Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-02
JOHN CHrNAMAN.
An Interesting sketch by One Who
has Studied Him.

Watching the gangs on railroads, talking
with their bosses, most Of whom speak
English, going through their laundries
visiting the temple of their god joss, and
seeing that pagan bell pounded just 81
times, and that heather drum struck just
3s blows, visiting rooms where scores o.
almond-eyed are busy with our sewing
machines and running them as well as
the deftest girl in Massachusetts,, walk
ing through their gardens, seeing how
they raise hens and ducks, handling Their
curious hats and jackets and that extra
ordinary hickory pole with which they
carry burdens, their light but tough and
durable baskets, their grotesque dolls
and curious toys-I have come to certain
conclusions about this strange people
whose relation to our labor system is now
the absorbing question OF the hour
| And, first, to illustrate the pressure that
pushes them across the Pacific ocean
ina sine tank full of water in cham
ber, and tank as large below only one
tenth full. Connect them with three
inch tube, fitted with stop-cock. The
full tank represents China, with her fouI
hundred millions of people; the lower
tank America, with forty millions; the
tube is the steamship that runs from
China to California, and discharges
Chinese at the rate of 1000 month; the
stop-cock is the possible legislation that
may cut off this influx. The question
of the hour is, whether the permanent
welfare of American society requires
any legislative handling of this stop
cock.
| asked a good many of them how
much they weigh, and the most frequent
reply was, "hun-thirt-fve. They are 8
little larger than the average American
country women. ! saw few who would
weigh l60. Their feet are smaller; they
would buy fves or skies if they wore oul
shoes, but most of them do not. Theil
hands are long and delicate. giving al
idea of nimbleness and patience rather
than of strength In short, Chinaman
is about what an American woman would
be as laborer if she had been sccus
toned for generations to outdoor work.
They shave the hair from the front hall
of their heads, and allow that on the
back to grow. This tail or cue is greatly
prized, and the loss of it is such
a less of honor that many Kill
themselves when it is cut. 1t seldom
grows more than two feet long, but they
exc it out with black silk braid so that
the tail generally reaches below the
knees, and sometimes to the shoes. But
they coil it around the crown of the
head, giving them this look of some poor
woman whose head front had been bis
tered for brain fever. Their pantaloon'
are like ours, and so is the shirt, except
that it is plain, without collar, bosom OIL
cuffs. Over the shirt they wear in sum
mer cotton frock, made just like O
plain shirt. 1t fas no collar, and buttons
close around the neck As the weather
grows cool they add other jackets oil
frocks lust like the first, but made o.
thin w6olep, thick yoolon or fur. a
poor, plain Chinaman can dress himself
for about twenty dollars year; one bet
ter off spends, say forty dollars.
4 common Ghinaman has no other
idea of life than to york steadily, do his
own cooking, washing, ironing, and
mending, and spend great deal less
than he earns. His father and all his
ancestors, as far back as to the time oI
Aaron or of Abraham, had no other idea
| of life. A hut, few yards of cloth, q
double handful of rice or wheat, slice
of pork, a frying pan, and strip of rush
mating for bed-these are what he is
born to, and with these, in his own land
he expects to die and die content. When
he comes to Amesica, his simple aim is
to lay up a small sun Of money On which
he can live at ease when be goes back.
! saw miner Gfty-two years old. He
looked thin and WoFp, as though he had
never known anything but steady toll
and rough fare. He has been here five
years and has $500 in gold. Last Mon
day he took the steamer for Canton. He
will 90 home to his wife and be a
uap in easy circumstances the rest OF
his days, tLey weke no eight-hour pro-
tests; they have no sirisssi taGy eennot
understand what trade union means.
They will work for fifty cents till they
hear of some man who gives sixty. Then
they 20 20 work for him until they know
of chance 20 .paSe geyenty-fve. They
have no bar-roonis, they qFlnN ge gtrong
drink; they do not fight, or CURSE, df
break things. But they love to smoke in
the syepipg, and It amuses them
greatly to throw y pile Of little brass
coin, ten of which make cent, on the
middle of a table and bet that when the
heap is counted off it will turn out odd.
4 SOME bei Gjme that it Will count out
odd, as twenty-seyen "a tblrty-Qne.
Others bet twenty-five cents, butt was
told that late at night they grew reckless
and kc, their pipes and clothes, all their
tobacco, ana n i9st 2 wife. But the
class of gamesfers Is not large. NOS gi
them after work cuddle down by 4 little
fire Ybere rice and the legs and the head
Of hon ars lQIIipe gnd ehattet about
the days work, about what s0me qtter
miner or laborer has found, about what
some wicked "Melican man has done,
about home, and having their ashes car
ried back to China to sleep beside the
bones ef their ancestors and under the
grim smile 6f some apsisEt wooden god
Presently the chatter lnlis' AMY, sthe
little rush beds are spread, and Chang
Ty in dreams is far away in the flowery
land But with daylight he ties up the
little 20, Gf snsh carpeting, lays it on a
shelf, eats cup ~ aci,sf wheat and
sucks chicken wing, and anon the pieb,
gith slow but uneeasing swing, is hack
ing into ths L4Gk; the barrows are filed,
the planks are pqpqieg, ihs FsIs are
spiked, and the work goes Oh as fast as
though pushed by Irish muscle or Amer
lean nefye,
Though they work on railroads aad IN
wheat fields and work well, / think they
will be found most useful about houses
and gardens and in factories. They have
a wonderful aptness for doing just as
they see the Mclean man" do. For ex-
ample, tbs phiHess aqafleEiR saeramen-
to caught ere and burned doVn . les
months ago. They hired an American
carpenter TO put them up ono cabin. As
he worked, they stood by and watched
like cats. When the house was done
they paid him his price, and then fell to
with lass and hammers and put up a
row of houses exactly like tho pattern
They copied him inch for inch and nail
for nail. This people do not reason
They have no original IDEAS They do
a thing MOI geCagse they know why il
should be, bHt because they saw II SO in
the pattern they 90 by. In remember
ING ihe movements Of the teacher and
f.r...l.... IL. ,...th l1,,I otoI.nr.o H.