Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-07-29
LABOR.
The Experiences of Mr.. Butler An
dersOn.
Results of His Observations for Ten
Years.
MrMpH1s- Inlr % 1863

l CUtlOJS hDDCkf > i VIII INV Cll0CaN-
or to fulfill my promise to give you
such information as i possess concern
ing the Chinese as laborers. BY way
of preface it Is well to remark that but
| little Of that information has been OBJ
tanned from any history ofthat strange
people, or any works on the subject
of their character and conduct. 1t
has almost allbeen derived from prac-
teal observation of the Chinaman as
a laborer and neighbOr. For ten years
/ resided on the Pacific coast, where
they composed a good part ofthe pop
ulation, and five of those years were
spent where they do nearly all the me
NAL service and much of the hard la
Dor.
In the mines the Chinaman is skill
full, industrious, patient and perse-
vering beyond any other class of men
who follow that hard, tiresome, and
trying occupation. They will take
possession of "diggings" that have
been abandoned by white men and
make mOney-out of them. Where a
whiteman cannot live and work for
less than five dollars a day, they will
work contentedly and thrive on two
dollars. In that intensely exciting
ing and hazardous business they
never seem to contract idle
or improvident habits. Con-
slant, steady, untiring labor seems to
suit them better than all the fascina-
tons that continually beset the
miner. You will rarely ever find
them prospecting" i. e., hunting
for new and better diggings." If
they are mining on their own respon-
l sibility they seek the "diggings"
which will pay them steadily fair
wages in preference to uncertain and
prOspeetively rich ground that prom
ises a larger yield. This steadiness of
purpose with them is observed by all
| who have ever seen them in the mines.
1t is q trait of character universally
| different from that which possesses all
other nationalitieS when they go gold
hunting.
As servants in every pOsition-in
the house, in the kitchen, in the sta
bic, on the steamboat, on the farm
they exhibit traits of character which
commend them especially to vi peo-
pie at this time. They are Obedient,
| good tempered, dOcile, tractable and
Industrious; apt to learn, and ready,
willing and anxious to be taught, they
perform the service set for them cheer
fully and without a murmur. Their
habits of life are not like ours, and
hence it requires a little time and
some patience to get them broken in.
| After they once get on the beaten
road of daily duty they show no dis
position to leave it..
In yielding obedience to the laws of
III Ip,1 no nnOn1a oVa fhnir rTr,NnranTy
and but few their equals. No Ameri-
can ever entertained such respect for
authority as they exhibit. A tax
gatherer is their utter adherence.
They will evade and dodge and run
from him with great shrewdness and
the most ~perseVering diligence. But
when they are cornered and find there
is no escape by fight, they will pay
the 1.-THE with a smile and a grin that
will extOrt a laugh from the surliest
collector. On the Pacific coast they
have suffered abuse from the hands of
a large class of the citizens which
would have driven any other people
on earth out of the country, or made
them desperate and IawleSs. Yet the
criminal records Of that country bear
evidence that as a class there are a
less number of offenders amongst them
than among the best citizens of the
country. The enclosed speech, made
by Senator Stewart on the 9Th July,
c0rrobOrates this statement, and any
other fair minded man from Caliior-
mia will bear evidence to its truth.
All this is said of the Chinese la
borer-nOt of the cOOlie. They are
the same race of people, but
altogether a different kind. The
one is free; the other, as /
understand it, is a slave. The
coolie under the laws of his country
belongs to a master who has fright to
command his services and compel him
to obey the command. The owner
must pay his slave a nominal sum an
nually, and as long as he does this the
slave Is compelled to render his servi-
ces to that master. He is bought and
sold for a term of years or for life, as
the case may be, and a sale transfers
the right to control the services. Such
is the cOolie. The laborer makes his
own contract, ak acts for himself en-
tirely in all matters relating TO his ser
vices. Because those labOrers in Cali
fOrnia have always chosen to engage
themselves through agents of their
own ace they have been COMPOUNDED
with the e0olie, and for no other rea-
son.. OF course since Congress passed
the law prohibiting the importation
of coolies nc such people have ever
been employed in California, and no
sane man will ever attempt to intro
duce a cOolie into the South or any
other part of the country. In my
humble Judgment the hired labOrer
would be preferable ii no such law eX-
listed. He adheres faithfully to his
contract, and when well treated will
soon become attached to his EN-
ployer, and take a deep interest
in his welfare and prosperity. Ny
experience is that those labOrers are
nearly always educated. They think,
reason and receive information just as
the educated white mar does. When
once taught how a certain kind of la
Dor is to be done they never forget it,
and seem to perform it in the same
way ever afterwards.
If | have omitted any particular
points in the character of these people
which could be gained from practical
observation, l would be pleased to
give it to you at any time that you
will suggest what it is. Or if l can
render you any assistance in elucidat-
ing this most important subject / hope
you will not fail to call on me.
/ have written this in such q shape
that you can use itas correspondence
to the APPEAL if you wish, though /
think you can make better use of the
information given by using it in
editorial manner. Your position
and capacity to put the thoughts in a
proper manner before the public will
make them much more effective to
root out the errors now about to be
propagated on this subject. Whatever
we may all do the Chhamen are
coming to the land we love. just as
prepare ourselves to receive them
in the proper spirit and endeavor to
make the right use of their services in
that proportion viii they aid US utiliz-
ing The h0unteOus resources a kind
Providence has given US.
Again / urge that whenever / can
you the least assistance in this
matter, command me.
Yours, truly,
b. p. ANDERSON.
The following is the extract alluded
10 inthe above communication:
AT an early day a treaty was con-
with China, which granted her
all the privileges of the most favored
nafions- and when fine trpafv with :