New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-06
4 NEW METHOD or IDENTIHCArION !

NEW METHOD OF IDENTIFIChTION.
When the Chinese Restriction law was passed It
was believed by the advocates Of such legislation
that it would put all cioctual check upon Mon
golian immigration. That expectation, however,
proved fallaciOus, for the Chinese very astute
and cunning. and at once began to devise all
manner Of plausible methods of circumycnting
the law. The latter put restriction upon tho
ingress Of merchants or students aud consequently
those classes began to multiply SD rapidly that
suspicion was reused and the leak stopped.
Several other smart lodges were tried. and though
trey were discovered in time experience of four
years has proved the mpOsSibility Of keeping out
the Celestial3 by any of the Old precautions. Tho
most serious difficulty has always been In regard
to identification. A Chinaman possessing legal
residence in tho United States would 90 to China,
and on going would procure the statutory certii-
cate on the strength of which alone he could return
Bat in nine cases out of ten when that certificate
was again presented by newly-arrved Chinaman
il was found impossible to decide whether ito man
presenting it the to whom it was originally
issued. THIS difficulty was made free use OF by tho
Chinese, and with the general result that ut the
end of four years there are more of them IN Cali
forna than when the act was passed.
TO render the law something better than dead
letter some now means of Identification hal to bo
devised, ana NJ last success seems 10 laNo CROWNED
the search. The new scheme is to take impressions
of the top of the outgoing Chinaman's thumbs
The thumb is first pressed lightly on an nk-pad and
then on piece of white paper. The resulting i'm
pres sion is characteristic to n remarkable extent
IL 49, indeed asserted that the lines OF the thumbs
present moro distinct varieties than can be found
in any other part of the body, and that Identified
ton by means of such impressions is practically
infallible Tho discovery is not by any means II
new one nor can its application be claimed
original nasmuch rs tho practice Of taking thumb
impressions has been followed by the Chinese them
selves for several centuries, they applying the
method with success TO check desertion from the
army. Those who have studied chirOmancy arc of
course well aware that the ancients attached great
significance to the lines of the thumb and modern
essays at systems of character depreciation have
also built much upon the striking individuality of
these lines II is said that no two thumbs give
similar Impressions and that right and left thumbs
are always markedly different
In the present case there is desire to read the
character of the Cinnamon, but SIMPLY to prevent
fraud and il is believed that the new process will
checlSmate the Celestial ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain" With the neutrality-suspicious.
before him tho inspector will no longer have to
trouble himself about the height. age external
appearance Of tho applicant He will simply turn
to the book in which the thumb-pictures CORE
spending to that particular certificate recorded,
ana he will take new set of Impressions from the
applicant and COMPARE them with tho old ones
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