The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-02
THE COMLNG MAN.

John Chtnaman In America-Rapid In
Coast--Their Value as Workers AM
Railroad Bui1ders--An Important Ele
ment I'm our Future PopIlati IN.
The Metropolitan Record thus speaks of tn
Chinese laborers which are focking to thi
country in great numbers:
The Mopgolians are coming to stay. The,
are also coming to work. For that matter
indeed, we are told that between forty ani
fifty thousand OF them are already hard a.
work on and along the line of the great Pa
cifc Railroad. The mining districts Of Califor
imony as regards their industry, enterprise
and rsaceable dispositions is altogethe.. il
We have spoken of the multiplication of the
Chinese on the Pacific. From san Diego tc
Sitka. and back to Montana, Idaho, Nevada
stretch Of country Of which Sen Francisco il
the commercial cnntre, we are told, they are
everywhere to be found Every town and
hamlet has it's chinatown" Their industry
is most remarkable. Mining, clothes-wash.
ing, and kindred occupations were the first
branches Of industry in which they engaged:
but OF late years there has been greatincrease
/
construction Of the San Jose Railroad, in
1860 it was discovered that they were cheap
and effective road builders; the Mission and
| Pioneer Woollen Mills found that they made
frst-class factory operatives and now they are
rapidly obtaining employment wherever pa
tient manual labor, without any great amount
| OF brain work, is requisite. Large numbers
are engaged as servants in families, hotels, &C.,
taking The place of girls in chamber work and
and cooking, in which they become very
expert. A large proportion Of the immigra-
| ton consists Of boys from ten TO sixteen years
| OF age, who are Immediately put out to ser
vice in families. where they soon pick up 9
knowledge Of the language and of household
duties.
| INK employment in all the lighter branches OF
industry usually allotted to women, such as
| running sewing machines, mailing paper bags.
and boxes, binding shoes, labelling and pack
| ing medicines, &c. They are willing and
anxious to learn anything and everything that
may prove Of pecuniary value to them, and in
spite Of the difficulties which their total or par
| tial ignorance Of the language imposes, their
patience aud initiative faculties enable them to
learn to work with surprislng facility; and
close observers Of their habits do not hesitate
to say that there is not any manual trade IN
which they could not become workers in rea-
s6nable time.
There strangers are said to become Ameri-
canized-so to speak-very rapidly. They
learn to buy and sell, to labor, according to
American modes, Just as they discard the um-
per shoes, for the felt hat, pantaloons and
boots; but they retain all their essential habits
and modes Of thought just as they retain then
cues. The Ohinamhn running o sewing
machine, driving sandcart, or firing an
@enIgIn ~ h;o hao,ta ta Just as essentially
side OF the Pacific, is working in the same way,
and with the same implements rs his fathers
worked thousand years. Much has been
said OF his immortality, and especially G. ::is
propeness to lie and cheat; but II he can beat
the Yankee Puritan in that line Of business, he
must, indeed, be bad fellow. Our own i'm
preston is, that his infrDlties in that respect
have been exaggerated; but even we're it other
wise, We repeat, he is aa deserving OF political
rights, &c., DO. III
The San Fradeisoo Times, speaking on the
same subject, says:
It is significant fact that ct the laying Of
the last rail on the Pacific Railroad John Chi
naman occupied prominent position. He it
iSe as 5saet tssHliIssi pea pesaabRa bRs1 ai
not now have been carried eastward OF the
Sierrss The experience Of this undertaking
has proved that the Cbinaman is an admirable
railroad builder. His labor is cheap, his tenn
per is good his disposition is docile, his indus
try is unfaeging, his strength and endurance \,
are wonderful, and his mechanical Skill ls re-
marksble. There are Cinnamon in the en-
ploy cf the Central Pacific Company who are
more clever in aiigning roads than many white
men who have been educated to the business,
and these Mongols will strike truer line for
longer distance with the unassisted eye than
most white men can with the aid OF instru-
ments. A good deal Of nonsense has been
talked about the Chinaman's want Of stamina,
and his inferiorily to the white labSrer In point
Of strength and capacity for work. The Cen;
trail Railroad has pretty thoroughly settled
that point; for numerous experiments nave
been made during it's construction, with
visw to test the respective capabilities OF the
two races. On one occasion party OF Irish,
men and party Of Cinnamon were p,tted sa
against each other In blasting hard rock Tor
O tunnel. Bets were freely made that the
whlto men would come out winners; but at the
eud Of the day, when the work of each party
W measured, it was found that John Chlna'
man had burrowed further into the rock than
his antag gonist, and was, moreover, less IA
tigued. The bands Of Cinnamon now organ
lied by the Central Company are as fine railroad 9,
builders as can be found anywhere. The Off
GERS Of the Union Pacific Road were amazed st
the work these fellows did, and it is by 30
reans improbable that our Eastern friends
will endeayor to secure some OF these trained
gangs for the next railroad enterprise in which
they may engage. Many of the Chinese bosses,
or heals of gangs, on the Pacific R ,ilro'd, are
very intelligent men, and few days since we
were present when one of these entered car
and engaged in conversation then going on,
speaking good English, and showing on extern
sive acquaintance with railroad matters. 1t is
we'll that we should bear in mind the great as
sistance that the Chinese have afforded to the
Pacific Railroad, and that we should remem-
I ber the difficulties which their presence dissl.
pateS. The training they have received on
that road has given to California large body
OF men peculiarly adapted to this description
of work, and it has rendered comparatively
easy the carrying out Of other enterprises OF
the same character. They will probably 6e
largely employed in the construction, OF the
California and Oregon Railroad, nov about to
be entered upon; and while they do not pre-
vent the engagement of white men, they will
facilitate enterprises which might be impract
cable, lacking their aid. The Chinamau is q
born railroad builder, and as such he IS des-
tined to be most useful to California, aud. in
deed, to the whole Pacific slope.
THE SIAMESE TWINS, AGAIN.