Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-07-24
CnrNESE PECULIARXTEEs.

The San Francisco Bulletin has the
following concerning our Mongolian
brothers. beliefs aud practices:
In China a habitual criminal is marked
that he may always be known. Among
the lowor and opium eating classes in this
city are hundreds who are in some way
marked. In some cases the outer rim Of
each ear has been removed, in others
particular tendons about the mouth have
been cut, which leaves the individual with
something like a grin at all times upon
his face the lower lip is, in other cases,
Scared and the nostrls wdened. 1t is
not to be wondered at that these parties
thus terribly branded have sought new
er and wider field Of labor
As race the Chinese are tho most
inyeterate and consistent Of iatalists.
Their Indifference in time Of grief and
trouble which we generally ascribe to APP
athy is more commonly the result Of their
philosophy. Medicine, as is we'll known,
is with them science in which for hund-
reds Of years no progress has been made,
owing, it would seem, in a great measure
TO their fataism. With n Chinese popu-
lation in this city Of twelve thousand,
there are not at the most more than ten
physicians and these derive their incomes
in n great measure from outside sources.
Such remedies rs Rre commonly IN use
with them have probably been proved by
1 the experience Of centuries. A Chinese
criminal not destitute Of money, in many
cases refuses to employ an attorney, in
/ the firm conviction that whatever he may
do will not alter the result of his trial ;
and such as do procure counsel are much
inclined to be uncommunicative and in
different in enlightening him MS to the
fncts Of the case and await the result with
the utmost seeming indifference. In an
swer to the interrogations Of counsel they
are apt TO turn away with a shrug, and
a" Yon are u lawee man; you know alice
same me-"
They believe that il dwelling or bust
ness house Of Chinuman is at any time
In the day thrown into the shadow by a
new building higher than the old, mis-
fortunes will come upon the Older house
sickness or death or some other domes
tic calamity if it be dwelling financial
embarrassment and failure if it be bus
mess house. A Chinese restaurant was n
short time since doing thriving business
on jackson street. a higher building
was erected in the vicinity and the Shad-
/ ow fell on the restaurant The business
fell off, owing undoubtedly to natural
A high board wall was erected between
the two buildings by the proprietor Of the
restaurant, to receive the shadow, and
thereafter the business Of the restaurant
revived. IT is undoubtedly " owing to this
superstition that such uniformity pre-
yaiis in Chinese architecture.
There is a rule adopted by n congress
Of washermen and sanctioned by Chinese
private law and the heads of the different
companies, that in older that competition
shall not render the washing business un-
profitable, the wash houses shall be sep
arated by so many doors genuine doors
that will open and shut. A Boston Chi
naman who claimed superiority over the
uncouth laws and customs Of hi. country
men, wished to establish wash house in
II certain block on Davis street, but un-
fortunately another Chinaman was ahead
Of him, and there was not the requisite
number OF doors between on account of
vacant lot. lie, for small sum, OBJ
tanned permission TO use the lot, and then
erected long shed extending the whole
front, and put in as many doors as the
space admitted at the distance of a few
inches apart. The doors open and shut,
and are genuine doors. Tho inspector, II
Chinanan, is summoned and for small
fee, expresses himself satisfied, and the
wash house is established. The next day
the temporary building is torn down.