The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-10-06
The Chinese rs Laborer-.

The following remarks in regard to the
Chinese, in California, we quote from the
Journal Of Commerce:
The problem is 4 big one, and growing in
dimensions every day The flood-tide of the
Pacific scarce breaks upon our shore with
more cOpions fullness than this insurging
tide of immigration. We have already among
US from sixty 10 eighty thousand Of these
"Celestialsn Every monthly steamer of the
splendid Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
line, brings over from Hong Kong from one
thousand 10 twelve hundred recruits for this
great army. They are not all humble labor
ers, though Of course most OF them have no
other capital than that of their hands. Still,
there are not few who come with means to
engage in trade and manufactures; and of
late, in every public civic festival, especially
on every commercial Tste-day, the Chinese
merchants of San Francisco have on honor-
able place among our men of large adventure
and of sagacious enterprise.
As citizens, these Chinese are orderly,
quiet, and well behaved. There is very little
call for the Interference OF the police in their
daily life. As laborers, however employed,
ton. They are diligent at their toll, quick
TO learn al new tasks, faithful in obeying
orders, nimble, patient, and honest The
iron track bent over the Sierras is a national
monument to their skill and persistence In
every harvest field, and fruit orchard, and
small garden, they are preferred by those
who have tried them TO all other "hands. p"
| have left them by the week together with
ont any supervision, on my fruit ranch, to
gather, box, and send fruit to market, with
out ever having occasion TO find fault with
their intelligence, industry, or integrity. The
vast and growing agricultural wealth on our
plains aud in our valleys, is more and more
10 be wrought and harvested by their labor
Perhaps the greatest and most pleasant
revolution under this new style of "help'' is
in our domestic life Almost without ex-
eeption, the families who have made the ex-
pertinent of their services have come 10
regard it as a great and blessed relief in the
matter Of housekeeping | have had this
service for many months in my home, and
would not go back TO the old system OF
Irish service for any price. The new servants
are neat, cheerful, skilltul, careful, and econ
omical; they put on no airs; they stipulate
for no privileges; they entertain no company;
they look sharp after all the "odds and
ends" They are satisfied with very humble
commissariat for themselves. They make no
complaint of large washing" or "much
company" or "sweeping days. or "irregu-
larities in the family" such as many of us
have heard for years. They take hold of the
tasks of each day, no matter how heavy,
with the same accomplishing eheerfulness
aud carry them patiently through to their
cOnsummation with 4 quiet Acquiescence
which is most admirable. They never an-
swer back" to your Instructions and cxhorta-
l lions, except with the simple, hearty all
right" which assures you that they eOmpre-
hend and will do what is told them. The
unaecOuntabe leaks that, in the old system,
have drained off so many family stores,
bringing the tea-bOx, the sugar barrel, the
butter hrkin, and the lard-pOt low, with
s0ch marvellous CELEBRITY seem strangely to
have ceased. Any new service, beyond their
experience, when once shown, they achieve
with an initiative dexterity that makes it a
pleasure 20 teach them.
OF course, it is not easy at first to COM
muuicate with them. But they soon acquire
English enough for all practical purposes.
( The technicalities of receiving, when the
doorbell rings, and rendering the repOnses
of mot at home, or Z" walk in are easily
mastered by them. And to all the advan-
tages now suggested, there is scarcely a
per contra" of discount to be taken into
/ the estimate.