The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-07-23
CHINESE HlCHBlNDeRS.

| dent with Oriental red and yellow,
its pagoda-like restaurants, lis mar
row, noisome alleys, its underground
opium and gambling dens, IL fur.
nishes picture in miniature of the
seamy side of life in Chinese city.
But what most writer's forget is that
Chinatown in the far Western me-
tropolis represents mainly the worst
features of Mongolian lite, and is as
unfair type of comparison as
Mulberry or Baxter Street to-day
would be of the life of New York.
Nine-tenths of the jewellers in San
Francisco's Chinatown are coolies,
ranking ms virtual slaves in their own
country, and doomed from birth to
mental labor of the coarsest kind.
No Chinese of rank would tolerate
one Of them as his body servant or
would permit one to work in any
capacity in his household. Outside
the Chinese Consulate in San Fan
cisco it is doubtful whether me
would be able TO find score of Chi
nese of good family or breeding
among the 10000 herde,i in China
town. Gathered in this way, is it
any wonder that the coolies in Cali
fornia include many criminals!
Could one take 10000 white men
from The slums of any giea, city end
secure { higher order of in diligence
Or sohi;a.y than is shown by ihis
pig-iei'ed heather!
Wa he Chine beg : 20 flock
10 c.. lurnia in large nun 'e-s, 49,.
t,acted by gold mining end he = e
mise of work on the overload az.
road, they formed foc mule y e.
,cciion what are kDov,l rs o.e SH
Companies. These wee fashion. 4
on ,he principle cf -ade srit S.
The men from Cantor, 10 inst, j e,
formed one company, nose { ON
Hongkong another. The memhels
paid regular dues. for which The
society furnished them hospital care
when sick. and guaranteed ihat their
bones should be carefully trans
ported 10 China in ease OF death.
They were also 10 be aided in any
difficulty with Chinese of other COM
panies or with whites. The com
pany rooms were the headqual tiers
! for the members, where they could
get the latest news from China.
Outgrowths from these companies,
but independent of them, are the
Hiuhbinders' societies. These are
purely American institutions, like
The Six Companies. without counter
part in the old country. They are
many in number, and heir strength,
and the desperate character of their
active members, and the swift ven
geance which they have dealt out
10 offenders, have made them feal ed
throughout the Pacific coast.
Though known rs Freemnsons, the
Highbinders are really banded TO-
gelher for black and police
purposes. If by any favor the con-
tidence of a Highlander is won, he
will have no hesitation in acknowledge
ing that he lives by bl;,ck-mail. He
regards his calling as perfectly
legitimate, and in carrying out the
orders of his society he would stop
at no crime, for he looks on the
murder of one who has violated the
secrets of his society, or who ha:
received its sentence, as meritori
Gus Bit Of work.
The mother society among the Fl 81
binders is the Chez Kung Goag
which occupies a substantial ..rea
story building on Spofford Alley, il
the heart of the Chinese Quar,e, Of
San Francisco. The society owns
the building and is regularly incor
porated. Ascending fight o
stairs, one comes to the large as
sembly-hall, room sixty By twenty
five feet, we'll furnished IN Chinese
style. Around the sides of Tic
room are ranged heavy carved opb
chairs, the wood of which looks Ike
ebony in shadow, and in strong ighl
shows the rich color of old rose
wood. In the centre of ,he room is
table, and at one side are arrange
mentS Tor making Tea. Oh tHt
walls are hung Chinese paintings
and notices from Confucius. JUS
at the head of the stairway is 4,
long tablet of lockwood, on which
are inscribed The namss of the ! 90
charter members of the society, will
the amounts which they original,
contributed. In the lear of tl'
apartment is a small Office which
contains the usual corch. covere,
with clean mating and providct
with an opium layout; on The wall
are the names of the Officers and o
the police force for the half year
Four "headmen" are eleted semi
annually, whose word is law, as wei
as thirty-three ''hatchctmen," as TIT
guard detailed TO execute the de
crees If the society is called. TIN
Chez Kung is The most powerful o
all the societies, and has 400
members in San Francisco, and 10,
600 in all the American colonie
where Chinese have penetrated
Their rolls show that they hav
branches in 800 town in the Unite
States, Spanish America, and Cuba
:, A singular fact is that many mem
bers of the minor societies still be
Iona IN thp Chez Kunp.