Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-27
INTRODUCTION OF COOLIES OR
CHINESE In TO FHE SOUTH.

This subject received considera-
bic attention at the Commercial
Convention at Memphis, and has
since been agitated considerably
by the press of that city, and also
of Georgia, South Carolina, and
Alabama. 1t is stated that the
cotton and cane crops Of the South
can never be brought up to ante
war proportions without a reinforce
ment Of the labor forces, and for
the cultivation Of these staples the
MOBgolians are preferred. A Chi
nese immigration Company has
been established at st. Louis 1t
proposes to bring Cinnamon from
California via the Pacific Railroad,
and enter into contracts with plan
ters in the cotton States for the re-
gular supply of this class of labor
ers. An agent of this company is
now travelling through the South,
soliciting orders. The cost of trans
portation of Coolies from the Pacific
coast is put down at fifty dollars
| per head, and the cost of the labor
er, when on the plantation, at from
four TO five dollars per month, with
board added. This being true, it
would be well for tho Southern
people to examine into their char
acter. Between forty and fifty
thousand of them have been a,
work in constructing the California
end of the great Pacific railroad,
and the mining districts of Califor'
mia swarm with them, and the uni
versaI testimony as regards then
industry, enterprise, and peaceable
disposition, is altogether in then
favor. An exchange says:
| "From San Diego to Sitka, and back
to Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona
and throughout all which San Francisco
is the commercial centre, we are told
they are every where to be found Every
town and hamlet has its 'Ghina town.
Their industry is most remarkable. Min
ing, clothes washing, and kindred
occupations were the first branches OF
industry in which they engaged, but o.
late wears there has been great increase
10 the variety Of their employments. ID
the construction Of the San Jose Rail
road, in 1850, it was discovered that they
were cheap and effective road builders
The Mission and Pioneer Wooden Mlll'
found that they made first class factory
operatives, and now they are rapidly OBJ
tanning employment wherever patient
manual labor, without any great amount
| of brain work, is requisite. Large DumD
bers are engaged as servants in families
hotels. etc, taking the places OF girls IT
| chamber.work and cooking, IN which
they became expert A large proportion
of the immigration consists of boys, from
ten to sixteen years of age, who are Inn
mediatsly put out to serve in families
where they soon pick up knowledge Of
the language and of household duties.
ain fact, the Chinese are rapidly
monopoliziRg employment in all the
lighter branches Of industry usually al
loted to women, such as running sewing
machines, making paper bags and boxes
binding shoes, labelling and packinl
msdiciGes, etc. They are willing anC
anxious to learn anything and every
thing that may prove Of peculiar value t,
them, AMI in spite of the difhcnltie
which their total or partial Ignorance
of the language imposes, their patience
and initiative faculty enable them t
learn 10 work with surprising facility
and close observers OF their habits d.
not hesitate TO say that there ID not an,
manual trade 10 which they could no
become iiicient workers IN REASONABLE
time. .. - -...