St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-11-16
The Chinese in California.

AN EXHAUSTIVE AND PICTURESQUE AC-
COUNT OF THE ''HEATHEN CHINEEn ON
AMERICAN SOIL, HIS LIFE, CUSTOMS,
TRICKS AND WAYS.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Oct, 1877.
The "ways that are dark and the
tricks that are vainn of the 'theathen
Chinee" are just at present one of the
most absorbing topics of general inter-
est in California, for indeed this peculiar
race of people are puzzle difficult of
solution. With their altogether incom
prehensible dialect, their strange GUS
toms and habits of living, their closely
braided pig and as closely reticent
speech regarding themselves, their fan
citul dress, utter contempt for and dis
regard of all morality in social and do
mestic life, and their faces that have
been always under mask-these see
lestials" are a curiosity and an anOma-
ly, and will never become Americanized.
All along the Pacific coast strong feel
ing is growing up against them-a wish
to have their numbers here greatly di-
minished and their immigration cease
for they will never assimilate as the
Japanese have done, or care to make
any of our customs their own. "The
| Chinese population of San Francisco y
says good authority, "nOw numbers
between O,OOO and 10000 men, women
and children. In California there are
from 10000 to 100000. These coolies
or common laborers are mostly between
20 and 40 years of age, and are from
the third and lowest classes of society
in their own country. The women num-
Der about 1000, and are bought and sold
as slaves, which they practically are.
Thus the respectable families number
about 100, and belong to the merchant
class. In morals, the coolies, as they
are styled in India, China and Japan,
sink in comparison below any civilized
race upon the globe" Rev. Mr.. Gibson
formerly missionary to China. and now
engaged here in the same capacity
says: "They have no morals, and the
women are in slavery harder and more
miserable than existed among the white
races" Every steamer that has landed
has brought hundreds of Chinese, but
now, since the riots, many are Ieturn-
ing from fear of the hoodlums, who an.
noy them whenever it is possible to dt
so unmolested.
The six immigration companies
whose home agency is either III Cantor
or Hong Kong, are very wealthy anC
powerful. These, however, allow nc
individual immigration schemes or free
dom of action, and as most of the
"coOlies" are poverty stricken, OF course
they are obliged to have "assisteo
passages" When they arrive the IN
spectOrs gather at the wharf, divid,
their men, stow them into wagons ant
send them to China towns, where few
numbers, more or less, seems to make
but little difference, and there they re
main till they find something to do
The wash-house company has yearly
revenue of $3.50, 900, and their laundrie
are found from one end of the city t.
the other. The "Ning Yang" count
most men around San Francisco, ant
the "Sam-Yup" is the most enterprislni
and powerful, laying railroads in tb
South, hewing timber in the North
washing in the aesthetic city of Boston
and making cigars in Sacramento. Al
up and down this extended coast the
find an abiding place and some kind Q
work to do-if skilled hands, command
ing good wages, if not, taking wha
would be starvation prices to whit
man. All times of day and night yo
will see the laundry men going an
coming with their long baskets, empt
or filled with clothes. The top covere
with piece of white cotton cloth, an
e the whole load swung over their shoul
a ders-noiseless, untiring, with thel
! heelless Chinese shoes, loose blu
e sacquesa and pants, and long queues hang
ing. or as often wound around the
head and the hat. Their mode of sprinl
ling clothes is quite curious; they ii
their mouth with wafer and then bio
n n it out in fine spray over the garment
5 Their places of business are reduced
y the plainest practical uses, and the
!. domestic abodes are devoid of any o
$ dinary household decorations only bal
J. necessities are desired, for they redut
their physical wants to the very lowe
: capacity. Their principal dish is ric
and they will hive anywhere for shelte
a The vegetable venders have mo
is peculiar gait, sort of dog-trot, WI
their long poles swung across the
shoulders and basket attached
either end filed with all sorts OF pr
duce. They come to your door evel
J, morning, and never fail of saying "goo
by'' when they go away. The otn
'r day at ssWoodward's garden" we saw
number in the picture gallery seemin