Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-05-17

coast, of which 10000 are in San Francis
co. They come here to make money, and
all with the intention of returning to Chi
ma as soon as they amass few hundred
dollars, which makes them rich men COM
paratively there. They send the bones of
those who die here back to China by the
vessel load. as their spirits would not rest
in peace if their remains were suffered to
moulder in foreign soil. They all come
over here under the protection of one OF
the three great Chinese companies, and
these companies have at their head here
the most intelligent Chinese business men.
Some of the weathiest Cinnamon, who
had heretofore controlled the affairs of
these companies, have returned home be-
cause of the prosecutions of the Irish ele-
ment here. Very few Chinese women are
seen, and nearly all of them are prostitutes
of the lowest order. We have not seen
Chinese lady yet, though we are told
there are very few, the wives of the
Company Agents. The race are remark
ably industrious and docile. Many pre-
fer them to Europeans as house servants.
They are never insolent and always obey
orders literally and mechanically We
are told by lady that she had occasion to
show her Chinaman how to make pud-
ding. She put several eggs in it, and the
second egg which she broke proving bad"
she threw it away. Sometime after the
man was making similar pudding, and
happening to watch him, the lady of the
house saw that he initiated her perfectly,
even to the throwing away of the second
egg, which she found upon enquiry he
had done every time he had made pud-
ding since the first. Many of them are re-
markably intelligent and fine business
men. They have several large and elegant
stores, and numerous poorer grades. The
Chinese quarter is confined principally to
Commercial and Dupont streets in the
centre of the city. They live in very snug
quarters, many families in one building,
They have their "Barbary Coast" one of
the worst dens of crime in America. 1t is
in an inner court with wretchcd buildings
surrounding and opening into it, Here the
Chinese "Bill' and Nancy Sykes's" have
their headquarters, and receive their tu-
telage and share their spoils with Chinese
.Fagns", who would put Dickens Fagin
to shame. 1t Is currently stated to us that
there are really
CHINESE SLAVES
bought and sold here, and that the wealth
Ter classes have slaves to do all the mental
labor, and are often very brutal towards
them These people are, however, so ex-
elusive and SO totally different from us
that it is difficult to learn the truth about
them. There is an immense amount of
PREJUDICE AGAINST THE CHISAMEN,
but we are inclined to think them an eX-
ceedingly useful element in the cosmo-
politan society of this coast. In fact they
could hardly be spared for they do near
" all the lower grade of labor here, and
are very extensively employed as house
servants. They show great aptness in
learning, and there arc several Sabbath
and weekday and night schools devoted
to teaching them English. They are gen
orally very shrewd, and are really in
many respects fully up to our civilization.
They rarely resent an insult from white
man, the companies counseling their de-
pendents not to fight. They are general
ly very quiet and orderly on the street.
Nearly all retain their native costume,
which consists outside of loose blouse,
and loose pantaloons, cloth shoes with pa
per souls shod with leather, and skull
cap, Or soft light colored common felt
hat, which last seems the only European
article of dress which they appreciate to
any great extent Their worst vices are
opium smoking and gambling, their two
great designations. They gamble prob
ably more than any other people, and it
is said often barter away wives and chill
dren. They have their own priests. doc
tors, and merchants, and in fact. it is said,
one can see almost as much of China"
here as in Chinajtself But must close
this hasty sketch for it is growing late.
OCCASIONALLY"