The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-07-21

This ratio has been as high since the passage OF
the Restriction act as 1t was before.
Under the terms OF the act Gf it were strictly en-
forced the Chinese population would notony have
remained at standstill. but would have virtually
decreased for the most obvious reasons.
First-Not one Chinese in a thousand has wife
or family here and the number of Chinese children
born in California does not average one per annum
for every one thousand Chinese males.
Second-0f the 1000 and more of the Chinese
population of San Francisco there not more than
700 women, and of these all but about $50 are eour
tesans, and do not therefore increase the popula-
ton.
Third-Taking the average death rate of per
cent per annuIn for every thousand of the popula-
tion-and this is a low estimate when the filth in
which they live and their regarding the
spread of smallpox. leprosy and other well-known
1000 to 125 Chinese residents die every year, while
the births do not average higher than from 60 to $50
per year. leaving net decrease in population every
year, at a liberal estimate, of 975.
Custom House statistics show that in the guise of
prior residents thousands of Chinese have been ad-
mitted here in excess of the number that have de-
parted since the first pretended enforcement of the
act This palpable increase of an undesirable popu-
aton can be noticed with the naked eye by any one
who has resided here for from five 10 ten years past
The Chinese quarter has never been moved since
it was first established here, over thirty years ago.
They have come 10 stay and they are staying,
Hence their increase of population can be best stu
died by comparison OF the old with the new boun-
daries of Chinatown.
lation of San Francisco was roughly estimated to be
about 600O0 in the winter time when work was slack
III the country ana ABOUT 4OUUD the summer our
ing harvesting. At that time whole blocks border
ing on Chinatown were tenanted by white people
These blocks to-day have fallen into the hands Of
the Chinese who now occupy them, while the old
quarter remains Just as densely populated.
Waverly place. which runs from sacramento to
Washington streets, between Dupont and Stockton
streets ten years ago and even later was the bode
of white cyprians. To-day not white person re-
sides those two blocks street being exclusive
ly occupied by the Chinese stores and factories
hardly u change for the better even in the moral
sense.
The same can be said of Sacramento street. be-
tween Dupont and Stockton. Now the Chinese
dragon has devoured ii. and several bay Widowed
houses formerly occupied by white women are
tenantless and display the sign 40 let" In a few
months these premises will be rented by Chinese.
stockton street, from California to Pacific, and
from Washington to Sacramento not many years
There were drug stores dry goods stores furniture
stores, millinery shops, bakeries and other estab
lishments which gave employment to. very many
white people. Now, the oblong red slip of paper
with Chinese letters in black CLEAN from every door
post and from every door panel.
The houses are dilapidated, the walls corridors
and saireases are black with smoke for the capac-
ity of these buildings has been doubled and quadru
pied the Chinese fashion by making four rooms out
of these rooms the inmates cook their meals on
fires built in discarded coal oil cans. The smoke
finds its way eventually through the open doors,
but not until 1t has blackened and creased both
plaster and woodwork.
Washington street. from Kearny to Stockton, not
long ago was a clean thoroughfare so far us the
buildings were concerned. Caucasans did business
here in drugs groceries, liquors, cigars boots Shoes
clothing, artificial flowers and Easter bonnets Now
the entire three blocks there is French restaur
ant, an artificial flower shop and drug store, The
rest are Chinese stores and residences, The same
may be said as truthfuy of Clay street. from Kearny
to Stockton street.
Where once Caucasian enterprise hourished and
thrifty tradesmen were rearing up sons and daugh-
ters, attending the schools and churches is now
seen only the pig-tailed Mongol, foe to progress
Christianity aud civilization. The buildings them
selves are falling into ruin through the rayages of
III AF .
pedestrian hurries by them, holding his nose and
his stomach against the combined doors of burning
sandal wood, opium and grease.
IL must strike the ordinary observer remarks
writer in the Examiner, that the solid Appraisers
building on the southeast corner of sansome and
Washington streets was built by the United States
Government specially for the benefit of the Chinese
Mongoians, their attorneys and brokers, throng
the halls necessarily orloiter in the corridors while
from the very entrance OH the sidewalk up 10 the
ceiling of the uppermost story of the building the
air and everything one touches is charged with the
odor OF pork grease and opium.
The yellow tide has poured down Sacramento
Clay and Commercial streets, as far as Montgomery
The boundaries of the Chinese quarters is also ex
tending up the hill from Stockton to Powell Streets
OH Jackson Clay and sacramento
On jackson street, between Stockton aud Powell,
the once beautiful residence of the late Dr. Toand
is occupied by troop of Chinese. Blue blouse
and white trousers hang from the upper windows
drying in the sun. The front door stands open,
backened and grimy, while the once white walls
in the hallway are greasy and sooty. The lower
hall of the block toward Stockton street has been
taken up by the Mongols, while the upper half
toward Powell street still remains in the possession
of the whites.
ON Clay street, between Stockton and Powell
there are SIX fine two and threestory baywindowed
houses labeled TO let" and another For sale"
These were recently occupied by white people but
the cncroaehment OF the Asiatics on the block and
the consequent pollution of the air drives them
away. On nearly all the other houses in this block
the red paper announcing the name and business OF
the pigaied tenant shines on the door posts. All
of the enuntless houses have neat garden plots in
front of them, but the invasion has rendered the
block unfit for Caucasian habitation. After the
dust of months shall have gathered in the empty
rooms the Chinese will walk in at moderate rental
and will complete the work OF monopoly and de-
VISITATION by impregnating the building with the
odors most disagreeable to Caucasian nostrils.
The same work of gradual occupation and the
retiring OF the white inhabitants is going on on Sac
ramento street, between Stockton and Powell.
On Powell street between Washington and Jack
son streets, is neat wooden building-the First
Methodist Church. ON an arch at the entrance is
painted i'll letters of gold i was glad when they
said unto me- Let go into the house of the Lord "
The reporter stood IN front of the house of worship
surveying the lines on the street made by the flood
tide of the pig tailed INVASION and, he took out
his notebook 10 jot down location or two a China
man. with broad grin, accosted him. and pointing
10 the arch, read the inscription aloud with all the
vanity of u schoolboy, and said TO the reporter
"We like him wely well. Let go into de house
Of dc Lold' Bime by Chinaman go in there; welly
nice place TO- shirt iaetoly"
His words are prophetic. When the once elegant
residence of the foremost physician of the State is
converted into an opium den, who shall say that
make shirts in the shrines of the Christians GodY
The story is not half told by the correspon-
dent of the Star, who scarcely touches or al
ludes to some of the most loathsome and dis
gushing features of Chinese life. The writer
of this had a narrative of it, some years ago,
from Mr.. Jacob Foster, of Middletown, Del,
an intelligent mechanic, who lived in San
Francisco for several years, and until he was
driven out of it by the ruin of his business
that of house carpenter-by Chinese pauper
labor. He said no man could form an ade-
quate idea of the loathsome filth and squalor
of these people without seeing it. They
huddled together like so many pigs in a stye.
They had none of the ideas of decency and
propriety of the American people. The ties
of home, kindred, family, were unknown to
them. The few who had wives and children,
had little care for them. To dress their
wives decently, as Americans do; to dress
their children neatly and educate them,
training them to the duties and responsibilities
of good citizenship and in the faith and prac
tice of christianity, was not in all their
thoughts. Idolatrous, ignorant, leprous, de-
based in body and mind, they are utterly I'M.
fit for citizenship in this country, and ought
to be debarred from landing upon our shores.
There are four hundred millions in China,
and if they are allowed to overrun our coun-
try, they will bring down the laboring people
here to their own debased condition.