Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-16
NO. 2l9.
Correspondence.
Letter from California.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sep. 5th. 1873.

concentrated against the Chinaman. All other
nstionalities most heartily detest him, and yet at
the same time as cordially he is hated he rare
ly fails to find employment, and strange ss it may
appear, he gets work in the very families where
hatred Of him is the most viruent The fact is bis
services cannot be dispensed with, and if he is an
evil it is one that must be tolerated at least for
the present in spite Of Kearneys war cry that "the
Chinese must go" Under the Burlingame treaty
the Chinese have right TO come to our shores,
and, in the rights guaranteed to them, they should
be protected even if they ineligible to citizen
ship. Iti not clear whether the abrogation of
that treaty would prevent their immigration. Nor
is it clear that Congress can exclude them, and al
low other foreigners to come here without let or
hindrance. The Chinese came here like other
foreigners because of the inducements offered,
and they will probably continue to come until
these inducements no longer exist.
There is no denying the fact that the Chi
nese industrious and can readily turn their
hands to anything you may teach them. They will
put up with anything you may say to them in An
ger, and never give word back. When you meeta
Celestial on the street be invariably gives you the
largest half Of the sidewalk. He is Iever known
to mix up in your quarres, political, religions, So
cial or otherwise.
He never soicits charity asks you for fa.
vor bat invariably minds his own business and is
perfectly willing to be let alone. If you are in
debt to him he will dun you like trooper until
your indebtedness is paid but he will do it with =
smile that is "childlike ard bland" And yet the
Chinese 10 California are q curse to the State.
Their customs. mode of life, deceit dishonesty,
81 .-;.l.
are q drawback to civilization, religion, morals
and to the material prosperity of the State.
have seen enough of them to convince me that
they are worse than the frogs of Egypt.
The encroachment of the Chinese upon white
labor can be 40 better illustrated than by taking
the production of boots and shoes in this city as Q
specimen. ln five of the largest factories run by
| whites the yearly product is valued at about ST.
0,000 The total value of the product of the
Chinese manufacturers is about 81 800 900. There
are not less than forty boot and shoe factories
by Celestials who give employment to some 1000
Of their countrymen, hundreds of them do their
work in squalid dens. Nearly one-half of the
boot and shoe product of San Francisco is manu-
featured by Chinamen and at the rate they are GO
ing on, they bid fair to monopolize the trade. The
quality of their work is greatly inferior to that of
| white labor. In this connection will state as .
singular fact that leather bought here and taken
East by Massachusetts manu- facturers comes back
| here 10 boots and shoes which are sold cheaper
| than they can be manufactured even by John
| Chinaman. The secret of this is owing to the
improved labor saving machinery employed by the
Massachusetts, Crlspips which is not used out here
to any extent. The Chinese monopolize the laun-
dry business and constitute also one half of the
cigar manufacturers in this city, giving employ
| ment to some 900 of their nationality.
SAN Francisco BEGGARs.
San Francisco is cursed with a system of mend-
cancy peculiarly its own. There are almost . le-
eion Of beggsrs. They beset you on every hand.
Nearly all are from the old world and they re-
| mind the tourist of the beggars of Rome aud Ma
pies. Most of them are professionals, and they
| not only make good living by the impositions
| they practice, but some of them the road
| to wealth. One of the most noted of these i'm
posters is venerable mendicant who can he seen
| most any day at one OF the street corners on his
| bended knees. His agonzing grimaces are well
| calculated to arrest the attention of passers-by
| whose bowels of compassion are generally opened
1
of coin. lie wears a white suit and holds up to
your gaze picture representing some awful cal
amity which he tells you in the most supplcating
way was the cause of his misfortune. This beg
gar fraud of the first water. 1t has trsnspired
| that he has accumulated fortune by his imposi-
| tions. When of duty it seems he dresses like q
nabob, takes his family to the theatre, and has
the best the market affords on his table. There are
scores of other beggars who live equally as well
on their ilgotten gains.
| LAUREL HILL CEMETERY.
Jumping aboard horse car a short time since,
In half an hour reached Laurel Hill Cemetery.
1t is located in the outskirts of this city under the
shadow of Lone Mountain. few years ago this
sacred and halowed spot was nothing bat . waste
Of sand as barren and desolate looking as one ever
saw. Now it is unsurpassed in its loveliness as Q
resting place for the dead, and is rival of Mount
Auburn and Greenwood at the East. 1t is COM
posed OF seventyfye acres, laid out in broad aven-
| ues winding undulsting hills and through
groves and de,ls, intersected by numerous walks
across emerald lawns. The grounds are beauti-
fed with the rarest and most fragrant Of dow
ers and shrubs. aud shaded with smbrosial aud
| outrageous trees transplanted from China ia
PAN New Holland, Australia and other foreign
climes. The profusion of trees and plauts re-
| mind the visitor of a floral paradise. Cypress,
| scacas numerous varieties Of the encslypti yews.
palms, yucca, magnolia, graudfsrs, sloes. Mes
pilus japonca, the Patosporum Zoona, Bavaria
espinosa, arbor ylte, cryptomenis japonicss, lau-
res, myrtles. weeping willows psligodas, hello
trepes roses fuchias, woodbines, all these and an
Infinite variety of other choice trees ami beauti-
iul specimens of the horsl kingdom can be found
many of the latter tastefully and gracefully
adorniug and entwining handsome and elaborate
urns. vases and other memorial offerings.
! The places of sepulchre are numerous and many
Of the monuments and ssrcophagi are very expen-
sive, some costing from $50 900 to $50 900 each,
and scores costing from S., 900 to $1,000 each.
These memorials have been fashioned by the ar
| tistic and cunning hand of the sculptor, princi-
paly from white and black marble. red, black snd
white granite, free stone and blue stone, end
there are not . few of rare architectural beauty