The Republican journal., 1870-06-30

former may mask the purposes of the latter. But
privileged us we are by the kind invitation OF the
iroprictor, we pass around to a back entrance
where Il score or so of the blue nankeen blouSes
are drying in the breeze, and gain admission ana
welcome. We are at once in the very quarters OF
the new eolonSts. A narrow room has been ntted
up with plain hunks, four tiers mgh, IN form ana
arrangement not unlike Il two-stored sleeping car
or the barracks il which recruits were Iouseu III
the enlistment camps i'll war time. Each OF THESE
bcrths curtained in front so as to Shut out the
world is the home of Chinaman; here he stcws
away his effects. here he retlres Tor rest, reading
or meditation. Mr.. Sampson provides each with
mattress, and the dodgers themselves buy and make
pillows and bedclothes. 1t seems like Il beehive,
the occupants popping III and out of their buhks'
dropping OFF their thck-soled shoes on the MOOR
and scrambling up to the higher tiers arranging
and rearranging their possessions, hmnlnS All tne
time in conversation in their strange language; IN
which Yankee ear can catch neither syapic uNi-
Sions or consonant sounds. They nlnd thelf own
affairs. and do not look much at the visitors who
Stare 50 curiouslv at them, but they remember
every face once seen. and study every actlon OF
custom which is new to them. Very busy, very
rood.natured very well satisfied with their quar-
ters with an almost universal smile when accosted
,re The main elements of the impression they make
when snrveyed IN mass TAKE te' Us M Hok " one Oh
All Ny is short of stature, slightly bIilt, and his
beardess face suggests that he is yet but a boy;
but must not Judge his age by home standards.
His eyes seem half shut, so narrow are they. bnt
they are keen and quick His skin is dusky, his
nose fiat. his teeth prominent Half his head is
shaved close: on the crown is coed the long braid
ed cue of lei-black hair terminating IN q lassel,
which would be hanging about All Ny's heels were
he in fun dress His is shorter than those OF
some of his comrades as he is young; There are
in the party which Just touch the ground 1t
is the dearest possession of a Chinaman; and the
,,iic member of the company who is Old ana bald
wears false pinned to his pate the Lord
knows how. All My has shaved the heads OF some
ii his comrades since he got in from his long Jour
,7j llS Ind he
himself as the browning Of a thorough ablutlon
which has left him clean as wax. Ills hands are
,erv small, and delicate and soft as woman s.
owing perhaps, in some measure, to ms wearing
i0ng sleeves. and having national habit OF clasp
ng his hands together in the overlapping ends, as
10 mutf. lie wears Il blue nankeen blouse, maze
in China with much care of stitching, fastened by
frogs and small brass buttons loose trousers OF the
anne stuff stockings like anybody else. and Won
,eriully easy little sHppe-like shoes the toes point
mo little upward, The sole, an inch thick, 81 white
pressed wool. His head is anonymously covered
with a common soft hat, of American manufacture,
}il SIMPSONS agent, finding himself obliged to
provide for all his charge in this respect before
quitting san Francisco. All My bears himself
rather shyiy, but yet with certain dignity as we
inspect him. He is studying English with all his
might and loses no orpoltnlty TO gam eIm9 ;n Oh
1t the couch by which he stands. Bed" we an
swcr Yes, know, bed" he replied, shaking his
bead, and pointing still more vigorously, "but
what you call = '.Mattress,' we reply; and who
ever meets All My for the next hour will hear him
softly repeating. with much motion of the jaw and
manifest difficulty Of combining the syllables,
'Mat--tress mat--tress," until he knows il per-
irty and is ready to absorb another atom OF knoWl-
edge M the same slow way.
Pass We now into the next room, used by the
ncW coioni>s as Sitting-room and dining-room,
furnished with benches and tables, and lighted with
[aS-an unnecessary piece of liberaty on Mr..
~anpson's part, as the lahorers contract and eX-
i'ect to provide their own candles but adding
much 10 the checrinncss OF the place. Here again
the place SWarmS W it'll Cinnamon, III great variety
Of Interesting occupations But before We begin to
examine them in detail, Mr. Sampson introduces
Mr.. Sing the Chinese foreman. who can explain
much that would otherwise be mysterious.
All Sing is not an ordinary Chinaman. A young
man. like most of his fellows, his face shows a
brighter intelligence, or perhaps rather wider
culture than any OF the rest He has been eight |
Gears III this country, sc1Nlngthe frst hVe faithfully
a hoIisc-seryant, cook and chambermaid, and
las made such progress in his stay as to enable him
To command the great wages for one of his race,
which have already mentioned He is American
ilrd IN many ways He wears the garments of our
civilization throughout, Il remarkably natty boot |
fitting his little foot; but he still chershes the ma
tive fashions and has brought in his baggage for
use on special occasions Chinese, shoes of gOr-
"cous embroidery. and superb coat of Sea-otcr
lin wiinetth silk, which paid prodigious duty
On entering California. He speaks broken English
readily but being a fast alker Of swift ideas it is
impossible for yonr correspondent at least, to UNI
ierstand him when he undertakes Il long eXplana-
Hpn, though his short answers are plain enough. |
HE read, print Pretty well lodging the hard words
child would do. He has taken an English |
name for common use. being "Charlie" in every |
day lie. and Mr.. Sing only state OCCASIONS |
More remarkable than All, he has Joined the Metho-
dist church, and brings letter OF credit from his
-n Francisco pastor to the clergyman in North |
80 predict fun congregation next Sunday, to hear
ihe new members relation of experience.