The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-16
ARRIVAL OF CHINESE.

from Cnlnt dIt odpdil came up llc udIDol
AS soon as she came in sight there was
general excitement and stampede in the Chi
ncse quarters. Men and women piled into
hacks, express wagons Or cars, and all went
hurrying to the landing place, corner Of First
and Brannan streets. Many special and reg
jular policemen and officers of the Society for
the Protection of Chinese were with them, and
before the steamer had reached her moorings
a crowd of about 200 people, whites and Ash
atics, had assembled in front Of the gates
Only such men as showed passes or had
some business on the wharf were allowed to
pass the gates but whenever the door as
opened there was rush for it from all sides
which the keepers could scarcely withstand
and to keep the anxious ones back rosewood
clubs were used with great freedom and stun
ming effect On the wharf about halfway
down from the gates q rope was drawn
across, and beyond that none but officers, Gus
tom house inspectors and the ''clect' of the
Celestials were allowed to go. As soon as the
steamers planks were down the Cinnamon be-
gan to come off and deposit their luggage on
the wharf.
An exciting scene opened when the inspect
ors of Customs commenced operations on the
luggage, looking for contraband opium, silk,
etc. Each mans property was gone through
by them, and with rapidity and recklessness
which evidently bewildered the Cinnamon,
Much of the baggage was broken needlessly.
Valuable camphor wood chests were kicked
open, even while the owners We're searching
for the keys. Carpet bags We're torn open
and their contents scattered on tbs ground,
frequently when there was opium In them.
Some Of thepeople also were rou shly hand
led, particularly where traces OF opium was
discovered.
One man made his appearance and was
walking very coolly away. An officer thought
his clothing was too heavy, and that he had
on too many coats. He therefore stopped him,
took out his knife and slashed into the gar
ments, much to the establishment Of the Celes-
tial. He had five or six coats ON, and in one
of them was quilted several large packages
OF opium. The Inspector cut away with his
knife until the fellow was nearly disrobed,
and he had obtained for his labor about four
pounds of the drug Others bored into shoes,
and in many instances the bit brought from the
centre of the soles the flavor of the hidden
| soporific. In several instances thin patches
| of the stuff were found stuck on the inside
soles ofshoee, at the lnstcp.
One man had a long, richly embroidered pill
low under his arm. He carried no other bed
| ding, and his evident solicitude for the safety
of the pillow drew attention. and excited sus-
picion. An inspector went for it. The China
man gave a grunt Of despair as the relentless
knife ripped open the pillow revealed large
quantity of opium. 1t was also found in trunk
panels and false bottoms Of boxes, in bits OF
confectionery and cakes A number Of large
cylindrical blocks of granite, apparently per
lectly solid, attracted attention. and several OF
them. after being subject to the closest scru-
| tiny, were passed, and finally only five or six
were left onthe wharf. An officer thought he
could observe q difference in the quality of the
granite at each end of the blocks. He took Il
hammer and pounded on the end of 4 block,
but without effect. He turned it over and
struck the other end several heavy blows.
when, to the surprise Of every one present, the
| false granite crumbled, and it was found that
several pounds of opium were packed in a
square hole OF q chamber in the centre. This
had been closed with granite cement so close
ly resembling the main part that casual OBJ
server would fail to discover the difference
| between them. The officers Of the Society to
Protect Chinese were on hand, and their pre-
sence and occasional rebukcs operated as
wholesome checks on she useless and illegal
destruction OF property.
remarkable spectacle was the landing Of
the women and girls, of whom there were 240
on board. 1t was like landing drove of shcep
| OF COWS. AZ dll DOluLS vi TIE COM p.tSS WHY
men to drive them, and they came off the boat
| in squads Of fifteen or twenty at time. The
policemen and Chinese ''bosses'' kept each
squad together, and drove the entire crowd
| into a corner under the shed, and there they
stood, watched as closely as ever was guarded
IL gang of slaves in the South. fla China
woman resident here approached too near the
prizes, she was seized and pushed away, and
| if any of the new Corners left the crowd she
was driven back or seized by the back Of the
neck and showed to her place again.
| Near the multitude, is an office in which q
white woman is stationed, and whose business
| is to search the females for opium. The door
| is shut and the window shades kept down close
so the examination is conducted secretly Po-
| lice officers at the door mark off with motions
of their clubs six of the women at Il time.
| These were let in searched, sent out, driven
| into another corner, and another squad would
90 in. This continued till every woman was
searched. 1t is seldom any opium is found in
the possession of these poor wretches. Most
Of those who come are young girls many OF
them not over II or - years OF age, and nine
tcnths, at least, are for purpose prostitution.
| This business of importing Chinese women
has been reduced to a system. Seven or light
cars (extras) Of the Omnibus line were re-
served for transportation of the women to the
| Chinese quarters. Into these the creatures
were driven by squads, under the guardian
ship Of policemen, and hauled to a point near
Jackson street, above Dupont. There was
another immense multitude of Cinnamon, all
evidently laboring under much mental excite
ment The women then ran the gauntlet
again. The alley, which is one the narrowcst
and 1ilthiest in the city, was lined with China
men and women. The strangers were driven
through it and up some rickety old steps lead
ing to the Dupont street theatre and into the
pit of that wretched place they We're again
herded. Here, too, was guard of officers OBJ
liged to protect the infamous traffickers in
humanity -obliged to stand by and keep the
peace, and see that bad Cinnamon do not kid
nap the women. On the stage were eight OF
ten men-the meanest looking of them all
and one lecherous old woman who kept .jab-
bering away at the women. Here these slaves
slaves to the most unprincipled, immoral
and cruel of owners, are assorted, marked
over and sent to the six companies" to which
they are consigned. This operation had not
been commenced when we left the place.