News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-02-08
A FEW CHINESE TRAITS.
How the People OH the Pacific Coast Manage
Them.

Mr.. E. V. Smalley, speaking of the
Chinese population on the Pacific coast
saws in the Century for February:
There is a mistaken notion in the East
that the Chinese are always humble and
submissive. and much put upon and
abused by the whites OF the Pacl1le
coast, There was time when the hood
Iums of San Francisco maltreated the
Asiatic immigrants shomefully, but that
time has gone b.. Now the Chlnamah
appears TO be as secure in his rights OF
person and property as anybody. IN
stead of being deferential and timid he IS
often pushing and insolent. he does
not give way in the street. He hrStIeS
YOU as rudelv as an English NAVY. a
body of Chinese laborers marching down
q narrow street will crowd ladies INTO the
gutter The Chinese merchants, doc-
tors. and others belonging to the petter
classes, are as polite as Frenchmen, but
the masses of the Chinese population on
tbe Pacific coast are rude and brutal
The chief thing in their favor IS their
habit of personal cleanliness. The raul
road 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 Gus
toners of the barber, who gives minute
attention to their heads, faces, ears and
necks.
Among the common laborers there is
little sympathy for sick and injured
comrades. If man is likely to become
burden. the other members of his gang
want to get rid Of him as soon as posi-
BILE. It 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. \ 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 tc
attend him.
The doctor came from a distant caml
and gave the patient a dose. In an hou
the poor fellow was dead. In such cases
there is no investigation; nobody cares
that there is one Chinaman less. The
| death of a cart-horse is of much more
consequence. One great difficulty the
EMPLOYERS of Chinese labor have to con
tend with is the superstition OF these
queer people.
Their religious worship consists chiefly
in propitiating the malevolent spirits o
the dead. If a Chinese domestic fanc1e'
there is a ghost in the house, he departs
at once, and leaves an inscription behlnt
to warn his successors. 1t often happens
that family will be unable to keep
servant longer than single day. MAJ
after man will come and go without CIV
ing any reason for his abrupt departure
| At last the warning sign is found IN tn
kitchen, or the servants room, and ex
| plunged then there is no more trouble
Not long ago two Cinnamon were kllle'
in Oregon by the premature explosion
of blast on a new railway line. One O
their fellow workmen declared that jus
before the explosion he saw two devil
come to the opposite bank of the rive
and heard them talking. Thereupon tn
whole gang of forty men dropped work
and could not be induced, by threats 0
persuasions. to return to the spot.