The New York herald., 1870-06-19
ORIEETALISM In NEW ENGLAND.
The Chinese mt the Lapsf0ne-Our Photographs
OF the Pigtnils 'sAh MY" and ssAh Sing' in
tneir New Home.

Tne ChineSo nj thc LapstOne-Our photographs
Of the Pigtnils "Ah MY" and ''Ah Sing" in
their New Home.
North Adams, Mass. June III correspondence Of
the Boston Advertiser.l
- All My is short OF stature, slightly built
and his beardless face suggests that he IS yet but
boy but We must not Judge his age by home stand
ards. HIS eyes seem half shut, so narrow are they,
~ shaved close; on the crown is coiled the
long braided cue Of Jet black hair, terminating
In tassel, which would be hanging about
All My's neels were he in full dress. His
cue Is shorter than those OF some of Ills comrades
Just touch ground. IL Is the dearest possession
OF Chlnaman, and the one member OF the company
pate the Lord knows how. All My has shaved the
heads OF some OF MS comrades slnco he got IN from
his long journey, and has had the same service per
formed for himself as the crowning act OF thorough
abuuon which has left him clean as wax. HIS
a1, hands are very small, and delicate nsSte. and
some measure to his wearing long sleeves
and having q national habit OF ciasplng
muf He wears blue nankeen blouse, made IN
China, with much care OF stitching, fastened by
frogs and small brass buttons; loose trousers OF
and wonderfully easy little slipper-like shoes
the toes pointing q little upward, IT. the sole,
anonymously covered with common soft hat OF
American manufacture, Mr.. SIMPSONS agent
charge in TINS respect before qatting San Fran,
Cisco An My bears himself rather shyly, but
yet with certain dignity, as we inspect him. He Is
studying English with all mis- might and loses no op-
portunlty 10 gain crulnb oi Information. "What
YOU callY' he says plucking at the couch by which
! he sands "Beu,n We answer. YES know, Dedh
he replies, shaking his head and pointing still more
| vigorously, "but what you cailY' Mattress we
reply; ana whoever meets An My for the next hour
will hear blm softly repeating, with much motion Of
the jaw and manifest uliculty OF combining the sy
| ables, "Mat-tress; Inat-tress,' until he knows II
perfectly, and ls ready TO absorb another atom OF
knowledge IN the same slow way.
Pass we now into the next room, used by the new
coOnists as sitting room and dining ro0m furnished
with benches aud tables, ana lighted with gas--an
unnecessary piece or lfberaity on Mr.. SIMPSONS
part as the laDOrer's contract and expect 10 provide
their own candles-but adding much to the cheer
fulness OF the place. Here again the place swarns
with Chinamen IN great variety OF interesting oc-
cupat0ns But before we Degin to examine them IN
detail, Mr.. Sampson introduces "Mr. Sing,n the
Chinese foreman, who can explain much that would
otherwise be Mysterious.
| All sing is not an ordinary Chnaman. young
| man like most OF his fellows, his iace shows a
| brighter Intelligence, or perhaps rather wider
culture than any OF The rest. tie has been eight
years in TINS country serving the first five faithfully
as IA house servant, cook ana chlmDermad, and has
made such progress III his stay As TO enable him to
command the 'great wages' for one of his race
which have already mentioned. He Is American
lied IN many ways. lie wears the garments OF our
civilization throughout, remarkably natty boot
fitting his little foot; but he still cherishes the native
fashions, and has brought III his baggage Tor use on
special occasions Chinese shoes OF gorgeous EN-
broldery and superb coat OF sea otter skin lined
with silk, which paid prodgious duty on entering
California. He speaks broken English readily; but
being fast talker Of swift ideas 10 impossible, for
your correspondent at least, to understand him
when he undertakes long explanation, though his
pretty well, dOdging the hard words as a child
Woald do he has has taken n an English name ,i,o or
| and "Mr. Sing" only on state occasions. More
remarkable than all, he has joined the
Methodist church. and brings letter OF credit from
his san Francisco pastor to the clergyman IN North
Adams IN the approved way. should not hesitate
to predict full congregation next Sunday, TO hear
the new members relation OF experience. Still
another of Charles requirements was brought out
by an Incident Of the Journey hther. At Omaha the
emigrants from the West began to make itself
heard A big, somewhat tpsy, irishman forced his
way into the car breathing menaces OF violence, aud
drew his loaded revolver upon the foreman, VINO
strove to prevent him. Charlie, with one motion,
seized the fellows pistol hand and held IL harm
revolver and held 1t against his breast You ieaven
said An Sings gentle tones. 'Me shoot YOU Me
Just as quick shOot you as not" And so he backed
the astonished rlshman out OF the car and down the
steps, in way that showed he had learned some
MA an Nevada.
The young men who hn this room, resting from
their Journey and waiting to be set at work, are
neither smoking nor drinking, talking obscenty nor
quarreing, as some classes Of immigrants wot Of
would be likely to be; nor are any of them abso-
lutey idle. Here one IS reading with evident ease
| and rapldlty Chinese book which he has brought
with HIM.
"We have some Immigrants come here who can't
It Is edifying to watch the Chlnaman's amaze
| 'No read English. you mean2"
''Some who cannot read at ALL IN their own
| LANGUAGE"
What for not learn when children2 Lazy2 BadP
| Foo7
"ln China every boy go to school," he says ''If
| no want TO go, law make 60. Boy not learn quick,
| teacher keep him in long time after school. Boy
| behave bad, teacher make him stand long time
| hands in desk, So" Illustrating graphically. mo
! boy IN China not learn to read"
| At the next table a Chlnarnan has got out from
| his slender baggage a blank book, the pages of
thin, whltey-brown paper all numbered III Chinese
& IN Cnn wTh ines me Is @ 10 keep aomr
| rounds one OF the aged cooks, who, with little
ledger made and ruled in China, is charging to each
mans account the shirts and stockings Charlie has
bought Tor them in the village, and which they are
dividing in high glee. The writer has little tablet
hair brush in place Oh pen so elaborate and intr
cate are the characters, II seems marvel he can
fashion them so nicely, and an imposslbllty that
any one could learn to write rapidly with such let
ters. Further group Of eager learners aie max
| ing beginning In English by way of the primer
| with a couple OF bright Berkshire lads glad enough
| 10 act as pedagOgues to such odd and apt pupils.
This elloW last night could only point and say A'
certainly "Bav, hesitatingly and doubtfully at the
next letter. This afternoon he has gone through the
whole alphabet without prompting and with only
three mistakes. doubt If there were ever such
eagerly interested learners anywhere in the world.
AT table on the other side OF the room two anita
g0nlsts are playing some game OF skill, with wooden
| tion and seeming capable OF different moves, on o
| board the squares OF which are also marked to In
dcate different properties IL seems Ike CHESS IKE
checkers, ike fox and geese and yet Is not Just
| like either OF them. AT any rate ii Is exciting
| game, for the players eXut vislbly, though III
| silence as they sweep each others pieces of the
| board, ana they are surrounded by crowd of in
! terested spectators.
| youth, seated by himself, is moving up and down
| the spheres strung on "a wire framework, which we
| already know to be a sort OF counting machine. His
| manner indicates the working out of u puzzle; but
| an inquiry brings an explanation from ALI Sing:-
"He studying arithmetic" When tufther curiosity
is expressed the foreman rutnlessy sweeps his sub
jects into chaos, and shows the working Of the
little apparatus, with which all kinds OF arthmetical
operations may be done as efficiently as win slate
and pencil and with which he adds up sum Of fve
or six numbers in the thousands with entire correct
ness
A little movement at the upper end OF the room
calls our interprete! away; and presently 1t appea
| that slight disagreement having arisen, the Two
'counsellors'' have been summoned to arDtrate IN
Ihe natter and Mr.. All Sing has been called upon as
the final umpire retiring with plaintiff and defend
ant to the back rOo and administering justice with
| promptness and cheapness from which the courts
OF Western civilization might take lesson.
h