The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-11-07
A CHINESE PUPIL.
Little Wah Sin and His Last Day
at School.

Crystal City was little mining camp
half way up the barren slope of one of
the most desolate of the Rocky Noun
tains.
There were about fifty houses, cabins,
tents and shanties, and as many as four
hundred people in the city,
was teacher of the first school in the
little camp. My school-house was a
small log-cabin, with two small windows
and door, An old gray blanket, hung
on two wooden pins, was the door The
seats were of rough pine slabs, placed
on ends of logs. There was no desks.
On the first day of school 1 went up
the trail to the little log schoOl-house,
and waited for my pupils.
1t was nearly nine O'Clock, and not
pupil had yet arrived, when there was
movement of the blanket door. 1t was
pushed slowly aside in Misunderstanding
manner, and there stood my first pupil
-Wah Sin.
OF course he was Chinese boy.
American boys are never afflicted with
such names as that.
He was dressed in his country's cos
tune. His father had evidently allowed
him to wear his Sunday clothes, in honor
of the first day of school. He never
wore them again after that day. but APP
peared in a garb very much like that
worn by American boys of the same
age.
When | asked Wah Sin how old he
was, he replied by holding up both
hands, with all the fingers extended but
one, which was turned down toward the
palm.
Then you are nine years old, count
ing in your thumbs?' | asked.
"Ha! less--yes ye old. Belly
good. Come school alice Samee like
Mclean boy. Ha!'
That little aspirated "Ha" began and
ended everything Wah Sin said. The
Chinese are subject to pecuiarites like
other people, who are always saying
"Oh!" and All" and "Indeed!"
Wah SIN was very modest and BASH
full. He was, however the only boy in
the school thus affected; and in time
he overcame these weaknesses.
When | rang my little bell at nine
o'clock, about fifty boys and girls of all
sizes and ages had assembled in the lit
tie room, which they quite filled.
They were dressed in all kinds of i'll
fitting, coarse, and "made over gar
ments, and they had few books. But
they were as full of fun as other chill
dren, and enjoyed life quite as much as
it is enjoyed by boys and girls who have
neat, natty and stylish clothes, and who
go to school in handsome buildings,
with beautiful grounds, in large and
prosperous cities.
Crystal City sounds very romantic
and pretty, but it was a poor, shabby,
drearv little place, and everybody was
poor who lived in it. Indeed, many Of
the inhabitants were too poor to 90
away, or they would not have stayed
there.
You have heard of mining "booms"
Well, Crystal City was all there wa;
left of what had been ga big old boom,
as the miners call it. There are many
such dTeary and sorrowful remains o
dead and gone "booms" lying arounC
in the gulches and valleys and on tn,
slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
AT one time there had been IS many
as a thousand people in and arounC
Crystal City, but the excitement dice
out in three or four months, and mos
of the people had gone to places wher
they thought their chances would b.
better in the great lottery of mining
Wah Sin and his father were the onl.
Chinese in Crystal City. Wah Sin
father was the "washee man" of tn
camp. He did washing for a few pee
pie who could afford to hire Il done.
Wah Sin helped with the washin!
when he felt so disposed, but as he sci
dom felt this disposition. his indulgen
father did it about all himself,
There was water to be carried from
spring some distance away. Wah 81
would be sent out with a tin pail, an
tod to "huilee back"
Ten, fifteen, twenty-five minute