The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-05-07
Dead Cinnamon.

dead. some twelve hundred China
men. The living ones are going
home to spend in China the modest
fortune thev have made in Callfor-
MIA. The dead are going home to
be buried in the company OF Their
ancestors. No one can say how ma
nv dead we have on board, though
the original number is being added
to from day to day. Even the pur-
ser does not know Though ne
might. if he liked, tell how many
collins have been regularly entered
as freight by the six companies at
San Francisco. These companies
were instituted with the object OF
directing ard profting by the i'm
migration of the Chinese TO Callior-
MIA. Apart from other payments q
Chinaman subscribes - to the SIX
companies on arriving at San Fran
cisco. and from 81 20 S6 on returning.
Ia consideration Of these payments
the companies undertake in the
event of sickness TO provide medical
aid. and ia case Of deathto emsaim
the body and ship it to Hong Kong:
The companies are, in fact, KIND OF OF
sick and burial society. On nil
at San Francisco. overlooking the
bav and the Golden Gate, Is a small
unkempt inclosure known as the
Chinese cemetery. But ii is merely
q temporary resting place for the
bones of the tired dead man. II Is
in his bond that, sooner or later,
he shall be laid at rest in his native
village. In convenient coutgulty to
. bis ancestors, and tie six companies
dare no more. in the least consider
able case. refuse to meet this engage
meut than the Bank OF England
dare refuse to cash one Of It's 70
notes. 1t Is whispered among the
outer barrains that the six companies
are not asleep to opportunities OF
reducing their liabilities. II they
have on their books a man sinking
/ from consumption IA dire disease
among the Chinese immigrauts-
they make haste to ship him oil. il
/ he dies IN Frisco it viii cost the
companies. from first to last, 70
shillings. If he is got on Board and
passes out through the Golden Gate
/ in 10 another world, the cost OF EN-
balming the body falls on other
shoulders. If the man has money
the amount is deducted from hls po-
session. If he has not. the poorest
Chinaman on board will subscribe
TO the fund necessary to secure his
eabalmment. In either case the
cost is only $50. of which the purser
takes $3.50. the doctor who does
the work receives an equal sum, and
the odd So are distributed among the
members of the crew who handle the
coffin. i dead Cinnamon is with
erotesque realism called a stiff,
and the number Of 'suils on voy
ace is the measure Of the tinancla
prosperity of purser, doctor, anc
petty officers. On "a good voyage /
have been told, there have been a,
many as sixteen "stitts, represen
ting $3.50.
These steamers always take Out ;
stock Of collins. They are stored IL
the boats on deck, and should any.
thing happen to the vessel and W.
had to take to the boats we mus
first hand out the cofiins, some full
others empty. A Chinese coffin ha.
an unaccustomed look, which reliev
es the boat loads from much Of thei
ghastliness. They look like trunk
of trees followed, squared, and will
the ends stopped up. They are no
. shaped with the stiff formality o
tie Western coffin, and are, to M
mind infinitely preferable. General
E lv the deaths are viewed with stol
b id indifference bv the Chinese
There Is one more bunk empty, en-
, mouth the less to feed, and the pur
) ser and the doctor have anotbe
, handful Of dollars. But when ther
is a family and one is taken the com
B. motion is considerable. There wa
/ an old, dried-up Chinese lady from
! Demarara, said TO be 50 years OF age
= She was Fastening home to dwel
/ forever with kith and kin, but eoulc
] not bold out, and died on the tent
3 day. One night she predicted he
death on the following day, haC
D. herself dressed in graye-clothes. an,
j lay quietly awaiting the tryst sh
r had made. and which death for hi
e part faithfully kept When tn
= coffin was carried out to be placet
f with the rest in the boat, her son
] and daughters and grand childrei
% followed If with great weeping an
{ wailng, in which their sympatheti
70 countryuen, playing dominoes o.
- the deck, heaftily Joined. Whe
the Sallcloth was drawn over th
e newest coffin, sons. daughters, an
4 EldLhNAlllNtl El MNlib baNA ~ ll4tl
pipes and tea. the players returnc
10 their dominoes, and the yellow
wrinkled old lady in the whit
grave clothes seemed TO pass troI
memory. The reason why unce,
tainty exists as to the precise nun
2 Der Of dead bodies on board arise
: from the friendly habits of the Ch
: nese. They will cheerfully pack u
: the bones of compatriot in a re
u pocket-hsnderchiei, or place thel
: rs the last layer in a trunk contain
/ ing their best clothes, and SO civ
: them free passage home.-Cor. 10.
I don Daily NsUs.
u \ Hitherto Unpublished LIncol
Story.
Just after the puhlicatiOn of Seer