Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-02-01
Chinese Traits.

Mr.. E. V. Smalley's paper in the Feb
ruary Century, on Features of the New
Northwest" is an interesting conclusion
to his noteworthy series on the north.
western region. He discusses various
social and political subjects, and, speak
of the Chinese population, says in part;
There is q mistaken notion in the east
that the Chinese are always humble and
submissive, and much put upon and
abused by the whites of the Pacific coast
There wasa time when the hOodlums of
San Francisco maltreated the Asiatlc
Immigrants shamefully, but that time
has gone by. Now the Chinaman ap.
pears TO be as secure in his rights of
person and property as any body. Instead
of being defernatixl and timid he is often
pushing and insolent. He does not give
way in the street. He hustles you as
rudely as an English navy. A body OF
Chinese labOrers marching down a mar.
row street will crowd ladies into the
gutter. The Chinese merchants, doctors
and others belonging to the better class,
are as polite as Frenchmen, but the
masses Of the Chinese population on the
Pacific coast are rude and brutal. The
chief thing in their favar is their habit
of personal cleanliness. The railroad
laborers, who are the poorest and most
ignorant class, wash themselves from
head to foot at the end of each day s
work. All classes are frequent custom
ers of the barber, who gives minute at
tention to their heads, faces, ears and
necks.
Among the common laborers there is
little sympathy for sick and injured
comrades. If a man is likely to become
a burden, the other members of his gang
want to get rid Of him as soon as posi-
BILE. 1t is commonly believed by the
white bosses On the railways that the
Chinese doctors put sick men out of the
way by poison when they think they
cannot be speedily cured. A case was
told me in Oregon Of Coolie railway
labOrer who had an arm broken. 1t was
set by the company's doctor, and was
doing we'll, but the mans comrades in
sisted on bringing Chinese doctor to
attend him. The doctor came from a
distant camp and gave the patient a
dose. In an hour the poor fellow was
uOou. LII SuCu CdS6S tucT6 Is no l0VoSIl-
Cation; nobody cares thereiis one China
man less. The death Of carthorse is
of much more consequence. One great
difficulty the employers of Chinese labor
have to contend with is the superstition
Of these queer people. Their religious
worship consists chiefly in propitiating
the malevolent spirits of the dead If a
Chinese domestic fancies there is ghost
in the hous he departs at once, and
leaves an inscription behind to warn his
successors. 1t often happens that a
family will be unable to keep servant
longer than a single day. Man after
man will come and 60 without giving any
reason for his abrupt departure. At
last the warning sign is found in the
kitchen or the servants room and ex-
plunged; then there is no moro trouble
Not long ago two Cinnamon were killed
in Oregon by the premature explosion
of blast Oh q new railroad line. One
of their fellow-workmen declared that
just before the explosion he saw two
devils come to the opposite bank of the
river and heard them talking. There :
npon the whole force of forty me drop
ped work, and could not be induced, by
threats or persuasiOns, to return to the
spot.