The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-25
Cinnamon as Dorhestics.

A San FRANCISCO correspondent WrfteS
to the Rochester Chronicle:
The Chinese seem dead to every sense
of moral obligation, and the moral
gratitude has no place in their vocabu-
larry. Hundreds of green Cinnamon
have been taken in as dOmestics at large
wages. For few weeks they bungle
through their work, doing that they
should not, and leaving that they should
do undone, learning the English Ian
guage as rapidly as possible, and as
soon as they can speak four consecutive
words off they go without an hours
warning. This is not an exception, but
the rule. One gentleman in San Fran
cisco hired five Cinnamon N one day for
servants, all solemnly agreeing to come,
and not one of them put in an appear
ance. We have read time and again
that the Chinese make good house SER
wants, but it is mistake. They are a
tolerated evil, because women cannot be
got, and they are nuisance, for every
thing about the house must be kept
under lock, or it will turn up
missing. There are possibly honest
Cinnamon, but none have come to this
country. About the house they will
take pinch of tea from the caddy, a
lump or two of sugar from the bowl,
and other things in apparently insignifi-
cant quantities, all of which goes
into the compacious pockets of their
blouses. These things, however, they
will add to by additional pilferings un-
til they get quarter, half or pound,
when they go to some Chinese merchant
and dispose of it. The allegations of
their being neat and tidy we have heard
housewives who have tried them deny.
Their fingers with long nails underlaid
with sample garden-patch, are dipping
into every thing, from the swill-tub to
the tumbler of jelly.
They will take feather duster and
clean woodwork, furniture and orna-
ments very nicely, but they can no more
sweep room clean than they can, tell
the truth. And here is a rather laugha-
BILE incident of their impertinence
A Chinese servant was brought home
by the gentleman of the house, and his
mistress inquired his name.
"Hung Hoo Wing"
"Oh," said she, "I cannot call you
that I will call you Charley"
"Whatee your name 2" he asked in re-
"My name is Mrs. John Browning"
"Wel1e, I call you John I" exclaimed
the Celestial.
Again some of them are "as ugly
as Satan" and one that was taken into
the country north of the city belabored
the lady of the house with billet of
wood until she was quite insensible.
Her husband was absent, but some men
in the neighborhood, hearing of the
affair, caught the wretch, and, allowing
no time for prayer, dispatched him.
The records of the Police Court show
a large proportion of Celestials convict
ed, the majority of the charges being
petty larceny. They pick up book,
q newspaper, a pair of boots or
shoes, vest or hat, or some other small
ware that isshown outside by merchants,
and walk off with it unconcernedly.
But they are frequently caught Having
earned bad name, the police and others
are on the watch, and in case of being
+" copped" the law knows no leniency
toward them. A sentence to prison APP
pears to have little effect on them it
produces no moral depression. And
the momont they are out their rascality
anew. A salutary law has
recently come into operation, providing
a sentence of not less than six years for
the second conviction of petty larceny,
the effect of which will be to overruD
the State Prison with vagrant heathen
thieves. A popular opinion seems to be
that nothing good can come from China
men.