Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1886-02-20
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Summary of the Anti-Chinese
Work Done In Truckee.

The first anti Chinese meeting was
held in Truckee Nov. 28th, 1885. Few
business men or large property holders
were present. The movement was re.
garded with suspicion. Similar move
ments in the past had proven to be only
short lived excitements, and had pro.
duced lawlessness and rioting. There
was no precedent for the opinion that a
Chinese cursed community could purge
itself without recourse to violence. In
San Francisco the Chinese had been
ordered to leave by the 18th of January.
From Eureka and one or two other
places they had been forcibly expelled.
Reputable citizens, who had homes,
families and permanent business inter.
ests, could not afford to join so doubtful
and dangerous an enterpriae. From the
character OF the speeches made at the
first meeting, and from the appearances
of the men who were present, it was
evident there was little thought of ex-
luding the Chinese by peaceful, law
abiding means. The wealthy classes
were hardly represented, and the violent
elements were present in full force. 1t
was feared that Truckee was on the eve
Of bloodshed and incendiarism. Repeat
ed invitations and messengers were sent
and finally business man was induced
to leave his store and preside over the
meeting. A committee Of five was ap-
pointed to draw up resolutions express
ing the sentiments OF the community.
Only two OF the committee were pres
ent, and they were forced to hunt up
third member on the streets, in order to
get the report signed by majority.
| The resolution declared: awe, the
citizens of Truckee, will use every
means in our power. lawfully. to drive
the Chinese from our midst" One Of
the three committed objected to
the word "lawfully," and although the
resolution was adopted by small vote,
it was apparent that the word "lawful-
| ly" did not express the sentiments OF
the meeting. During the ensuing week,
this resolution was censured, alike by
the incendiary element, and by those
who sympathized with the Chinese. The
former class regarded the law abiding
theory as traitorous attempt TO smoth
er the agitation, and the latter ridiculed
the idea Of ''driving" "lawfully."
During the week, the chairman of the
committee on resolutions, by persistent
personal appeals, induced half dozen
OF the leading citizens to promise to at
tend the next meeting, and to use their
influence to turn the current Of feeling
into peaceful, law-abiding channels.
After much persuasion, they reluctantly
promised. There was little hope Of
averting trouble. Seven hundred Chi
namen were at work in the Truckee ba-
sin, and scarcely one hundred white
laborers. Temperate, industrious white
laborers, heads Of families, were out of
employment and destitute, and their
places were occupied by well fed, we'll,
paid Cinnamon. Cinnamon filled the
leading mills. with the exception
Of the superintendent, sawyer, and set
| ter; the factories were more than half
run by Chinese labor; Chinese crews
were encroaching upon the logging
camps; the axes of none but Cinnamon
rang through the forests in cutting the
| 90, 600 cords of wood annually supplied
to the railroad company; the business
of teaming was almost wholly perform
ed by Cinnamon, the hotels, restaurants
and lodging houses employed Chinese
help; the washing, cooking and domes
tic work of the town was performed by
Cinnamon, and it was too evident that
the day was not far distant when the
Chinese would monopolize every avoca.
| ton and industry, and white labor
would be entirely driven from the great
| Truckee basin. Violence was so jusu
fable that it seemed inevitable. 1t re-
ouired considerable nerve for citizens
to attempt to guide the movement, for
| if any criminal act was committed by
the incensed community, the leaders,
however blameless, would be held re-
sponsible. At the second meeting, the
better class of citizens ruled, even if
they did not predominate in numbers.
| A petition favoring the exclusion of the
the Chinese from Truckee and from the
Pacific coast, had been signed during
| the week by almost every person in the
town. This fact suggested a method
of escaping from the perils of the stu
alton. A resolution was adopted de-
| clarinC "That it is the sense OF this
meeting that the interests not only of
the laboring man, but of the entire