Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-12-04
The Chinese at Beaver Falls. Pa.

difficult 10 procure and retain skilled
labor. Our me- chaDics are only too
apt to become discouraged with their
present surroundings. They wander
from place to place and often verify
that time hOnOred aphorism, "a roll
ing stone gathers no moss" Restless,
pTodigsl and dissatisfied they are ever
on the alert for higher wages or new
Job. "Strikesn are a legitimate out
growth of this disposition. Disc0n
tent and thrift are antagonistie and
as ''strikes" are an outgrowth of dis
content they can never afford a per-
manent remedy for the evils of which
their promoters complain. At last
the employer is driven either to close
his workshop or import his workmen.
The latter alternative has been FIRE
quently accepted Enterprising en-
plOyers have imported glass blowers,
puddlers, mechanics and in short ev-
cry occupation has received frequent
reinforcements from the crowded hu-
man bee hives of Europe. lii some
cases the foreigners have been found
1ully equal to their "A ks; in others
they have failed to give satisfaction.
For instance, the glass blowers of
Germany are not able to work the
tough Pittsburgh glass and, conse-
quently, their employment is imprac-
ticable. .---s-r ....
For many years Europe was our
only resort for cheaper and more reli-
able labor. But with the discovery of
gold in America there came TO our
shores a few representatives of a pecu
liar race. Their history revealed little
except their great antiquity. Their
advancement in the arts and sciences.
their laws and Institutions were all
shrOuded in darkness and Obscurity.
True, Marco Polo had filed all
Europe wi surprise at the wonders
which be detailed. His extravaganl
mai rations had thrown over all Asia
vail of fancifuI interest. But tine
sketches of his travels were regarded
quite as unreliable as those of Gulli-
Yer or Murchausen. .f
Recent exploration has stripped the
orient of the tabulations and super
natural. Trustworthy writers have
z ven MS the facts. Its people are nu
merUus It's territories are broad; it.
productions diversified. Its coasts are
li'Ed with magnificent cities and fine
/,rbOrs. 1t has every opportunity
for enySging in commerce; yet it,
people are averse To- all contact with
other nations. They closed theiI
,.Orts, refused to trade and did all in
their power to render their isolation
complete and continued. '-H
But where the m0mitions of reason
and self interest failed force prevailed,
The thunderings of British cannon
compelled the Chinese To open theiI
ports. Finally commercial treaty
wa concluded with the United States.
and thus the oldest of absolute mon
archy's clasped hands across the
Pacific with the youngest of represen-
tative republics and together tn y
form two important links the great
chain of national brotherhood.
The hope of heing abe to accumu
late more rapidly and surely in a for
eign country than at home, induced
The Chinese to leave their own sur
ny cline and verdant hills. Allured
by wild stories of untold wealth, they
embarked for the golden California.
whose streams ripple over silver sands
or sparnle with the shining dust.
They came. A few obtained wealth.
The maturity were kicked and cuffed
around, and learned at last that gold
even in California is not as abundant,
and consequently not as +cheap a.
dirt" Still they come. They quit
mining and became merchants and
laborers. The Pacific Railroau was
the first great public work on which
they were extensively employed
Thousands of them labOFed daily on il
and contributed greatly to the early
com mpletion of this important improve
ment. They proved their willing
ness and ability to work, and their
regular and steady habits recommend
ed them te all contractors. . a
Shortly after the East and West
were bound together by bands of iron.
there was a great cry for labOrers.
Several industries were suffering. The
mania for striking" was abroad in
the land. In this dilemma manufact
urers very naturally consulted the
availability of the Orientals. Nothing
seemed tn preclude the success OF the
experiment They wire transported
from the fertile slopes of the Pacific
and found a new home on the cold.
rocky hills OF New England.
The great roruccasioned by their
in the shoe shops 81
North Adams is FIRE. b in the mil ds OF
all. The Crispins muttered, threat
ened, thundered and st0rmed. THE
employers went quietly
forward, instructed their employees
in the art of shoemaking /; and now
the work turned out at this shopcUm
pares very favorably with that turned
Out by any other. r.=-lr Hi -H
The success achieved at North Ad |
ans and other places induced the |
of the Beaver Falls Cutlery !
Works to bring on from CalIfoTnIs |
ninety Chinamen. They were inn
put TO work and as the |
division of labor is practically carried |
out, it requires but little time or in |
genuity TO obtain complete mastery |
Jf one branch of the business. Where
the materials of which knife is com |
posed pass through hundred pairs UI |
hands before they can he called
knife, each operation must b. reduceu
to the utmost sTmplicity. Beside, Iht
ChIne ,e are noted for their really i'm
ItatiOu. Taking into consideration |
then, this faculty for imitation, ahU
the simplicity of the process, IL is hot
at all wonu eIful that las one OF tht
Informed mel tn, ir work
gives entire satisfaction. There they |
ST., from morning till night, at swiftly |
revolving emery wheels, one polish
ing the handle, another The back O.
tile bIade, another this, another that
down 10 the miuutest detail. As they
busted their hands, one might lUOh
down a score OF these yellOw-skinned
fellows and not see tile least smile Oh
OF iacjai muscle-theiI
seemed imperturbable.
With their coarse, loUse clothes anu
their skull caps, they presented
novel sight to one used To the Ameri
can style of dress.
They wear their hair plated and
tier around the head Most of them
are rather below the medium height,
square shouldered and strong They
are quarteIed by themselves, and de-
their own cooking. Most OF them
are badly marked, aud one would con
;lude from their rappearance THAT they
A i I