The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-21
sailing pors and ans.

correspondent nt Hong Kong, Chlnai
which reveals TO you how boys and girls
arc used there. II will interest you, and
perhaps make you more thankful and
contented than you are. The corrcspon.
dent says;
l saw the sale OF family, last week,
for debt, where the husband and father
was in California, and perhaps canno!
do better than tell you about IL. There
were five children-three 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 any person
passed, and their downcast looks, created
curiosity on our par: to know their BUSH
ness there. Arr Hung Jour waiterl was
called up and asked the cause Of this
little parade. "Why," said he, "the
girls, and perhaps the whole family, are
for SALE" We stopped our chairs and
stepped ont to have 4 talk with them,
using Arr Hung rs an interpreter. The
mother was wrinkled and gray, and hung
her head, rs if she were afraid to look us
in the face. But the children, with the
exception ofthe Oldest girl, looked cheer.
iul, and were quite pleased with their
holiday attire. The oldest girl was sig
teen, and the oldest boy fifteen. So said
the gruif old broker who had the party
in charge, who seemed quite anxious to
dispose OF his wares.
After n good deal OF quizzing aud
evasive answers the broker told MS that
the husband and father was in California,
and had neglected to pay his note given
for his passage, and that his family were
now offered for sale to pay the debt. He
hoped to DO able to pay the debt with
the sale Of the two Oldest girls, but rs
yet lie had received no offers, He said
that the family became security, volun-
tarily, and he never knew Of n case where
they did not voluntarily offer themselves
for sale il the note they secured was not
paid. In reply to our questions he said
that when q customer bought child or
person, the person was made at once the
owner Of the child, body aud soul. No
Chinaman would dispute the purchasers
rightto do whatever he pleases with the
human being he had pAid for. The boys
would make good servants, he taid, and
in the course Of n few years be worth n
fortune to the owner. The girls would
make good "armers' Tor nurses, MS they
arc called in America. he would show
us their physical bcauty-would make
them sing and play tricks il We thought
Of buying. How much would we give
Tho oldest girl he would sell for four
hundred dollars; the next one for two
hundred, the little six.year.old for fifty.
The boys he could not sell until the girls
were disposed Of. We thought the price
too high. The market was glutted with
salablo girls, and he must not think Of
getting over one hundred for the Oldest
and handsomest, while for the little one
he must not expect ten dollars. He
sneered Mt TINT, and said that Englishmen
always talked that way when they want,
cd 70 buy.
While we were conversing q party Of
blue-robed Chinese aristocrats came up
and began TO inspect the family. They
opened the month'oi the Oldest girl,
raped on her white teeth to sec il
they wcro sound, pulled open her dress,
thumped her ribs, laughed ut her little
feet, told her to show the whites Of her
eyes, ordered her to sing and to show
them the trinkets which the fond mother
had given her us n parting gift All the
while the salesman kept up constant
iabber, in which we took no interest.
Time pressing, wo passed on, leaving
the parties disputing about the price
and discussing probabilities OF their
running away II taken to Hong Kong.
After making our call We returned the
same way, to ascertain the result OF the
sale. Only the mother and the boys
wcrc left. The debt was only $500,
and $500 it still remained unpaid. l
have been often told by residents in
China that the parents would US soon
sell their children rs COW or n pig.
And had begun TO believe that such
was the case upon passing tho group
the first time. But the scene had chang.
ed. The girls were gone, and now a
boy must go also. The mother sat in
the dirt with her arms around the young.
est, wailing in the most piteous manner,
and Ms Arr Hung said, cursing the men
that sold her husband ticket to America
at 5000, which cost them but $40.
Tho broker sat lisllesSly by, smoking
his pipe, and twirling his cane, looking
as II il was the smallest matter OF bust.
ness with him. The boys were crying,
and seemed very much afraid OF us
now it was certain that one Of them
must 60. But we passed on and left
them in their misery. We never knew
whether the boy WINS sold to chillless
man to he treated as u son, to q Portu.
guese TO be carried to the West Indies
under nominal contract, or to native
land owner to be his slave. But that
one OF them wns sold into servitude
for the sum Of $50, there can be no
doubt. The girls were doubtless pur.
chnsed for the vilest Of purposes, unless
they had the rare luck TO fall into the
hands OF some native in search OF q
Legitimate wife. ] am told that the
price Of girls has gone up within iow
months, owing, perhaps, to the fact
TINT less number Of emigrants have
forfeited their bonds in California than
was the case six months ago. I was
shown four bright, plump, rose appear.
ing girls, yesterday, who were purchas.
ed less than year ago THE whole lot
for $50. Now they will sell readily for
$500 each.
How To CHoosR A WiFE.-.We ven.
turo to give the following recipe for the
selection Of II wife: ~ place for every.
thing and eyetything in its plaeo.' said