National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-12-09
How the Coolies get to America.


The "elder" does the business for him.
At the door Of the apartment used bv
the elder as an Office he is told to enter
by a policeman whose business it is to
guard the person of the elder and who
stands eyeing the coolie from the door
wav during the entire interview The
coolies first business is to produce his
cash and say that he wishes for some in
formation, which the spirit of his an
cestors, through medium, has told him
that the elder possessed. The sight OF
the cash, together with the compliment
which the ancestors have seen fit to pav
the elder. can scarcely fail to make him
good-natured and accommodating, and
he declares in the politest terms his
readiness to serve the coolie to the fullest
extent of his power The coolie then
makes known his errand by speaking
Of his poverty and the prospect there is
OF riches in America, and asks the elder
to show him q way to procure ticket.
The elder of course knows all about it.
He has had many cases before, and some
Of them he has since learned have gotten
rich. Has the coolie family and if
so, has he any robust, healthy girls, or
well-behaved, industrious sons OF a sala-
BILE age? The coolie thinks that he has
Well, then it can easily be arranged.
Give security on them and borrow the
money. But who has the money to lend?
The brokers ir Hong Kong, of course
! But how is the coolie to reach them O.
the elder will arrange all that, and will
get the ticket for the coolie Just as soon
as he can draw up and execute bond on
the coolies family. The cooGe is over
loved. How much will a ticket cost
The elder cannot tell until he gets it,
There will be some cost besides the price
of the ticket, but it will make little or no
difference to the coolie. who can earn so
much when he gets to America. When
the time for the execution of the bond
has been fixed for some day in the sub
sequent week. and the grateful coolie has
expressed his thanks, the elder escorts
him ont by the sentinel with word of
caution about expressing his intentions
in the presence of government officials.
Straightwav a swift footed messenger
leaves the Offices OF the mandarin, armed
with bundle of papers. and under in
struction to proceed at his liveliest pace
to the distant city of Canton He is q
government messenger. recognized by
his dress and gait and toll-gates open
ferryboats hasten, pedestrians give him
room, and sedan-chairs turn ont, that he
may he able to give his important de-
spatches into the hands of the ticket
broker in Canton This in due time i,
faithfully done, for fee has been prom
ised him upon his return The broker
finds in the bundle of papers an order
for n ticket to San Francisco, for which
the mandarin promises to pay. with {
high rate of interest, in one year. There
being no better security than manda
rims word, the ticket, or the broker
promise to give it upon the application
I of the coolie, is properly made out ant
| given to the messenger, while the man
{ darin's letter is carefully filed away anc
marked payable one year from date
forty dollars, with brokers' fee, ten dol
lars and interest" Upon the return o
the messenger. the mandarin adds fift,
/ per cent. to the fifty dollars which he il
| now bound to pay the broker. and send
a note for "seventy-five dollars with in
terest payable ten months from date.
asking the signature of the elder Tt
= this note the elder signs his name, ant
$ shortly after receives the brokers' ticket
| The next transaction is by bond. ant
t n lawyer must be called to draft one
These semi-learned pettifoggers are n
plenty in China. rs in America, and ar,
2 as prompt to respond to the call of tn,
= fee, Therefore it requires but n shor
4 time to write bond, by means of which
a the coolie acknowledges an Indebtedness
= to the elder of one hundred dollars will
interest, and to secure the payment o
| which he pledges the persons of his wife
: his three sons. and his two daughters
$ If he should fail to pay the amount il
Y nine months from date. either at tn,
1 Chinese banking-house named in Sai
= Francisco, or at the Office OF the mort
4 gagee, then the family NAV be sold forth
l with together. II they will bring none,
2 enough to cancel the debt. and singly
s II no one person can he found to bu'
K them all at reasonable price Thi
- done. the coolie is sent for. He has n,
= knowledge Of the first cost OF the ticket
and If he expresses astonishment upo'
n his arrival, that the price is 50 high, h
$ is told that with thirty dollars mont
e in America he can pay it in less than hal
s the time named in the bond. Unhesi
= tatinglv he then signs his name, or in
{ structs another person to do So. take
e the ticket, and scarcely dreaming that
, failure Of payment is possible, returns a
Raily ms before to his family to rejoic
with them in the delightful prospec
which the possession of thi '"ket give
q them all, and to prepare for ms long an
q