, 1882-07-21
The Chinese on the Pacific Coast.
AS THE EDITOR SAW THEM IN SAN FRAN
CISCO CHINATOWN.

CISCO CHINATOWN.
Continued from issue OF June 3Oth.
1t has been estimated that the
number of Chinese engaged in manu-
featuring pursuits on the. Paclhc
coast is not far from 12,OOO. \ careful
observer has classified them approx
mately rs follows: Clothing, 4,OOO;
cigars, 1000; boots and shoes, 2,OOO:
Shippers, 1000; in wooden mills, l,00O;
making matches. 300; white shirts,
200; tanneries, 600. These are exclu-
sive of occupations that are not
classed among manufacturers, such
As house servants, laundrymen, ped.
dlers, rag -pickers und those occupied
as attendants in various ways.
Generally speaking, Chinese labor
in manufacturing is confined to the
coarser and cheaper articles OF wear
They readily adopt American labor
saving machinery, and, applying it
together with their capacity for
drudgery, for living on cheap fare
and in squalid, ill-ventilated quarters
where rents are low, no wonder they
undersell and still make fair profits.
Formerly wages for women expert
with sewing machines ranged from
Sl2 to Sl4 per weeks; the Chinese
have reduced these prices to about ~
OF SS. A glance shows why this IL so.
In Chinese workshop the sewing
machines are ranged closely together,
.cconomizing space and consequent
rent expense, and the operators drive
along steadily from twelve to fifteen
hours per day. White women cannot
stand such hardships. Dealers IN ar
ticles made by Chinese are compelled
to patronize them OF be driven from
the markets. Seltshness prompts
people to buy where they can get Il
far article for the least money. A
Lecturer recently said pungent thing
when he described noted disclaimer
against Chinese Us man who was
clamorous for coolie labor to be driven
from the country yet wore shirts
prepared at Chinese laundry,
smoked cigars of Chinese manufac-
ture and ate from Chinese cOokiHg.
Formerly boots and shoes were
brought to this coast in large quaint,
ties from Philadelphia, Chicago and
other eastern cities, but since the
Chinese in San Francisco got fairly
started to manufacturing these artl-
cles, they have almost killed this
trade. The Chinese by forming COM
binations among themselves, force
white manufacturers to employ them.
They club together and start on Il
small scale; content with small profits,
and having no such membranes AS
families, they can always nnderscll.
CIGAR MAKING.
This is branch of industry which
the Chinese in California have large
ly usurped. Up to about 1870, most
Of the cigars used ON this coast We're
imported from Havana, or from New
York. 1t is now estimated that over
two-thirds of the cigars consumed in
San Francisco are manufactured
there, and n large proportion of them
by Chinese labor. Even cursory
glance through one of their manu-
factories is sufficient to convince an
observer that the article turned out
is in general of the poorest and
cheapest quality. Probably if those
who smoke these cigars could witness
the process of their manufacture they
would either quit smoking or buy
more expensive weeds. 1t ~ vouched
for that these Chinese workmcn, who
crowd together SO closely and labor
so necessarily, frequently use tobacco
cuttings instead of towels and hanC-
kerchiefs. Very cheap, inferior goods,
such as white men throw away, the
Chinaman works up and pnts on the
market In this way he utilizes cigar
jumps, in fact anything containing
t)bacco. Another thing they do is
to roll cigars in their mouths, putting
spittlc On them in order to bring Our
q finishing DOlish. As a rule the com