The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-11
Discharging q Cargo of Cinnamon At
San Francisco. w

on the Pacific Mail wharf creates scene
of most amazing confusion and disor-
der, and presents many curious studies
in life-studies brilliant only in physical
color; dreary and blank enough other
wise. The City of Toxic arrived on
Sunday with 1,040 Chinese steerage
passengers, and having passed quaran-
tine was at once placed alongside the
wharf and commenced landing passen..
gers. The Cinnamon are discharged
from freight portfolio down a gang
plank and into an improvised pen,
where their persons and baggage are
searched by the Custom-house officers:
The pen begins at the gang:plank and
includes space on the wharf about loo
feet long and 25 feet wide, running par.
allel with the length Of the wharf. On
one side of the pen is the bay;'t other
three sides are fenced in by an iron
fence, outside of which and at a dis
lance from it of six feet a rope is
stretched. This rope prevents outside
Cinnamon from coming too near the
pen and receiving contraband goods
from the passengers. In the end OF the
pen furthest from the gang-plank is q
gate, guarded by two officers, between
whom the Cinnamon pass after their
backs and baggage are properly chalked
bv the examining officers. Two hum
dred and fifty Cinnamon are taken from
the ship into the pen at time. When
all is ready they begin to crowd out OF
: the port-hole, which is so low that they
must stoop to pass through and on to
, the gang-plank. They crowd from the
inside so in their eagerness to land
that the portfolio is frequently blocked
and impossible, until after a vass amount
: ofpulling and hauling one Of the wedged
I in mass is extricated, and the gorge
: being broken, those behind fairly poi
, out like champagne corks from the I'M
t pellipg force behind. Each one has hi
' baggage dashed to either end OF q BAN
r boo Or pole and slung across his shoulders
/ which makes the work of breaking
o 3" deadlock y all the harder. Half wa.
$ down the gang-plank each Chinaman i
t stopped by 9 special police officer, t
g whom some kind of tickets delivered
> At the foot of the gang.plank COATES
If and perspiring Custom.house office
# prasps the stumbling, overburdene
is Chinaman by his arm or shoulder an
II giyes him an energetic push toward tn
n further end of the pen. Sometimes tn
$, Chinaman is strong enough or we
9. enough balanced on his feet to retain !, hi
r. equilibrium under the circumstance
h but generally he is not, and sprawls CT
r. IN the wharf and is buried under h
N bags and baggage. This always galI
N the officer round of applause from tn
ID crowd around the outside OF the pei
1. As they leave the gang-plank Office
il excitedly direct the Cinnamon to u
10 lower end Of the pen, packing them
in close together as their baggage viii pc
a. init them to stand. Each Chinsms
" carries his bedding, extra clothes shoe
re hats, etc.; his entire household good
y. including tin cooking utensils, drl.
I'd vegetables of various kinds, drugs, mec
: it cirles, smoking outfit, and strange al
-, varied assortment of articles Of all kin
and shapes, packed in baskets, chest
~ trunks, bags, bamboo and straw mi
~, ~ ting, and in every imaginable chs p ' !
~ of baggage. As the baggage istqmbl
el' and dumped on the wharf the Gilman
- re directed to open It, and, as in its m'
~, =. compact form Il leaves not an inch
-. =. space uncovered, the untying, openi
~ * and distributing process results in q
.,s..l cles becoming buried, oyerlaid, hide
~ lost, and utterly and seemingly in
err tricsbly mixed. When thirty Or TO
=. ~ Cinnamon have been crowded Into
- end of the pen nearest tho gate.