Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-10
For the PIONEER,
FROM THE PACIFIC COAST.
TACOMA, Washington Territory
November %. 1885.

reading Il letter from an old Bridgeto-
nian, but now one of the pioneers of
Puget Sound. 1t has been several
months since my last communication
and as the Chinese excitement which
has prevailed to great degree for two
months past, has nearly subsidized |
may be free to speak on that subject
People of the East, as a rule, do not
understand what an intolerable nui-
sance these Celestials are upon the
Pacific coast, and until they have lived
among them they cannot fully see the
necessity of creating laws forbidding
their emigration to America. 1t seems
hard to impress this fact upon the
minds of Senators and Congressman
sufficiently deep to prompt them to
take any action in remedying this evil,
not that they have not already en-
acted such law, but it is necessary to
have more rigid enforcement of what
we have. From the recent raids
throughout the West among the China
men, it is barely possible that public
attention will be called at the com
ing session of Congress to Chin
ese affairs. For several months our
local papers have been constantly agi-
tating this question, and more sensibly
debating the advisability of the expul-
sion of the heather from the city. The
| latter part of September numerous
mass meetings were held and measures
| taken to rid the city of the MOngOlians
! An Anti Chinese Committee of fifteen
representative citizens including the
Mayor and two members of the Com
mon Council, was formed, and notices
printed and served upon the Chinese
merchants and slaves, commanding
them to depart in peace within thirty
days. On November 1st, the time eX-
pired, and three days grace We're al
lowed, at the end of which period
there remained about $50 Coolies. On
the morning of this last day of grace
the said committee, followed by pro-
cession of 200 or more wOrkingmen,
marched through the principal streets
told John to pack up his goods and
leave. This was, however, the most
orderly performance | ever witnessed,
inasmuch as, it is said, no violence was
used, yet literally and metaphorically
| speaking, said committee of course did
use violence by way of intimidation.
| n OF Chlnaman was manned, bruised
| or hurt in any way, and before night
nearly every Celestial in the city was
seen marching down the railroad in the
direction of Portland, Oregon. To-day
we have city wherein not a China
men resides, whereas six weeks or two
months ago the Chinese population
numbered about 700 After these
Celestials had been restrained of their
public liberty and made to leave the
city, their quarters were burned, and
| Chinatown proper was totally de-
stroyed by the flames.
| The day following the latter act, the
United States Marshal quietly slipped
into town and subpHnaed some twen-
five citizens to appear before the U. S.
Grand Jury at Vancouver to bear evil
dence against this committee | was
one of the witnesses who travelled 1926
miles by train over the Northern Pacific
Railroad and steamer on the Columbia
river from Portland Oregon, to tes tify
against my fellow citizens of this com
munity; and one may we'll imagine the
many little incidents connected with
a United States picnic of this kind
| We were obliged to remain at Portland
| and Vancouver a week, and during
| that period spent very enjoyable
time at the expense of the Government.
| Twenty of the citizens We're in
dicted by the jury on several different
causes, mainly for insurrection and re-
| bellion against the laws of the United
States, and each man placed under
$5, 900 bail for his appearance at court.
They all gave the required amount of
bail and were released. 1t is the in
tention of the Prosecuting Attorney to
prosecute and punish these offenders
to the full extent of the law in such
cases, and he will be assisted by able
counsel from the Department at Wash
ington, d. G.
Seattle has experienced similar
feeling in this matter, and yet the com
mittee in that city We're slow to act
and before their arrangements had
been fully consummatedt to fire bodily"
| the CelestlalS, ten companies of U. S.
| soldiers from Fort Vancouver on the
J Columbia river were stationed in that
| city. -Four of these companies stopped
a few days in Tacoma, then proceeded
to the Fort. The Cinnamon in Seattle
have a firm hold and are liable to re-
main, many of them being owners of
valuablereal estate, whereas in Tacoma
they owned not foot of land, and had
nothing to take away except a few per-
sonal effects. OF course there is very
strong and most bitter feeling upon
the part of many of these criminals
towards some of the witnesses who ap-
peared against them, and boycotting
Had Tacoma been composed of an
element that exists in mining districts,
these celestials would have been fired
bodily without a thirty days notice.
Our once quiet little city far away on
the beautiful waters of Puget Sound,
has been advertised pretty generally,
and from many Eastern press reports,
| have noticed many strangely exag-
| gerated stories concerning the Chinese
and their exodus. We of Tacoma have
cause for rejoicing, the Chinese have
gone. By recent action of the drec-
tors of the Transcontinental Northern
Pacific Railroad, the Cascade Division
is to be speedily pushed to compile
ton, and soon the contract for cutting
the tunnel through the Cascade Noun
tains is to be let. Our shipping inter
ests are booming, etc. Only short
time ago II ships were lying at our
wharves, IL of which were loading
lumber for foreign ports, with a ca
pacity of from 100000 to 100000 feet.
| Nhraa 1noIinCr q - %