Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-20
JOHN CHINAMAN.
HOW He Uses Mexico as a Means OF
Entrance TO the United States.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Chinese were arriving in this country
via Mexico, but the alarming extent
Of the evil has never been made pub
lie, and the people of the United
States are yet entirely ignorant of the
enormous influx of the cheap working
and industrious Mongolians FROM this
quarter. From reports which are OBJ
tanned from reliable persons who have
been at the west coast ports of Mexico
and over the newly RECONSTRUCTED rail-
road running from the main line OF
the Southern Pacific to the port of
Guaymas, on the Gulf of California,
1t is reasonably safe to say that
greater number of the yellow heathens
are now finding their way to this
country through Mexico than through
British America. So little seems to
be known in official ciIcles about The
new danger that practically no effort
IS made to inforce the restriction act
on our southern border, and the
Chinese cross over and scatter through
Arizona and New Mexico, and subse-
quently to other parts of the country,
with the utmost freedom and safety
They are also being encouraged, in
stead of being molested, in Mexico.
The shrewd AsIatics were not long in
discovering these advantages, and
hence the popularity and rapid de-
velopmcnt of the new route IS explain
ed. An observing person who stops
at the towns and stations along the
Southern Pacific IN the territories can
very readily detect the influx from the
comparatively sew direction. He
will meet with many Cinnamon who,
while they display no knowledge of
American ways and are totally unac-
quainted with our lans uage, ere found
to possess considerable knowledge of
Spanish, and eat the food and have
many Of the Mexican customs, and
are found IN many instances to be
living in newly-made houses cons
structed of the traditional abode or
sUnsdried brick. This shows plainly
that they have reached American
soil from a southern direction.
The great bulk of the Chinese COM
ing to this country from Mexico are
landed at GusymaS, a port which has
the best harbor on the Gulf of Cali
fornia, and which has developed into
considerable importance since the
completion of the Sonora railway.
Landing Chinese here has, in tie past
year, developed into q regular bust
ness. They are brought IN vessels
which come from the Pacific ocean,
and the traffic has become so profit
able that it is said that vessels some
times arrive with no other freight to
make up their cargo. The greater
number of vessels in the trade are
British, and in most cases the emf
T., +,,l~ y. "
from vessels which brought them
from a Chinese port. The new corners
after landing at Guaymas do not come
directly to the United States, but
scatter through the interior and find
work In the mines and on the planta-
tons In the river valleys, while those
otherwise trained remain in Quay
and are given work in the families Of
the wealthy and on the streets an in
commercial establishments. The ma
jority are imported by contract, and
are compelled to work out their pas
sage as they do III California, but
those that come with some means and
independent, find employment much
more readily than the native poems,
on account of their industry and re-
spectful servility. Some of them have
accumulated property in Guaymas,
and are engaged as in Sau Francisco,
in commercial and industrial pursuits.
The new corners seem 10 be popular
among the Mexicans and are given
every inducement to remain IN the
country, but the wages paid are poor,
and the Ambitions of the great majority
is to come to the United States and
enjoy persecution of and rob the hated
Mclean" man, and this they do as
soon as sufficient means can be ac-
cumulated. There are now in the
great mines near Durango, Z2catecrs,
Aguas, Galleries, and other large
towns hundreds of Chinese lab0rers
at work. They as general thing are
stronger and have much more endur-
ance than the half starved native Ia
borers, and always find employment
with the wealthy Mexican mine-o wn-
ers, who greatly prefer them.
A large number of the heathens are
also being constantly landed at the
Mexican ports of San Bias and Man
zanillo. The Chinese in the City Of
Mexico and the other large towns of
the republic mainly came from the
former port, many of Ghen having re-
shipped from Gnaymas. From Marys-
vile they are forwarded to the large
coffee and sugar plantations in the
states of Guerrero, Ooxaca, Puebla,
and other states of southern Mexico.
The majority of them sent to these
states are of the lowest type of Mon
golians and arrive as slaves, and are
seldom able to satisfy their Mexican
masters and secure enough ahead to
escape to ths United States. Some of
the Chinese landing in New York
have, however, labored on the south
ern Mexican plantations and made
their escape through Vera Cruz 1t is
said that IN the state of Guerrero some
very large plantations are owned By
wealthy Cinnamon, who vie with the
lazy Mexican aristocrats in making