Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-06
Sights in Hong Kong.


One of the first things noticed upon
landing in Hong Kong was the dissi-
patton which is always going on. AT
first | thought some celebration must
be in progress. but upon making in
quiries was assured that this was not
the case.
ut is always so. said an American
citizen. Every day certain number
of sailors are allowed 10 come on shore
and they avail themselves fully of this
privilege. As there arc some two
thousand of these sailors at present on
board the men-of-war in Hong Kong
harbor. this city is quite lively most of
the time. Ii is the men aboard these
war-shipS who get the widest, for the
enforced idleness of their life breeds
recklessness when oGce they get a.
shore.
These sailors are beardless Young
fellows for the most part, and though
they have a staggering and tyranni-
cal mien, should not think that they
would impress the Chinese rs very for
midablc. Walking about the streets
last evening in company with citi-
zen, saw literally hundreds of these
sailors, crowding the saloons so thick
that you could not see tne counter.
Outside of the saloon the street would
be packed with rickishas, for a sailor
gravitates toward rickisha the first
thing upon coming ashore. He does
not have TO grayitate far, for the Chi
nese runners almost attempt the peril
fo,t of ,vo l-iver
their eagerness to meet the sailors ha
way.
Soon after landing the sailors CRAWL
tate toward saloon, and, mum ers
breeding reckless jollity, it IS not long
before they cease TO be free moral
agents. Then they curse and beat
their rickisha men. and ride about
with scarce any cognizance of whittier
they are being carried. As / have al
ready minated | am implacably OPP
posed to the Chinese; yet my indigna-
ton was kindled in their behalf at first
when / witnessed the brutality with
which they are treated by these sailors.
But my commiseration was all dissipa-
ted when my friend said:
'Don It pity them. John Chnaman
is under now, but he will be on the top
pretty soon. Wait till the sailors get
stupidity drunk, and they will be ig-
ANONYMOUSLY dumped out by the way
side. while these long-suftering heath
en- Chinese will proceed complacently
TO 90 through their pockets. Don't
misplace your pity
Don't the English make any effort
to check this evilP"
80 no, it is SO common that they
don't care to interfere. Once in "
while, when y man gets TO smashing
things too generally and endangering
peoples lives, he will be locked up un-
i'll he gets sober. But so long as they
only iniure themselves, no matter if
they do break the peace nothing is
done about it.
notice that very frequently. almost
always, the sailors will give the order,
go TO the Temperance hall. when
they are well under ''the Influence,
and there sleep of their booze. BY lhe
way, curious though the statement
may Sc m, the manager OF the Hong
Kong institution is getting to be con
iirmUd sot He has been inebriated
now for 1ull week. The moral sem
timeut that will tolerate such a thing
puzz es me.
Despite all the abuses to which they
are subjected, however, these temper
ance halls of the Orient ar institutions,
and really do great deal of good.
They may be found in Shanghai, Hong
Kong. SINGAPORE, Madras, Bombay,
Calcutta, Yokohama, Kobe, and, ior
au hit know, in all the cities OF the
far east. For $125 day sailors and
trave ers wao wasn't to ecouomze are
entertained in irs-ciass style, and At
the end OF the year the citizens make
uptne deficit in he running expenses. -
Cor. Mn Or cans TancS- DemJC. a..