, 1883-08-30

sight-seer who has been all over the
coast. Said he: Il like your town
very much. 1t looks clean and
healthy, has slightly location, a
splendid harhor. and Will be a large
city at no very distant day. But one
thing l object 10 very much. You
are allowing the Chinese to get
foothold in the heart of the business
portion Of your town. San Francis
co and Portland found, out too late
that they should have prescribed
isolated limits for the Chinese. 1t
viii be the experience of Port Town
send. too. unless something is done
soon" The sentiment so forcibly
expresses that urged by the ARGUS
on several occasions that We repro
duce it. The business conducted by
the Chinese in our midst Is for the
most part that of laundrying. and
the Objectionable features of this in
dustry as carried on by them, the
rank smelling soap suds, the fumes
of opium from their closely crowded
rooms, the danger of fire from their
carelessness while stupefied with
their pet drug, all combine to render
their wash houses public nuisances
that our city council would do well to
remove to isolated limits. One
Chinese establishment. store and
labor intelligence Office, is not open
to all the objections noted; Yet the
fumes of opium coming from a little
crowded tenement house just back of
it are anything but agreeable to the
crowds that repair daily to the post
office next door. Port Townsend is
now emerging upon more extended
plane than that of town. 1t will be
well for all concerned if those acting
for us look ahead with view of pro-
viding for the necessities of the fu-
ture city. We have clean. healthy,
desirable location, with advantages
that cannot fail to favorably impress
those who come with an intention of
remaining. If we would improve
upon the present state of affairs and
build up city absolutely unobiec-
tionable, the Chinese now gaining a
foothold in the most desirable part o
our town must be removed to limits
where they will not interfere with
public health and public morals.
Any one who has been through the
Chinese quarters in San Francisco
or in Victoria, can see at a glance
that this race of people not only un-
fits property they inhabit for the oc-
cupancy or use of white people for
ever afterward, but they gradually
drive out adjacent whites; China
town is gradually evolved from their
small beginnings, and when such a
quarter attains any degree of magni-
tude it becomes hotbed of vice. To
such point has it come in San
Francisco that a respectable lady
cannot safely pass through Chinatown
without policeman or other respon
sible attendant to protect her from
insult. We do not yet realize the
danger here toward which we are
tending; but the insiduous progress
of this celestial colonization in our
midst will sooner or later bring us to
our senses, unless precaution is taken
in time. The remedy is obvious; let
it be applied while it can be carried
into effect. Seattle has her ''lava
bed" composed of Chinese and low
houses of prostitution-and that too
in portion of her limits already
greatly needed for commercial pur-
poses. Port Townsend will need
every available foot of its triangular
sand-spit in the near future for its
business houses and factories. Let
us not have a portion of this valua-
BILE flat worse than wasted by allow
ing it to be usurped by race of peo-
pie who do not assimilate with Eu-
ropeans, who will render it exceed
ingly unwholesome, ,and around whom
there will be attracted the very low
est and vilest elements of society.