Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-06-28
THE HEATHER CHINEE.

Failure of the North Adams Experiment..
A Letter from North Adams, Mass,
to the N. Y. Tribune says:
In 1870, Mr.. Sampson, having suffer
ed much from the strike of the Girls
pins, and being unwilling to comply
with their demands, sent his agent, Mr.
Chase, to San Francisco for Cinnamon,
mainly FOR the purpose of breaking up
the order, between which and himself
bitter warfare was waging. The first
importation consisted of rs men and
boys, for most of them were between
the ages of 16 and 20 years. Since that
time several lots have come and re-
turned, the number employed in the
factory during the past six years rang
ing from IS to 100. The present num-
Der is IS, of whom 40, the latest ar
rivals, were imported a year ago.
Some Of the first importation remain
ed four years, and then returned to
China, and have since come back to
this country, and are now working at
Belleville, n. J. The Cinnamon here
all work by the month, on contracts
for three years or longer. The prices
paid them have never been known to
the public, though they are supposed
to receive from $50 to $25 per month
Over 40 of them are at liberty to GO at
any time, the term for which they were
hired having expired. They are in no
hurry to return and would undoubted-
ly be glad to renew their contracts, but
the opportunity to Go so will probably
not be given them The employers
plans, however, have not yet been an
nounced.
There could have been no place more
favorable for the introduction of this
class of labor, or for the improvement
of the Cinnamon than this enterprising
New England town. They have been
given constant employment and have
had rare opportunities for learning
valuable trade. The employer says
very little about the success of his I'M
dertakng. He may be satisfied with it,
but he oNes not express himself very
enthusiastically on the subject. He
says the ChIaamen are sober and indus
trlous, and he has but little fault to find
with them, ana that is about all he does
say. But the fact that in other shoe
manufactures in the same town they
have never been admitted, even after
working for years at the trade, shows
that other manufacturers do not have
confidence in them as workman, or at
least that they are not willing to ex-
change skilled American help for the
so-called cheap labor. Their improve
r1ent socially has not been at all mark
ed, though during the first year or two
after their arrival the good people of
the community, who did everything in
their power to improve the moral and
Intellectual condition of the heather
strangers, felt encouraged to believe
that the work in their behalf would
bring forth abundant fruit. No class
of foreigners in Massachusetts, have re-
ceived so much attention, or have been
favored with as many opportunities for
improvement as these Cinnamon. Sun
day schools and evening schools have
been opened for them, and they have
been admitted into some of the finest
families of a cultivated New England
society for free instruction. The kind
hearted ladies of the place have devoted
themselves with an untiring zeal to the
work of educating them, and of raising
them to respectable social position.
The work has never seemed hopeless
one, and now it cannot be called wholly
fruitless, for its good results can be
seen, but In no proportion to the Hber-
atty of the means used. The bread
was cast upon the waters with q lavish
hand, and some of it has returned again;
but much has drifted away, and been
seemingly wasted upon the tide Of ig-
norance and superstition. 1t appears
improbable that the same advantages
given to other classes Of foreigners
would have been so unsatisfactory
improved. The Cinnamon are better
than when they came here, or rather
many of them are, but the improve
ment took place during the first years
of their stay, the ambition which they
showed at first apparently wearing
away with the novelty Of their new sit
uation. They improved uD to a certain
point, and there they are resting.
Many of them have learned to read
and write, but after five or six years
of study none of them are far advanc-
ed. The churches have welcomed
them, and have gone out after them In
many and various ways, but few If any
have manifested any change of reig-
ious belief Some Of them attend the
Baptist church and Sunday school reg
ularly; but the hideous face of what
the visitor calls an idol looks down upon
them from the wall of their common
sitting-room, and grins upon their
superstition as they burn incense be-
fore the barbarous shrine. They have
been admitted to parlors both to receive
instruction and as curiosities, and some
Z of them have adopted American COS
TUNES, but not many have laid aside
their uncouth manners and their Orient
al clothing. They have every oppor-
tunity for learning of the duties and
privileges of American citizenship; but
of the whole number only two are
known to have declared an intention Of
becoming citizens, and these are the
only ones who have been willing to sac
rifce their queues to good taste and
civilized customs. The climate agrees
with them, and they lose but little time
through illness or idleness, less than any
workmen of any other nationality in