The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-07-01
THE JOURNAL.
aJoHNn ON MASSACHUSETTS
How the Chinese Learn shoemaking
In North Adams Factory

manner of life and the mode OF learn /
ing the business, in that place
An insnection of the cheerful lit
tio colony inst established in the
factory of Mr.. Calvin l. sampson
certainly produces a deterrent I'M
nression from that received by ac-
co,nts from California or China it.
self The quarters provided for the
strangers are filed with young men
of small stature, all chattering in a
tongue which seems to have no syl-
lables, all smiling in superabun-
dance Of good spirits and good ma
tare, and all neat as wax. 1t seems !
impossible that these can be the |
class who built the Pacific Railroad, !
slender and light as they are, with |
faces sparkling with intelligence,
and hands smaller ard more delicate
than those of the average of Ameri- |
can women. And indeed they are |
not q fair average of Chinese labor
ers; for Mr.. Chase (Air. Sampson |
agent) obtained picked men from
company of two thousand, selected |
especially for their quickness an1
adaption to a business requiring skill
and intelligence. But it gives a
novel and agreeable impression to a
New Englander to see a party OF
emigrants freshly arrive on Ameri-
can soil, employing their first days
of rest not in smoking and drinking,
not in quarreling or sleeping, but IN
reading diligently books in their
own language, in writing diaries IN
blank books they have brought for
the purpose. in studying arithmatic
with their national. "sum doing
machine and beads Of wires and In
learning to read and speak English
with an eagerness almost painful IN
its intensity of application. Reminda
Berkshire men that these are Pagans,
representing a nation cursed with
peculiar vices, with no conception
eff republican ideas, and he points
you triumphantly to Mr.. All Sing,
the leader ofthis company, who al
ter eight years in California wears
fbe garments of our civilization
down to his boots, speaks, reads and
writes English. is courteous and dig
1ifed in manner, and belongs to the
Methodist Church. The North Ad-
ans philosopher is entirely confident
of bringing every one Of these stran-
gers up to Mr.. All Sings standard
f. much less than eight years, and
that once accomplished will be quite
ready to take them into his church
or into his paElor.
But of course the great first ques-
ton to be answered in regard to
these men is not whether they will
become Christians and American
citizens, but whether they can learn
to make shoes. There are manlfes-
tlv two difficulties in the way. TO
be taught, they must have mstrue-
tors. and the Crispins direct their
whole attack against this point, striv-
inc to frighten and bribe away the
shoemakers who come here to teach,
and threatening all sorts ofmeasures
aoainst them. But there are men of
pluck and independence enough IN
Massachusetts, even in the shoemak-
ino trade. to resist these methods Of |
persuation. and think Mr.. Sampson |
will be able to induce them to stay |
with him. Then it is not easy to |
teach an apprentice so elaborate and
nice an operation as bottoming a
shoe, when by his ignorance OF the
language he becomes as inaccessible
bv words as if he we're deaf and
dumb. Everything must be done
bv example, nothing by precept, the
simplest questions cannot be under
stood, the briefest explanation can
not be given. But with race pro-
verbally apt at imitation, with eager
ness TO learn on one side and pa |
tience in teaching on the other, even |
this obstacle diminishes materially; |
and a manufacturer who has instrnc-
ted q dobv Of Frenchman to make
shoe before they could speak an
English sentence, only to see them
oaptureo even more quickly by the
Crispin order, need not shrink at the
task of educating Cinnamon. As to
the natural facility Of the new hands
there can be no question however.
They are deft Of motion and Keen Of
sight to begin with. They are not
appalled, by the intricacies Of ma
chinery. They learn slowly enough
never to forget what they have once |
acquired. They are ready in correc-
ting mistakes once pointed out. As
I write, the first laborers have been |
engaged but few hours; it being |
thought expedieLt, with the limited
force of instructors at Sampson !
command, to teach but few at a |
time, and let the rest gather from |
them more gradually what they have |
gained. But already one has under
taken that most delicate and difficult |
Of machines, the pegging machine,
an operator Of which is very rare,
and can command high wages, and |
has made marvellous progress in con
trolling its devious and peculiar mo-
ton, which requires the hand and
foot and eyes to be all on the alert.
Another has lasted a shoe, after see
ing several completed by the in
structor, and except some slight i'm
perfection in rounding the toe 'has
turned out creditable piece Of wolk.
ANY one familiar with the business
can testify that these are nice and
difficult operations, requiring long
practice and close study on the part
of an apprentice of whatever color,
especially in the fine work Of the
grade that Mr.. Sampson does, not
coarse brogans, but elegand shoes
for ladies' wear.
A few details as to the terms of
of the contract which Mr. Simpsons
agent made in San Francisco with
the commission house acting for the
Chinese laborers must complete this
hastv letter. SeYenty-fiye men are
engaged. A foreman to keep them
in order and up to their work, pro
vide for their needs. and command
them generally, st $50 a month, and
two cooks, who act also as counse-
Iors, and advisers, being men Of
rank snd experience, at the wages Of
laborers, are all the non-producing
members OF the company. The rest