five crops year. Their
garden patches in the neighborhood of cit
les and villages, are always distinguishes
bic from the rougher and more careless
cultured grounds of their Saxon rivals.
The Pacific railroad is being built by Chi
nese labor; several thousand Cinnamon
are now rapidly grading the track through
the rocks and sands of the Sierra Nevadas
without them, indeed, this great work
would have to wait for years, or move Oh
with slow, hcsitating steps. They can.
by their steady industry, do nearly as
much in day, even in this rough labor,
as the average of white men, and they cost
only about half as much, say $50 per
month against $50. Besides, white labor
is not to be had in the quantities necessary
for such great job as this. Good farm
hands are the Chinese, also; and in the
simpler and routine mechanic arts they
have proven adepts-there is hardly any
branch of labor in which, under proper
tuition, they do not or cannot succeed
most admirably. The great success of the
wooden manufacture here is due to the
admirable adaptation and comparative
cheapness of Chinese labor for the details.
They are quick to learn, quiet, cleanly
and faithful, and have no soft days no
sprees to get over. As factory operatives
they receive $50 and S25 month, and
board themselves, thong quarters are pro-
vided for them on the mill grounds. Fish.
vegetables, rice and pork are the main
food, which is prepared and eaten with
such economy they live for about one third
what Yankee laborers can.
Thousands of the Chinese are cleaners
in the gold fields. They follow in crowds
after the white miners. working and wash
ing over their deserted or neglected sands,
and thriving on results that their prede
ceS>ors would despisc. A Chinese gold
washer is content with 81 10 - 4 day:
while the white man starves or moves on
disguised with twice that. \ very con-
siderable portion of the present gold pro-
ductlon of California must now be the
work of Chinese pains-taking and modcr-
ate ambition. The Traveller meets these
Chinese miners everywhere on his road
through the state; at work in the deserted
bitches, or moving from one to another.
on foot with their packs, or often in the
stage. sharing the seats and paving the
price OF their ariStocratic Saxon rivals.
Labor, cheap labor, being the one great
palpable need of the Pacific states.-tar
more, indeed, than capital the want and
necessity of their proSpcrlty.-wc should
all say that these Chinese would be wei
coined on every hand, their emi grafton en-
couraged, and themselves protected by
law. Instead Of which. w see them the
victims of all sorts of prejudice and injus-
tice Ever since they began TO come here.
even now. it is a disputed question with
the public whether they should not he for
bidden our shores. They do not ask or
wish for citizenship; they have no amhi-
ton to become voters; but they are even
denied protection in persons and property
by the law Their testimony Is inadmis-
siblc against the white man; and. as mi
ncrs, they are subject to tax of 81 q
month. or nearly $50 a year, each for
the benefit of the county and state treas
uries Thus oStraciSed and burlcncd by
the state. they, of course. have been the
victims of much mcanneSs and cruelty
| from individuals. To abuse and cheat
a Chinaman to rob him; to kick and
cuff him: even to kill him, have been
things not only done with impunity by
mean and wicked men. but with vain glo-
ry Terrible are some of the cases of rob-
berry and wanton manning AMI murders
reported from the mining districts. Had
".John here and in China alike the
English and American nj cknamc every
Chinaman "John''-a good claim. orr III
nal or improved, he Was ordered to "move
ont belonged TO somebody else. Had
he boarded pile. he was ordered to di;-
gorge and, if he resisted he was killed
Worse crimes even are known against
them they have been wantonly assaulted
and shot down or stabbed by bad men. Is
sportsmen would surprise and shoot their
game in the woods There was no risk
in such barbarity; if John" survived
to tell the tale, the law would not hear
him or believe him Nobody was so low,
so miserable that he did not despiSe the
Chinaman and could not outrage him
Ross Browne has an illustration of the
status of poor John" that is quite to the
point. a vagabond Indian comes upon 4
solitary Chinaman, working over the sands
Of a deserted yulch for gold "Dsh is my
land. says he you pay me fifty dol
lars" The poor celestial turns, deprecat-
inc ". SAYING ''Nlelican man American
been here, and took all-no bit left" In
dian irate and tierce-'' D. Mclean
man,-you pay me fifty dollar, or | killee
YOU
Through growing elevation of public
opinion and reactionary experience that
calls for study of the future, the Calitor-
mans are beginning to have better appre-
ciation of their Chinese emigrants. The
demand for them is increasing. The new
state, to be built upon manufactures and
agriculture, Is seen to need their cheap and
reliable labor and more pains will be tax
en- to attract them to the country But
even now, man who aspires to be po-
ltical leader, till lately possible United
States Senator. and the most widely cir.