The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-06-03
SEVEN KEYS TO A SAFE.

largely IN various COmmOQ1UeS which
were much affected by the Heather
Chinee.
I found them a patient, civil, indus,
triOus class Of people, ready to bargain
and get things as Cheaply as possible;
but scrupulOusly honest and ready to pay
with the greatest Of prOmptitude as long
as I dealt with one man. When I had
to do work with a partnership concern,
( it was terrible matter.
! For instance, 1 had trusted one firm
with goods to the amount of nearly $500,
and no money was forthcoming.
bullied my collector terribly, for he
always came back with an excuse in
stead Of money, and the same tale, that
the firm was perfectly honest and trust
worthy, and that the money would be
/ paid.
"Then, why don't they pay, JohnsonP'
I exclaimed.
81 wish you would give them a call
/ yourself, sir" said johnson.
! And 1 said I would, and did, going to
| the Honger Mercantile Company seven
times, and always being put of.
| 1t was always the same; they were
/ perfectly willing to pay, and messengers
/ were sent, but to return, sometimes with
| one, sometimes with two, or even three
or four members of the firm but when
these Chinese Spenlows prOfered them
/ selves as ready to pay, there was always
an obstacle in the way, in the shape Of
the absence Of that Heathen Chinee,
/ Jorkins.
At last I expressed myself as I have
said at the beginning of this story, and
was going out Of the place when a smil-
/ ing Chinaman came up to me, and, hold
ing his head on one side, he exclaimed:
"Ingly Hong man, come again a NOR
row. Payee then aIl-payee ebbery dol
/ lar, oh, Clss."
swell, look here" said, 81 will come
il here tomorrow, at IL o'clock, and
shall expect to be"
ooh, ciss, payee all dollar. Give long,
big order, lot. GOOdee thousand dollar"
''Tll talk about taking your order, my
| Chinese friend, when you pay for the
last" said grufHy, and 1 went away.
''Ihe fellow looks honest" 1 said; "but
there's no trusting these foreigners. They
take delight in tricking an Englishman
| or q Mclean man, as they call it. Per-
! haps tomorrow, when I 90, they'll all
| have pulled up stakes and gone east.
1t was with some satisfaction, then,
that on reaching their great shed ware
house, the next morning, I found Mr.
/ Pigtail, in his long blue gown and bland
| smile standing at the door, ready to sa'
| lutte me with a dose Of pigeon English
which L could hardly understand.
"WelI, Mr.. All Rec" said, as fol
| lowed him into the bale-CroWded ware
house, which certainly looked as pros
porous as the great iron safe in the cor
ner was substantial-'well, Mr.. All Rec
L hope you are prepared to pay my little
( lICcOunt this mornings"
"Ciss, ciss-readee payee," he said.
And placing a wicker chair for me, he
went off and dispatched a couple of
messengers, with urgent orders in hii
barbarian tongue, to each. This looked
bad, for it was only a repetition Of the
tactics followed on former oCcasions-tac
tics which always resulted IN a pUt-Of
1 looked terribly gTUtf; but Mr.. All Rec
who was tie senior partner, smiled anC
rubbed his hands as he beckOned me Il
follow him into the farther parts of tht
warehouse, and then showed me speci
mems of silk and sample teas, with cOars
Chinese pottery,
"Well," said to myself, growing
little more easy.in my mind, there
plenty to seize, at all events"
The result was that after my blanc
friend had talked tome for about quar-
ter of an hour, I booked a thousand dol
lar order for what an Englishman WOult
call sundries.
There" said I, closing my book witt
la slap, 'this order shall be executed a
soon as your last account is settled"
"Ciss, ciss-payee alice dOllee," ," he said
smiling and pointing to a seat.
Meanwhile, by slow degrees, five re
spectable-lOoking, Cinnamon had com
into the warehouse or store and the
GOme around me, smiling and talking L
a bland, smooth way
"YOu mean mischief" said TO myself
and ny hand went invOluntarily to m
pocket, where, in accordance with Sal
Francisco customs, carried q revolver
"YOu mean to get rid of me and you
debt together, my friends. Very good
Dut if YOU do, I'll take one of you by wa.
! of receipt" I suppose my face did no
betray WhatI felt, for they closed arount
me in the Calmest manner, making eX
cuses, and asking me to be patient
little longer, for their messengers Wer
out, az I understood them, to collect tn
amount I needed. i seemed to me tina
theT we're getting me farther and tarthe
from the door into the gloomy obScurIt.
of the warehouse, under the pretense o
showing me fresh goods, till at last lei
that the time for action had come. II
fact, one of the biggest of the part.
whispered something to his companions
and 1 seized my revolver and was abou
to draw it as a fresh Chinaman enteret
the building, and they hurried to NEE
him with a look Of relief.
Lucky for some Of you, my friends,
I said, drawing a breath Of relief, an
following them toward the door, mean
ing to take the first opportunity tina
offered to make arun for it. To my grea
surprise, though, Mr.. All Rec came, an
taking my arm, led me toward the grea
safe.
'Iron coffin, eh % said to myself
"Countee out de dollar" said MIR. A
Rec.
And the last arrival of his six con
panions went up to the safe, placed
kew in q hole, and turned it. Then
second did so with another key III al
other hole, and so on, till six had VI
locked six locks of the great safe, whe
Mr.. All Rec took out similar key to hi
companions and went up to the sal,
smiling, as he said to me
"Great Hong COmpany-poor Chlni
men. Big safee-big dollar. Seben par
nee take seben key, open, get de dollar
As he spoke, he unlocked the safe, an
furned the door on its massive hinge
and then, pulling out drawer, he dre'
forth bag marked 47O-the amount
dollars Of my account and handed tn
bag to me. ~
rs he shut and locked the door, his 81
mariners locking it in turn. mo truste
once mans; all come at once, open doc
From which understood that, as
our trading communities, two or thre'
or even four partners have to sign q chec
to make it negotiable, my seven Chimes
friends, all partners IN their Hong G
trading community, could make no pay
Dant WithOut every man was present
helm unlock the treasure safe. / laughe
at the plan, for the heavy dollar ba
made me feel in very good tempe
They laughed too, and shook hands yer
warmly, after the English fashion, as
took my departure.
"No once man run away all dollar
T. he said, laughing.
Il see" 1 said, laughing. You sha
have your goods in soon"
I sent them; and for long viii
after the Hong Of All Rec and 1 did