Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-31
CELESTIAL VANGUARD.
Arrival of Three Hundred Chi
nese Laborers from Cali
fornia, Bound for
the South.
Appearance of tie Celestials--
Scenes at the Railroad De-
pot and Steamer, etc.
From the St. Louis Republican, Dec. %

pot ana Steamer, tCc'
From the st. Louis Republican, Dec. %.
The first instalment of Chinese labor
ers, numbering over 500, arrived In the
city at quarter past 10 o'clock last night,
on the North Missouri railroad. They were
in charge of Gen. John G. Walker and
Maj. W. H. Rhea, formerly of the Mem
phis AUdIonche. The Celestials were
engaged to work on the extension of the
Houston, Texas Central railroad, and will
be taken to Calvert and placed on the Sec
tons under construction. The line Efrom
Calvert to Bremond is nearly graded, and
it is probable that the first work of the
Cinnamon will be somewhere beyond
Bremond. We learn from Maj. Rhea that
the men are to receive thirty dollars in
coin per month and board themselves.
They will get the same as other railroad
hands are getting. The railroad has been
paying thirty-nine dollars in coin, and
even at that rate could not get supply,
owing to the scarcity of laborers. We
learn from New Orleans paper that the
contractors pay for the transportation of
the Chinese to Texas, and all that it may
cost them over twenty dollars to return to
San Francisco after three years service
the contractors agree to pay. The con-
tract was made by Capt r. 7.
| Boyce, of Texas, assigning to Gen.
Walker the charge of bringing them
through from California. A contract was
also made with Headman Chew All Heang
to serve as interpreter under salary from
the contractors. These men have been
several years in California, talk English
| tolerably, and assisted to build the Central
Pacific Railroad. For working planta-
tons in the South, as many Chinese labo-
| rers as are needed, can be had from $40
IL SO per month, in the currency of the
! country. Bycontract with the Americans
they have abandoned their superstitious
notion that required their bodies at
death to be transported to their
native country. The party left San
Francisco on Sunday, the 10th, at 10
O'Clock, A. NJ, three hundred strong. On
the way about seven of the number grew
faint-hearted, and persuaded by some of
their friends, they remained behind, but
the complement was made up by the adj
dition of eighteen others, who volunteered
and joined the emigrants. They left
Council Bluffs Monday, at 10 A. NJ, and
Moberly on a special train yesterday
morning at $780, following train No. 6,
which parted company, left the China
train behind and arrived at the North
Missouri depot on time at 6 O'Clock last
evening.
THE ARRIVAL, ETC.
| In expectation of seeing the CGlestials
large number of people went to the
depot, but getting tired of waiting, they
gradually dropped away and vert home.
Among those present most anxious to sec
the visitors was ALA Lee, himself a native
Chinaman, who has been a resident in the
city twelve years. He first came to Cali
fornia as interpreter for a missionary Of
the Episcopal Church among his country
men. Lee was born at NingpoO, neal
Shanghai, can talk twelve dialects, bu
since his residence in this city has beer
shorn of his pig-tail, and given up the pa
ganism of his fathers He appeared
anxious to meet his country people, ant
. prOffcr them some sound advice.
At late hour the train arrived at tn,
depot, and the Chinese thronged out OF
the platform. They appeared to be quit
small in stature, their ages being iron
| twenty-five to thirty. There were a few
, quite young boys, and some three or fou
men over forty years old. DIost of then
, | carried long sticks, which are used 70
carrying their baggage, the stick bcin
balanced on the shoulder, and the bag
| gage being divided and suspended in tTOI
and on the rear. They have the queu
or "pig tall appendage of twisted hail
: | in some cases Curled about their hats, an
wore loose blouse, but with few CxCeI
, tiOns the whole attire was like that wOr
= by ordinary labOrers. But in the daTl
: almond shaped eyes and olive COlOre
= countenance, a whitish hue, tinged wit
! orange and vcTmiliOn, showed the peCu
= lar characteristics of the Chinese race.
On the platform commenced violel
. clamor when the baggage was claimed
. and the scene almost beggars description
. The confusion was like bedlam brOl
/ loose. The entire party clustered abo1
= the door of the baggage-car, and col
y tinued for a long time to pull, shove al
% squeeze each other; and ChatteriDg, sCOl
:, ing and swearing in broken Englis
10 making a din that was heard sever
, blocks away. 1t was like the scramble
6 unruly children, or the quarelling amor
+, Indians when dividing their ratiOns. 7
=, police lowered around, but when told tn
, this was the manner OF the Celestla
> they thought best not to interior
= | At length two of the leading men wi
,t strong voices, assembled to the top of I
. car, and commanding some sort of atte
Nv ton, the baggage was showed up 70 the
i from the door, when they tossed 1t il
n the crowd, and after each package "
70 tossed about like ball for some time,
nm at length found an owner. One of
bo men in charge said that a similar sec
!. occurred on the route at each transfer
To- baggage. He said that at Ogden, t.
he men had hold of pan which each Clai
m ed, and they pulled and hauled until Il
r. tore it to pieces. The party were Il
~ marched down TO the steamer Mississip
tic commanded by Capt. Ned. Green, VIII
eco they went aboard. The steamer '
eft leave this evening for New Orleans.
% o. BOARD TIE BOAT.
'cc \ little before y o'clock, these Chi
a I men, 2+7 all told, began to arrive at
ny boat In appearance, by t0rCh-lg
W their features seemed more of cross
OAc tween the Indian and the Mexican, q
cu. ANYTHING else Most of them wore que
5h' or ''pig-tails, and with one or two exc
tons. they were wound around 4
NJ black wool hats, while others wore
regular Chinese straw hat, which !
ney much resembles an old Dutch st
srsl bread basket Each of them carrie
the bundle-Some of them twO--in WI
OF were done up their wearing apparel,
: IN ding, etc. 1t is not assuming too muc
I! say that many of these bundles W.
t a ~ weigh from $50 to soc pounds, yet
= trottcd along under this weight with L
ion case than "baTbarians" las they call
iers would under twenty-five pounds. I
r bundles were all wrapped up in a kin
,ted matting-the same kind as that "
ion, comes around tea chests or CinamCn b
wing As soon as they arrived on board the
pen and were shown back TO the quarters
set signed them, theyprepared for sleep. ]
ion. bundles were unrOlled, and the maj
de- spread out forthcir beds. The inner pa
the the bundles, of whatever made up, Sc
und % Pr - % cl,,or;n- Til
y ond kettles, or pots, and what few other p
%iI tive utensils they possess or carry
tile them, were scattered around prom
have ously, and amid bales and boxes, and
dol rels, and hog or two, they disp
tl,or,ooI,-oe 70 sIIInhcr dreams and