Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-08-16

bers of the commercial companies to which
they individually belong, and such a hubbul
as then eDsHes is almost bewildering to the
senses of one not accustomed to the sight
Some are frantically rushing this way, some
running that, darting around bales and boxes
and through between horses legs, crowding il
and crowdng out and all at the same time
shouting and talking so loud as to make il
seem like a second Babel.
| They usually employ an expressman to take
them and their traps up town. If the wagon
is fully loaded, they follow on behind helte,
SHELTER in the middle of the street, stringing out
perhaps the length of block. If the wagon
is not too heavily loaded, they climb to tn,
top of their baggage and cling on while the
hberniap driver makes the best time he can
utterly regardless of the comfort or remon-
| strances of the passengers whose money he is
taking, and only intent upon getting back to
| the wharf in time to secure another load. If
one of his passengers falls off, it is a matter
of not the slightest consequence to him, his
load is so much the lighter, and he drives on
just as though nothing had happened; the
chances are ten to one that he advocates
driving them from the country, asserting that
they do not leave any money here, at the
same time he is willing to accept of their pat
ronage, believing that the next thing to driv-
ing them out of the country, is to swindle
them all he can in it.
After having been here a short time most of
them adopt portions of the American dress,
generally hat, pants or. boots. They are
rather petite in figure, very quick motioned,
and always to be seen in scattering groups,
or struggling along after each other like
and those who are brought in contact with
Americans, soon pick up enough of our Ian
guage to make themselves understood. There
are both day and evening schools here where
they may be seen industriously studying the
English language; and there are Cinnamon in
this city whose thorough knowledge of the
English language would putto shame nine
tenths of the white race now in the country.
The principal reasons have heard urged
against the Chinese are, that they come in
competition with white labor that they do not
add to the prosperity of the country, because
they produce nothing, while they send all the
money they earn out of it; and that they do
not become citizens. All these statements
can think be disproved.
At the time the census was taken, the num-
Der of Chinese in the whole country was
fraction over sixty-three thousand; while the
aggregate population of the United States was
nearly thirty-nine millions. Thus we find
that the Chinese element in our midst amounts
to less than one in six hundred, or one sixth
of one per cent. and when we take into con-
sideration the fact that it mas taken twenty
years for this number to find their way here,
it does not seem as though the ''working men"
and ''Labor Unions" have any good reason
for being badly frightened, Just get.
The whole Chinese population in the coun-
try, men. women, and children, could not re-
place the number of people employed in the
state of Massachusetts at one branch of indus
try alone, that of making shoes. These facts
show how ridiculously absurd is the idea of
those who profess to think that "American
labor" Ga great proportion Of it foreign born)
will lose its dignity and proper reward, be-
cause of the great influx of Cinnamon. And
notwithstanding the population of China is SO
great depleted Ireland alone sent to this
country during the one year next preceding
the taking of the census, nearly as many emf
grants as has China in the last twenty years.
In regard to their not contributing anything
to support the country, that is impossible. If
| they should all be driven out as many advo-
cate, there would arise from the hog raisers,
drovers and butchers in this state. such a
| squeal as was never heard before-a squeal
so long and loud as would testify unmistak-
ably that they did contribute just trife to-
wards raising hog meat.
| Those who work in the mines, generally
work on old ''played out" and abandoned
claims. If they send home every dollar they
| wash out it is no loss to the state it had bet
ter be circulating in China than lying in the
bowels of the earth forever. As to their be-
coming citizens, they certainly never can un-
til they are allowed to do so. A short time
since Chinaman was peacably walking
through one of the streets of this city, when
all at once he was surrounded by a gang o.
rowdy boys, who commenced pelting him with
stones, striking him, pulling his cue, &c. HI
tried to get away from them, but they would
not let him. Then he saw that he must figh
to save his life, but none of them dared t.
stand before him in a fair fight. Finally on,
boy got long strip of board and struck hin
heavy blow on the head which felled tn,
poor Chinaman to the ground. When be go
up he started for the one who had struck him
; pd followed him into bakery, where he los
him-they had hid him upon his saying h,
had CHILLED a Chinaman." few hours afte
. the Chinaman died from the effects of tn,
blow. coroner's jury, after an investiga
ton, reported ''died from unknown cause.''-
, There did not seem to be much cause TO