New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-06-04
FOR THE ARKANSAS VALLEY
A New Glass of Immigrants
THEIR MANNERS AND APPEARANCE

bOis arrived at New Orleans anu anchored
below Siaughterhouse Point, near the left
bank of the river. She hailed from the port
of Hong Kong, in China. and brought as
passengers one hundred and sixty-slx Chi
nese Immigrants. She cleared from Hong
Kong with one hundred and e1ghtyslx, OF
whom twenty died on the voyage. THESE
immigrants came to the United States under
an agreement with the "Arkansas River
Valley Immigration Company" to labor at
farming or domestic labor for the term OF
three years, for a certain compensation in
monthly wages and other benefits, with the
further agreement that at the end OF the
three years stipulated each individual is to
be furnished with free passage pack to
China, or in lieu thereof, ut the choice OF
the laborer, fifty dollars in gold coin.
The following are the trades and occupa.
tions of these immigrants when at home:
Farmers, eighty-seven; stone ,, cut
tiers, twenty-five; hawkers (peddleTs),
five: cooks, twelve; BARRIERS, ten; laborers,
ten: carpenters. six; servants (domestic),
FIVE; tailors, four; together with one baker,
one shoemaker and Cne boatman. They
were accompanied by their doctor and inter.
prefer, both immigrants.
1t is said of these people, by those well
acquainted with their national characterls-
tics, that they have great facility In learn
ing any manual occupation whatever, and
are remarkably neat handed IN anything
they undertake, so that If John Chinaman
does net find market for the occupation to
which he has been bred, he has no difficulty
in turning his hand TO something else.
The agreement under which these people
have immigrated IS undoubtedly both fair
and liberal, and is calculated to contradict
the somewhat prevalent idea that the Coolie
system is slightly disguised. succeeding a
new system for slavery. 1t may be proper
hot a
designation "coolie,' to which they appear
to attach an offensive meaning, and claim to
be simply immigrants. The contract they
have made with the Arkansas River Valley
Immigration Company, certainly eVlnces a
keen and entirely civilized sense of their
own interests, and shows that John China
man is no fool at making bargain.
The stipulations for each Immigrant en-
brace a free passage from Hong Kong to the
State of Arkansa sas, monthly wages OF eight
dollars in gold, abundance OF good and
wholesome provisions, such as he is accus-
toned to, or he can demand forty five
pounds of rice, fifteen pounds OF beef or
twenty five pounds of beef and half pound
of tea per month. Moreover, should the
laborer elect to do so, he is to be allowed to
find his own subsistence, receiving III place
of the provisions above mentioned, four
dollars month in gold coin. He is TO be
exempted from work on the Sabbath day, ex-
cept the necessary care of cattle on farms;
he is to have three days holiday and
eratuity Of four golden dollars at the time
of the Chinese New Year. Besides all this,
he is allowed the use of one acre of good
land, which he may cultivate for his own
benefit in his leisure hours, during the three
years for which he is. engaged.
Under such engagements as the one just
sketched, it may be easily conceived that no
difficulty will be found IN inducing Chinese
labor to supply the needs Of the country to
any desired extent.
Yesterday afternoon, at about four o'clock
the tugboat Admiral started from the foot
Of Poydras street, to convey the proper
Customhouse officers on board the Vile de
St. Lo. for the purpose of inspecting the
baggage of the Chinese immigrants, pre-
vious to their departure up the river for
their destination, in Arkansas. The COM
pany on board consisted of Deputy Collec-
tor Herwig, Messrs. Baker, Crawford, Hut.
crimson, Ringgold, Stuart, two or three In
spectors of Customs, and a reporter OF the
REPUBLICAN, who took the opportunity to
interview" John Chinaman IN eItefasO, and
as he is, surrounded by his own native ap-
pliances, before he adopts the European
habiliments and habits.
As the tug.boat approachd the French YES.
sci, confused clatter of falsettO voices was
heard the words not distinguishable, and
appearing to run together as if joined by
hyphens, aud consisting in a large proper
tion of che, ohO and Chi. When the tug
ranged along side the immigrant ship, mul.
titude of queer faces were seen, looking over
the side, evidently with as much curiosity
to see the 'outside barbarians' as said bar
barians had to see John, the celestian native
of the Flowery Kingdom.
Getting on board, the fret feeling was
that of surprise at seeing the apparently
large proportion of women among the i'm.
migrants. The smallness and dellcacy of the
features, the absence of beard, the hair
dubbed q IL ctlgnOn, the deceptive appear
ance Of the upper garment, closely resem.
bling ''josey," all contributed TO the deceo-
to UisuS, and it was with no small surprise
the discovery was made that there were no
women on board, but that all these feminine
looking folks were really of the masculine
gender.
A greater number of them were in early
manhood, a few were mere youths, and
small portion only had passed the meridian
of lie. With the exception of about a
dozen, who were suffering from scorbulic
disease, these people looked remarkably
long voyage, just finished, is considered.
They were generally neat in their personal
appearance, making due allowance for their
out1e dress, and evidently tidy in their
habits. Even those among them who re-
clined about the deck, in the langor of sick
ness, exhibited nothing of offensiyeness
either in look or other ways. Their COM
plexions were invariably Of the same shade
of we'll known taWny, and they all had the
characteristic broadness of cheek-bone.
But in other respects they differed greatly
in appearance. Some of them have eyes Of
the regulation almond shape. but the ma
jority with optics after the European pat
tern. Most of them had good teeth but
there were some not so fortunate, and these
appeared to have let things take their
course, as if tooth -carpentership had never
reached the Flowery Land. However, the
remarkably clean appearance of the ship,
and the total absence of any offensive Odor,
either above or below, speaks we'll for the
cleanly habits OF this race, and augurs favor
ably for their acceptance as domestics
among housekeepers in this country.
After looking around a few minutes to
recover from the beWilderment of seeing
such number of men looking at first sight
as much alike as a flock of sheep, and to get
rid of the persistent impression that these
men were women, our reporter perceived
himself saluted by an intelligent-faced gem
tleman standing on deck amidships. The
salute was performed by raising the right
hand, with the fingers pointing upward,
and resting the back against the forehead.
Thessalute was returned by the Europeans
lifting of the hat. Whereupon the
''native" advanced and offered his hand.
He was evidently a gentleman. Almond
eyes, broad cheek-bones, and dress max.
ing him look as if he had borrowed his
wife's short.gown, to the contrary notwith-
standing, the impress of gentility was un-
mistakable. This; was the doctor. He made
the remark, "Chin-chin," y and the converse
ton would have rested, had not
an intelligent-looking young man
oo,,o RI tho opot Ha orouod IN he