The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-03-21
v KEYS TO A SAFE.

YOU NAi.ts i SaIU, Il sUln I C1n
Tor the account amy mere. This makes 81,
Times I've called for those four hundred an
evenly dollars, aud l shall put it in my law
yer's hands"
NO. 60; quite rightee you, sabbee. Pa,
dollar all soon. Call again"
was reminded of all this by seeing tn
Chinese ambassadors the other day, and |
carried me back to San Francisco, full fy
years ago, where l was dealing largely il
various commodities which were much Of
fscted by the Heather Chinee.
found them n patient, civil, industriou
class of people, ready to bargain and &c
things as che ply as possible but scrupu
!ously honest, and ready to pay with tn,
greatest promptitude as long as 1 dealt witt
one man. When 1 had to do with q partner
ship concern, it was terrible work.
For instance, 1 had trusted one firm will
goods to the amount of nearly Eve hundret
dollars, and no money was forthcoming.
L bullied my collector terribly, for BE al
ways came back with an excuse instead O
money, and the same tale, that the firm wa
perfectly honest and trustworthy, and tina
the money would be paid.
Then why don't they pay, johnson"
exclaimed.
Il wish you'd give them q call yourself
sir" said johnson.
And said would and did, going to tn,
Hongor Mercantile Company seven times
and always being put of.
1t was always the same: they were per
fectly willing to pay, and messengers wers
sent, but to return sometimes with one, some
times with two, or even three or four men
members Of the firm but while these Obi
nese Spenlows proffered themselves as ready
to pay, there was always an obstacle in thu
way, in the shape of the absence of that
Heather Chinee, Jorkins.
At last 1 expressed myself as I have said al
the beginning of this story, and wa going
out of the place when @ smiling ChinamaI
came up to me, and, holding his head on one
side he exclaimed
'Ingly Hong man, come again a morrow.
Payee h all-payec ebberydollar, oh ciss. "
well, look here" I said, ~ will come ID
here tomorrow, at eleven o'clock, and shall
expect to be"
"oh, ciss, payee all dollar. Give long, big
order, lot. Goodee thousand dollar"
"ln talk about taking your, order, my
Chinese friend, when you pay for the last, y
said, grufiy; and l went away.
1.-THE fellow looks honest" I said 'rbuI
there's no trusting these foreigners. They
take delight in tricking an Englishman or q
Mclean man as they call it. Perhaps to.
morrow, when 1 go, they'll all have pulled up
stakes, and gone East"
It was with some satisfaction, then, that on
reaching their great shedwnrehouse the next
morning, l found Mr.. Pigtail, in. his long
Lie gown and bland smile. standing at the
CO IT. al! to saiut me with n o. of pigeon
English which / codld hardly understand.
We'll, Mr.. All Rec | said as l followed
hin into tile bale.crowded warehouse, which
certainly looked as prosperous as the great
ron sttcinthe cornerwas substantial-"wen
Mr.. All Rec, l hope you are prepared to pay
my account this morning.
''Ciss. ciss-readee payee," he said.
Aud. placing awicker chair for me, he went
OF and despatched a couple of messengers,
with urgent orders given in his barbarian
TO- gue to each.
inns looked bad, for it was only a repeti.
ton of ths tactics followed on former occa-
-ioas-tacticswhich always resulted in q put
of.
looked terribly gruff but Mr.. ALI Rec,
who was the senior partner, smiled and rub
bed his hands Us he beckoned me to follow
him into the farther parts of the warehouse,
and then showed me specimens of silk and
samples of tea, with coarse Chinese pottery.
Well" l said to myself, growing a little
more easy in my mind, there's plenty to
seize. at all events"
The result was that after my bland friend
had talked to me for about a quarter of an
hour, / booked u thousand dollar order for
what au Englishman would call sundries.
There" said ], closing my book with a
slap, this order shall be executed as soon as
your last account is settled"
''Ciss, ciss-payee alice Dolce" he said,
amillng, and pointing to a seat.
Meanwhile, by slow degrees, five respect
able looking Cinnamon had come into the
warehouse or store and they came round
me, smiling and talking in n bland, smooth
way.
"You mean mischief" l said to myself :;
and highland went involuntarilyto mypocket,
where, in accordance with San Francisco Gus.
toms, l carried q revolver. You mean to
get rid of me and your debt together, my
friends. Very good but if you do, I'll take
one of you by way of receipt"
/ suppose my face did not betray what !
felt, for they closed round me in the calmest
manner, making excuses, and asking me to be
patient r little longer. for their messengers
we're ont, as l understood them, TO collect the
a.! ouu. 1 needed.
1t seemed to me that they were getting me
ilrther and farther from the door into the
gloomy obscurity of the warehouse, under
the pretence of showing me fresh goods, till
ut lastI felt that lifetime for action had come.
In fact one of the biggest of the party whis.
pered something to his companions, and !
seized my revolver, and was about to draw il
I. a fresh Chinaman entered the building,
aud they hurried TO meet him with q look OF
rrlief.
Lucky for some of you, my friends l
said, drawing q breath of relief, and follow.
ing them toward the door, meaning to take
the first opportunity that offered to make o
run for it.
To my great surprise, though, Mr.. All Rec
came, and taking my arm, led me toward the
great safe.
Iron coffin, eh?" l said 80 myself.
"Countee out de dollar, " said Mr.. All Rec.
And the last arrival of his six companions
went up to the safe, placed a key in q hole,
aud turned it.
Then n second did SO with another key in
another hole, and so on, till six had unlocked
six locks of the great safe, when Mr.. All Rec
took out a similar keyto his companions and
went up to the safe, smiling, as he said to
me
Great Hong Company-poor Cinnamon.
Big safee-b big dollar. Seben partnee take
seben key, open, get de dollar"
AS he spoke, he unlocked the safe, and
turned the door on its massive hinges, and
then, pulling out a drawer, he drew forth {
bag marked4TO-the amount in dollars of ny
account-and handed the bag TO me.
mo trustee no man, y he said, smiling, a.
NJ smut I'M !nSE7u tue door. his ji1 partners
locking it IN turn. No trustee once mans
all como at once. open dDGr-all right"
From which l understood that, as in our
trading communities, two or three, or even
four partners have to sign d check tomake it
negotiable, riyseren chinese friends, all part
nsrs in their Hong or trading community,
could mako 40 payment without every man
was Present to help unlock the treasure safe
I laughed at the plan, for the heavy dollar
bag made me feel in a very good temper.
They laughed too, and shook hands yery