The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-04
RICH cHINEsE oHILpREN.
Everybody Gives the Good Little Ones
Money and They Save 1t.

Money and They Save 1t.
From the New York World.
There are ten or twelve half-breed
Chinese children in Now York who will
one Of these days become people Of wealth.
il not influence, either in this country or
China. There is custom among the
Chinese, no matter where found, OF giving
money to young children OF friends and
acquaintance upon such occasions us:
First upon the occasion OF shaving the
head, or the mere ceremony Of it, which T..
occurs when the babe is just thirty days
old. This is also the regular christening,
and each guest is expected to donate not
less than So in gold, while the am cunts
frequently, even in New York, run up as
high as two $50 gold pieces wrap ped in
red rice paper. This the guest hands to
the father or mother who holds the infant
for inspection.
The second occasion is on the Chinese
New Years, when the amounts depend
much upon the social standing OF the
parents OF the recipients, and also upon
the individual loneliness OF the child itself.
These presents are frequently as low as
silver 20 cent piece, but occasionally among
the best friends OF the parents the chill
dren will get s. gold piece inside OF his
or her red rice paper packet No callers
who have any self respect would neglect
this little ceremony in the presence of
children on New Years Day.
The third occasion is on birthdays OF the
young ones, when only members OF the
family and intimate friends give anything.
The presents thus received are legally the
property OF the children but occasion ally
unprincipled parents appropriate them i'm
mediately afterward.
Little seven year old Tommy Lee, the
eldest son OF Mr.. Tom Lee, the Chinese
| deputy sheriff, heads the list OF rich chill
| dren, with 81, SO in an uptown savings
| bank. Tommy's little four year old
brother frankie is one of the smartest lit
tie fellows in Chinatown. and can speak
| Chinese, English, German and Italian and
| perhaps will know several other languages
before the year is past frankie will DO
| quite rich by the time he is a little man
and wants wife. IIc has already 81 200
10 his credit in the same savings bank.
Mr.. j. G.. Bap,iste's several children
have each snug sum banked up TO multi
| ply. So also has Mr.. All Ming, Of No ~
| Mott street, whose three little boys and
| girls, from two TO six years, have several
hundred dollars saved up by their mother.
In the cases OF Tommy and frankie Leo
their mother is their sole business man
ager and clerk. She attends TO their bank
ing and sees that their capital is judicously
and proftably invested.
81 furnish my children with all the
necessaries Of life and see that they get
each a fine education" said Mrs. Lee,
| Nl,.. sl..s.
schooling l want 10 see my boys well pro.
vided with sufficient capital to 90 into
any kind OF business that they may wish.
No matter whether we have anything or
not, that money belongs TO the children.
They have earned il by their own pretty
little ways from their fathers country
men; with this little start want TO see
each OF my boys have at least $4,000 cash
! by the time they are tweniy-one."
Ii is also noticed that the best behaved
children are the most successful in receiv-
ing substantial presents from the China
men. This is probably one OF the reasons
why all Cinnamon vie with each other in
bringing up good children. But there ars-
two Anglo-Chinese families in China
town whose children have never been
given any presents after their christening,
owing 10 their rudcneSs and unmannerly
| conduct. Their mothers strong will
power preventing the fathers from correct
ing them is said TO be the cause.
There are probably, all told, about $50
Chinese children in New York and Brook
| Ign. Among these are about dozen who
are pure or full-blooded ones, mostly chill
drcn OF well-to-do merchants, who, owing
10 their long stay in this country, have
brought their own Chinese wives here.
These are Kwong Hing Lung, Wo Kce.
Sim Quong, On Wong All Iii, Leon All
Dam, I'm luet Sing and several other
lesser merchants. Just as in China, thew
keep their wives indoors from one end OF
the year 30 the other, and these ladies',
through sheer want OF society, have
formed among themselves a society Of
their own, 10 which gatherings no man
darcs intrudc, not even their own hus-
/ bands. The children OF these families,
unlike their other brethren and sisters,
are invariably dressed In rainbow-colorcd
garments, like the regular Chinese chill
dren OF China, and are taught 10 speak
the Chinese language, while their English
vocabulary is only used rs n luxury upon
certain occasions. Most Of these have
genuine Chinese girl nurses TO watch over
them, and, rs a rule, they are petted, aud
receive more cash presents from the wife
less Cinnamon than the hali.breed inno-
cents. WoN0 CnTS Foo.