The Placer herald., 1870-11-19
GIRLS FOR SALE.

1he Hong Kong Correspondence OF the
Boston Traveller says:
81 saw the sale of family last week for
debt, where the husband and rnother was in
California; and perhaps cannot do better
than to tell you about it. There were five
children-three girls and two boys. We
had passed them three times in our chairs
during the day as they stood beside the road
dressed in their holiday attire Of black The
silence they observed when any person pass
ed, and their downcast looks, created curios-
ity on our part to know their business there
All Hung tour waiter) was called up and
asked the cause of this little parade. "Why''
said he, ''the girls, and perhaps the whole
family, are for sale" We stopped our chairs
and stepped out to have talk with them,
using Ah Hung as an interpreter The
mother was wrinkled and gray, and hung
her head, as if she was afraid to look us in
the face. But the children, with the excep-
ton Of the Oldest girl, looked cheerful, and
were quite pleased with their holiday attire.
The oldest girl was sixteen, and the oldest
boy boy fifteen. So said the gruf old brok-
er who had the party in charge, and who
seemed quite anxious to dispose of his wares.
After great deal of quizzing and evasive
answers, the broker told us that the husband
and father was in California, and had me-
elected to pay his note given for bis passage,
and that his family were now offered for sale
to pay the debt with
THE SALE OF THE TWO OLDEST GIRLS,
but as yet had received no offers. He said
that the family became security voluntarily
and he never knew of a case where they did
not voluntarily offer themselves for sale il
the note they secured was not paid. In re-
ply to our questions he said that when a Gus
toner bought a child or person, the person
body and soul. No Chinaman would dis
pute the purchasers right to do whatsoever
he pleased with the human being he had
paid for The boys would make good serv-
ants, he said, and in the course of few
years be worth fortune to the owner. The
girls would make good "armes" (or nurses,
as they are called in America). He would
show us their physical eauty-would make
them sing and play tricks if we thought Of
buying. How much would we give? The
oldest girl he would sell for four hundred
/
the little six year old for fifty. The boys he
could not sell until the girls were disposed of
We thought the price too high. The market
was
GLUTTED WITH sALABLE GIRLS,
and he must not think of getting over one
hundred dollars for the oldest and handsom-
est, while for the little one he could not ex-
pect over ten dollars. He sneered at that
and said that Englishmen always talked il
that manner when they wanted to buy
While we were talking, party of blue rob
ed Chinese aristocrats came up and began tc
inspect the family. They opened the mouth
of the Oldest girl, raped on her white teeth
to see if they were sound, pulled open her
dress, thumped her ribs, laughed at her lit
tie feet, told her to show the whites of hel
eyes, ordered her to sing, and to show them
the trinkets which the fond mother had Civ
en- her as a parting gift. All the while the
salesman kept up "a constant !jabber, in which
he took no interest. Time pressing, we pass
ed on, leaving the parties disputing about
the price, and discussing the probabilities Of
their running away if taken to Hong Kong
After making our call, we returned the same
way to ascertain the results of the sale. On
ly the mother and the bows were left. The
debt was only $500 and $50 of it still re-
manned unpaid. have been often told by
residents in China that their parents would
as soon sell their children as a COW or pig
And had begun to believe that such was
the case upon passing the groupth first time
But the scene had changed. The girls wert
gone, and the boy must go also. The moth
er sat in the dirt, with her arms around til,
youngest, wailing in most piteous manner
and as Ah Hung said,
cURsING THE MEN
that sold her husband a ticket to America al
$500, which cost them but $40. The broker
sat listlessly by, smoking his pipe, and
twirlng his cane, looking as if it was the
smallest matter of business with him. The
boys were crying, and seemed very mucl
afraid Of us, now as it was certain that one
of them must go. But we passed on and
left them in misery. We never knew wheth
er the boy was sold to childless man to be
treated as a son, to Portuguese to be car
ried to the West Indies under nominal con.
tract, or to a native land owner to be his
slave But that one of them was sold into
servitude for the sum of $50, there can be
no doubt The girls were doubtless pur-
chased for the vilest of purposes, unless they
had the rare luck to fall into the hands Of
some native in search of some legitimate wife
am told that the price of girls has gone W
within a few months, owing, perhaps, to the
fact that less number of emigrants have
forfeited their bond in California than wa.
the case six months ago. was shown foul
bright, plump, rosy appearing girls recently
who were purchased less than year age
(thc whole lot) for $50. Now they will sci
readily fer $500 each.
JOSH BILLINGS says that zone ov tn
| hardest things for any man to do il tew fal