The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-21
Jo& &R Miller Talks About the Little
Observation-Disclosures Creatures.


To one who has seen all the world, there
is not SO much that is picturesque in the
Chinese colony here; and l could not
truthfully indorse nearly all that enthui-
astic tourists say of either their shrewd-
Ness or interest in any way. For example,
a. n lack of common sense, they have
marble and stone seats in one of their big
stores here, to accommodate customers.
The hest and biggest of these stone seats
have marble backs. Enough to paralyze
the spine of a white man-even a China
man, 1 should think-in five minutes. And
l could go through the colony here all
day, and pick out dozens of like exhibi-
tions of low order Of common sense.
Some color is to be found here, and that
is relief to the eye which has to put up
with the mOurnful dress of the average
Amer lean, after a residence in Mexico.
But it is not very picturesque. The pig
tail il simply repulsive. And a Christian
Chinaman who had his hair cut is hardly
more attractive. His coarse, thick Tartar
hair is perhaps at its best when closely
shaven and tied up in a cue, after all AS
for the rolling, lolling, lazy and hideOusly
helpless Chinese women, know of no OBJ
Ject to which you can safely apply that
much used and much abused word, dis
gusting, to one of these pitiful and to-
tally inane creatures
The one real and uninterrupted delight
here is the Chinese children. They are not
very numerous; but they are bright, Won
derfulIy full of fun, and very beautifully
dressed There is a confusion of sex, how
ever. Did 1 ever tell you that a Mexican
boy baby puts on his little pantaloons the
day he is born and wears them right along?
Well, the babies of both sexes here seem
to do that, far as | can find ont
1t i worth whila any day to climb the
hill into the heart of san Francisco, and
half way to the top, to see these children
run and tumble and laugh and play in
their pee uliar and highly coiored clothes,
Just like other children. They have not
much room, but they are chock full of
heart and light spirits, and make the most
of what little room they have in their mar
row streets. Like little donkey or a lit
tie darky, the Chinaman is at his best, SO
far personal levity goes, when he Is
very small.
No trouble seems to come this way for
these kittenish little heathens, these Curl
Gus little citizens, tumbiing around under
the legs of tbeir sedate sires up here on
the pleasant hill overlooking the glorious
bay and all the battle ships The boycott
and the Chinese question are terms which
L reckon they have never heard. And
whatever may DE tied up for them in their
uncertain future, let them shout out the
spirit of play that is in them now to the
full Care will come soon enough to our
colored citizens of Asiatic descent.
The Chinese parent is the most affection
ate 1 ever saw among all the nations of
the earth. And this may be in part be-
cause the children are not numerous here;
but it is no guess work to say that it Is
largely because the child revereS the
parent. To see a little fellow quit his play
suddenly and run and lay his little red or
yellow silk head up against his adoring
father, as he stands on the sidewalk
Oitching him. is funny, if not affecting.
joaquin Miller in Chicago Times.