Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-08-25
THE GIRL MARKET.
A scene In China-An Episo,3s orcb,,.
emigration TO Amerida

A scene In Chtna-An Episode of Chinese
Emigration TO Amerida.
Russell" writes from Hong King as
foliows: II saw the sale of a famHy Isst
week Tor debt, where the husband and
father was in California; and perhaps l
can 10 no better than to tell YOU about
it. There were five cbildren-thr.e
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 whenever anv
person passed, and their downeast looks
created curiosity on our part to know
their business there. Arr Huno onr
waiter, was called up and asked the
cause OF this little parade. "Vbv .nsaid
he, "the girls. and perhaps the whole
family, are for sale." We stopped our
chairs, and stepped out to have a talk
with them, using Arr Hung as amin
terpreter. 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 exception of the
Oldest girl, looked cheerful. and were
quite pleased with their holiday attire
The Oldest girl was sixteen. and oldest
boy fifteen. So said the gruffold broker
who had the part in charge. and who
seemed quite anxious to DISPOSE ef his
wares. After great deal of ouizzine
and evasive answers, the broker told us
tnat the husband and father was in Cal.
liornia, and had neglected to nav his
note given for his passage, and that his
family Were now offered for sale to nav
ms debt. He hoped to be able to pay
the debt with the sales eftwo oldest girls
But as yet he had received no offers. He
SAID that the family became security
voluntarily, and he never knew a case
where they did not voluntarily offer
themselves for sale if the note they Sc
cured was not paid.
III reply to our questions he said that
When customer brought child or per-
son, the person was made at once the
owner of the child, body and soul. No
ChInaman would dispute the purchasers
right to do whatsoever he pleased with
the human being he had paid for. The
ooys would make good servants, he
SAID, and in the course of few years be
worth fortune to the owner. The girls
woulu make good "armers, or nurses as
tney are called in America. He would
show US their physical beauty-would
make them sing and play tricks if we
thought of buying. How much would
we give? The oldest girl he would sell
Tor $500: the next one for 5000. and the
little six year old for $50. The bows he
could not sell until the girls were dis
posed OF. We thought the price TOO
high. The market was glutted with
saieable girls, and he must not think of
getting over 500 for the eldest hand
somest, while for the little one he must
not expect over $40.
he sneered at that, and said that En-
gllshmen always talk in that way when
they wanted to buy. While we were
talking, party of blue-robed Chinese
aristocrats came up and began to 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, laugh
ed at her little feet, told her to show the
Whlte OF her eyes, ordered her to sing,
and to show them the trinkets which
the fond mother had given her as
parting gift. All the while the sales
men kept up constant jabber,' in which
we took no interest. Time pressing 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 day to ascertain the result of
the sale. Only the mother and her bows
were left. The debt was only $500, and
$50 of its still remained unpaid. have
been often told by residents in China
that the parents wouldas soou sell their
children as COW or pig. And I chad
begun to believe that such was the case
upon passing the group the first time
But the scene had changed. The girls |
were gone, and now a boy must go also. |
The mother sat in the dirt with her |
arms around the youngest waiIing in a /
most piteOus manner, and as Arr Hung
said, cursing the men that had sold her
husband ticket to America at $500,
which cost them but $40. The sat listles-
Wy by smoking hisi pipe, and twirling
lls cane, looking as it was the smallest
natter of business with him.
The boys were crying, and seemed
7ery much afraid of US, now it was cer-
ain that one of them must go. But we
passed on and left them in their misery. ll
We never knew whether the boy was
old to childless man to be treated as 8
on, to Portuguese to be carried to the
Vest Indies under nominal contract,
# to a native landowner 10 be his slaves
3ut that one of them was sold into SER
-itude for the sum of $50, there can be
10 doubt. The girls were doubtless pur-
'oses, unless they had the rare luck to
ail into the hands of some native in
earch of legitimate wife. | am told
hat the price of girls has gone up with
n few mouths, owing, perhaps to the
act that less number of emigrants have ,
Orfeited their bond in California than e,
vas the case six months ago. L was !
hown four bright, plump, rosy appear
ng girls yesterday, who were purchased ,
ess than year ago (the whole lott for
so. Now they sell readily for $500 each.