Connecticut western news., 1888-03-21
CHINESE COOLIES.

O111lN LOL OOOA1AO. The Barefooted Impassive Toil-
 CTS in Oriental Hong Kong.
 Fantastic Scenes in a Mongo-
 Han Seaboard City.
 On the mainland shore at Hong Kong, says China correspondent in the Globc-Dcmocrat, arc large docks, bar racks, an observatory and other solid evidences of Eaglaud's firm grasp and power, and comparative quiet rcigns, but at the waters edge of the city the whole din and uproar of Chinese city assaults thc cars, as the samo old Chi@csc smell deals the nose blow. The Praya, that runs along the waters edge, with high stone houses on ono side, swarms with barefooted coolics with poles ant burdens over their shoulders, and sedan chairs carried by more coolies spirit an occasional foreigner along above the common heads. The fronts of the high houses have open arcades at each story, and are covered with signs, among which tho vermilion paper of the Chinese shows everywhere.
 There is something suggestive of Italian seaports in this quay, and when the coolies lift the chair poles and begin ascending tn, staircase of a side street, ono thinks instln ctively of Geneva's stone stairways. O. tn, upper lev Is, on the roads above all the Chinese shops and houses, tho resemblance is even greater and the stone balustrades of the long terraces, tho heavy gateways and the massive houses with their stories loggias make one sure that the bluo water below is the Mediter ranean or one of the lakes. Through one arched way in high stone wall ono looks up long staircase lined on either side with masses of rcd, white and yell low flowers to the door of a Portuguese chapel, and an Italian convent is approached between whte stone walls, and more rows of gorgeous blossoms. The shrub bery is all tropical, the banyan tree spreading network of roots over slop. ing banks and snapping, snaky roots with fine punches of tendrils of root over one's head. Banana trees, rows of tree ferns, huge-leafed things that are strange to one's eyes, fill the gardens, and rows of potted rysanthemums oi most brilliant colors line stairways and surmount balustrades. The scarlet poin. sctta is here spreading bush or tree far above ones head, and the whole top blaze of big red stars that fairly lurn the eyes with their intense color ing. The shade trees arch over the terrace roads, and when ono passes from sunshine to shade there is that l one that the climate has its Italian turn, too.
 The conveyance ono rides in is no Italian nor are the common people by the roadside like the fascinating inhabi. tants of the peninsula. The cheapnes of human labor is shown when one car be borne aloft on the shoulders of tw, men, like an idol in procession, at tht rate of fifteen cents an hour, and thu contrast between the leisure aud work ing classes i' most apparent when thu one leans back ih his ease and tn, other pants under the poles of tho chair. Nearly all the coolies are bare footed, loose, Tapping straw sandals being sometimes worn to save the fee from the fine, sharp stones with whicl the cement roads arc set. The slip slap, muffled sound of bare feet bein. set down fatly and in a steady me chanical beat, as regular as machinery has curious effect on one. At first i seems as though the regularit, of the tread was enougl to sooth one to sleep, bu afterwards, especially if coming hom late in the evening through these stil avenues of trees and high stone walls there is something in this mcthodica foot fall that gives one an uncomforta ble sensation as of being carried off b some unknown power suggestive of evi and the supernatural. The chair cooli, wears only the two cotton garments unless the weather is chill enough tt call for second coat, or hot enough t remove the first one. The trousers ar of the universal Chinese cut for tn coolie class, each leg in a Hopping petit coat of cotton, yard wide, reachin below the knee. No race of people hay designed an uglier dress and stuck to without change for so many centuries.