davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
somethiug of The WAGE, Ppid.

The cities are beehives of work. The
streets are made up of cells open at the
front and full of manufacturers and traders
Everything is done by hand, and the work
ing hours are from daylight until dark.
have made inquiries into wages, and 1 find
them SO low that they would hardly pay
for the tobacco and coffee of our American
labor ers. Coolies employed in foreign
families get as low as $3.50 month and
board themselves. Skilled cooks receive
81 a month, and at Foo Choo, one of the
wealthiest Cinnamon of the city told
me that the wages of masons were IS
cents a day, and the best carpenters
received but 20 cents Women engaged
in making grass cloth, sort OF
linen, are paid from to cents day,
and an old missionary tells me he can get
ten men to work whole day for 81 and
leave 10 per cent to the man who hires them
for him, Here in Canton the chief means
of conveyance is by chair. The chairs are
made of wicker and covered with cloth so
that they. look like box. This box is
swung in the center between two long poles
resting on his shoulders and another walks
behind holding up the chair in the same
way. The regular native wages for such
men is 81 q month and less, and in the in
terror the prices are still lower. Ordinary
field hands get from to cents day with
food, and skilled workmen receive from to
cents.
Doctors who get as high as 20 cents visit
in the cities come down to 10 cents visit in
the country, and engravers and painters re-
ceive from 10 to II cents day. Theater
actors are paid proportionately low rates,
and there are no $1,000 night PATHS or
Henry Irvings in China. The theaters, you
know, last all day and half the night, and
troupe of 80 players will play for As hours
for $50. Silk weavers and silk reelers are
among the highest paid men, and their
work can only be done when the cocoons are
ready for reeling. During this time the
men work for weeks day and night, and they
receive from 81 to So day. The grand
average of skilled labor runs, however,
about as follows: Master workmen receive
So week or $156 year, and workmen un-
der these 81 so week or S7S year.
Youngsters and females get 80 cents week,
and these are considered good living wages.
For them the laborer does not growl as to
the hours of work, and the labor unions of
China regulate the hours only in the case of
men working by the piece and not by the
day.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
Apprenticcship Laws.

These labor unions regulate the laws as
to apprenticeship. They fix the number of
apprentices that one master may have, and
the silk weavers' union forbids the teach
ing or employment of women. Apprentices
receive no wages. They work from three to
five years and get only food and lodging
No man can employ an apprentice who has
not served out his full time, and some trades
provide that only the sons and relatives OF
the workmen may be taught them. The
usual penalty for acting contrary to the
rules ofthe guild is for the guilty member
to pay fine to the guild, or to furnish a
supper or theatrical performance. These
are, however, for minor faults only. In
serious cases there is no punishment too
severe, and an employer Who violated one
of the rules in regard to apprenticeships was
not long ago bitten to death in 500 Chow, a
city not far from Shanghai. This employer
was gold-beater, and there was a great de-
mand for gold-leaf for the Emperor. This
man took more apprentices than the rules of
the union prescribed. and in seeking pun
ishment for him the workmen concluded
that death was necessity. They thought
that if number of them engaged in the
killing it would not be possible to punish
them all, and biting in China is not capi-
tai offence.
There were 12S men in this guild, and
these rushed at the employer, each taking a
bite. One man, the leader of the affair
stood over the rest, and in order that all
might be implicated, no one was allowed
to quit the place without his gums and lips
were bloody. The murderer VINO took the
first bite was discovered and beheaded, but
the others went free. Colonel DENLY has
sent report of this affair to the State De-
partment at Washington,
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
HONEST THIEVES.
How Four Unemployed Workiugmen Forced
Loan From Spanish Landlord,

How Four Unemployed Workiugmen Forced
n Loan From Spanish Landlord,
Spanish Letter in Phila delphia Telegraph
An anecdote is related by the Opinion,
of Tarragona, which gives quite another
picture of the unemployed agitation. At
Lir1a, little town in the ne1ghborhood Of
Valencia, four workmen, who were really
in great difficulties, called upon rich
landed proprietor and begged him to lend
them each the sum of 81, so that they might
obtain little bread for their children for
at least few days. The landlord, how
ever, lost his temper, received the men bad
ly, and exclaimed, eff you have not
enough to eat, why do you not help your
selves?" At this cynical suggestion the
men, with downcast looks, retired.
The night brought counsel; and, after due
consultation, they returned to the landlord
on the morrow and again asked for the
loan of dollar. They were received in the
same manner and with the same answer.
But this time the men did not retire in sor-
row and confusion. They told the rich pro-
prietor that, under the circumstances. they
were now prepared to follow his advice, and
would help themselves; then, drawing the
weapons they had concealed under their
clothes, they summoned him to deliver over
the keys of his cash-box. In this manner
they relieved him of $50 in cash and tri-
umphantly marched away. But the four
workmen were no thieves. They had never
robbed before; they did not desire to rob on
this occasion. They only wished to feed
their children and give the landlord a les
son for melting them to 'thelp themselves.
Consequently all four menswent off at once
to the parish priest, explained to him all
that had happened, and gave him S46 to be
returned to the landlord, with the explana-
ton that they had kept 81 for themselves as
a loan. Further, they each gave in a re-
ceipt acknowledging the compulsory loan
which they had thus obtained.
The landlord, no one who knows Spanish
customs will be surprised to hear. thought
he had got over the difficulty easily. The
loss Of but 81 instead of $50 was pleasant
surprise; and there is some chance that he
will be paid back even these 81. Therefore.
nothing has been said to the police about
the matter, The four workmen are free and
in the tull enjoyment of their 81. Public
opinion is on their side. They only did
what the landlord himself suggested starv
ing men should do. The laugh is against
the landlord, SO he has wisely resolved to
suffer in silence. All these facts point, how
ever, to great want of organization, to the
necessity of labor bureaus or some such in
stitutions to regulate the distribution of la
Dor, and prevent congestion in one district
while there is work neglected in other quar-
ters.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

commanded grufiy, land see that you treat
him decently."
They promptly took hold of Orton and
lifted him in their arms. He was verY
heavy.
"Be careful there" growled the old man
with rolling oath, "carry gently every
one of you, and be careful, do you hear?.'
The last stragglers came in from pursuing
Garcin and his men, the dead and wounded
were cared for, the boats were manned, all
was ready, and the triumphant little hotilla
slowly made its way down the bayou.
0rton lay, all unconscious, on bed of
sailcloth in the open air on the deck of the
schooner, and old Rochon, with his hands
locked behind him, stood by, gazing at the
yourg mans face. Some wounded men
were groaning and cursing, others smoked
their pipes stolidly while their hurts were
being rudely dressed, and yet others were
singing ribald songs and making CHASTITY
jokes apropos of the victory just won. In
deed, it would be hard to imagine a more
striking and savage scene than the slow
moving feet presented as it wound Its way
down to the open water of the bay.
Once in generous sea room the little
schooner flung out her white wings In the
moonlight, and, gathering in the light
breeze, drew away from the rowboats and
was soon at anchor off Magnolia Point, with
Rochon place in full view.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
The Hour, ofWork.

AS to the hours of work in China carpen-
ters work IL hours in summer and nine in
winter, and masons work half an hour
longer. There is no Sunday here and your
Chinaman works week in, and week out. At
the last of the year he gets about ten days
off, and altogether he has less than score
of holidays. On the Chinese farm every
one of the family works, and children of six
and seven have their daily labors. Farm
laborers get from 10 to 10 cents day and
meals, or from 75 cents to 81 05 week. By
the month they are paid from 81 80 to 50 90
and board, and S12 year and board and
lodging is big pay, If Chinese farm
hand, working from daylight to dark the
year through, can save So, he does we'll.
And as it costs him only about 81 year for
his clothing, he is sometimes able to do this.
AT the end of perhaps 20 years he has saved
enough to buy himself farm, and the
average Chinese farm in many of the
provinces is not more than two acres. In
some cases the holdings are as low as asixth
of an acre, and tenant farmers rent out a
number of these tracts for half the crops
The stock of small Chinese farmer con-
sists of couple of pigs, few fowls and
water buffalo, sort of a COW which is used
here for ploughing and working A man
and vile and two children can live we'll off
two acres. Their diet is rich, vegetables
and tea, and at festive times they have q bit
of pork, a fowl or some eggs.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

and suddenly realized that it was nearly
ociock IN the morning. She was girl
ABOUT ~ years with big blue eyes, perfectly
ciear sklp and beautiful figure clad in a
taiior-made dress. She was writing at a rate
that would have startled the stenographer
OF the United States Senate. Her brows
were knit in a scowl that was half excite
ment ana halt anxiety, and her pen fairly
flew over the paper.
A GOOD EVENINGS WORK.
Her pretty fingers were stained with ink
and whenever my friend stopped in his ex-
cited delivery and asked her to read back a
few lines so as to get him on the right track
again she read the notes in precisely the
same style as be had delivered them. 1t
was wonderfully funny to hear her uncon-
scious imitation Of his dramatic tones and
robust infections. IT is not at all unlikely
that he would have gone on debating all
night If she had not stopped to remark that
she was all tired out. Then he suddenly
recognized her existence, rang for the jani-
tor, the girl put on her wraps, bade US both
good night with charmingly frank smile,
and departed for home under the old jani-
tors escort.
She remarked before leaving that'it had
been good nights work as they had die
tated nearly 10000 words since dinner.
Here was girl earning her living in a
thoroughly honest and honorable manner
and taking risks which would appal a
woman in any other country than America.
Yet she was utterly unconscious of any dan
ger whatever. Neither she nor the man
who was employing her had any other idea
than an honest one about their work, and
hence she wrote away in his apartments
whenever he needed her services, without
anv undue alarm.
The girl was so pretty that she would not
have dared to walk alone IN the streets of
any European capital after4 o'clock in the
afternoon. Yet here she could do anything
because she was an American. That typi-
fled the old-time spirit of the young women
OF this country, and it is crying shame
that the prudery and afectation of some of
the alleged society women who have been on
the other side and absorbed foreign notions
are driving out the feeling of independence
and security which was formerly the most
valuable heritage of an American girl.
BLAKELY HALL.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
Wonderful Workers.

What wonderful workers they are and
how the tug and pull and boil their keen
brains from morning until night all over the
Empire. From Peking to Canton have
found the streets of every city and village
filled with pushing, hurrying throng. I
have seen halfnaked men sweating in car
rying loads that would be heavy for cart
horse, and delicate women doing the work
of drays. Human muscle does even more
work in China than in Japan, and the
donkey and the mule are replaced by man.
Hong Kong is located at the base of a
mountain, away up the sides of which the
wealthier residents have summer homes.
The angle of the incline is one of nearly 45
degrees and all the building materials for
these houses are carried miles up by the
coolies.
Women in Hong Kong carry two great
baskets of stone fastened to poles which they
swing over their shoulders, and of the 80, 900
people who make up the boat population OF
the Hong Kong Bay, the chief workers are
women. They row boats with babies on
their backs, and see them standing and
sculling with their little ones tied to their
shoulders.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

i.
even worse than this, and the mud hut Of
the farmer is better than the home of city
workman. The average laborer Of the city
has three meals day, and these consist of
salt fish, vegetables and rice He eats meat
only three or four times year, and the
house in which he lives rents from 81 year
and upward. Many families own their own
houses which have grown through genera
tions and which include the whole clan
within their walls. Some such houses have
from Is to 20 little rooms and 100 occupants
is not uncommon. A Chinese house with
three rooms has kitchen, dining room and
bedroom. Its furniture consists of rude
table, benches without backs, kang or
ledge covered with mating upon which the
people sleep and beneath which fire burns.
and range of brick with an opening for
cooking.
In the southern provinces beds of boards
are used instead of hangs. A piece of mat
ting is thrown over this and the sleepers lie
with wadded eomforters wrapped around
them. Such accommodations make them
fairly happy, and there are millions in China
who are satisfied with them.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
TOSSED BY AN ELEPHANT.
Young EngIishman's Narrow Escape From
Being Gored TO Death.

Young EngIishman's Narrow Escape From
Being Gored TO Death.
The Youths Companion.1
When an elephant goes mad he makes
things lively. A company of Englishmen
were out on tiger-shooting expedition, and
all at once were startled by a shout from
one oftheir servants: "Run, run, Sahibsi
the tusker has gone mad. He has broken
loose" Most of the company got out of the
beasts way, but one fellow was still in the
tent.
Over the river we could see the brute in
frenzy of rage, kneeling on the shapeless
heap of cloth, furniture, poles and ropes
and digging mis- tusks with savage fury into
the hangings and canvas.
We had little doubt that poor Mack Law
crushed to death, smothered beneath the
weight of the ponderous animal, or mangled
out of all likeness to humanity by the ter
rible tusks that we could see flashing in the
moonlight. 1t seemed an age, this agony of
suspense.
Everything showed as clear as if it had
been day. We saw the elephant tossing the
strong canvas canopy about as dog would
worry doormat. Thrust after thrust was
made by the tusks into the folds of cloth.
Raising his huge trunk, the brute would
scream in the frenzy of his wrath. and at
last, after what seemed an age, but in reali-
ty was only few minutes, he staggered to
his feet and rushed into the Jungle.
Just then smothered groan struck like
peal of joybells on our anxious ears, and
muffled voice was heard from beneath the
folds of the shamiaha: 'Look alive, you
fellows, and get me out of this, or shall be
smotheredp'
In trying to elude the first rush of the ele-
phant his foot had caught in one of the tent
ropes, and the whole falling canopy had
then come bodily upon him, hurting the
camp table and a few cane chairs over him.
Under these he had lain, able to breathe,
but not daring to stir.
His escape seemed miraculous. The cloth
had several times been pressed so close over
his face as nearly to stihe him. The brute
in one of its savage, purposeless thrusts, had
pierced the ground between his arms and
his ribs, pinning his Afghan choga or dress
ing gown deep into the earth; and he said
he felt himself sinking into unconscious
ness, when the brute happily got up and
rushed off,
''How did you feel?'' 1 asked
"Well. 1 can hardly tell you."
sit must have grazed your ribs?"
"It did. After that seemed to turn quite
unconcerned. All sorts of funny ideas came
trooping across my brain. / could not tor
the life of me help feeling cautiously about
for my pipe, which had dropped somewhere
near when tripped on the ropes. seemed,
too, to have quick review cf all the actions
I had ever done, and was just dropping off
into dreamy unconsc1ousness, after pull
ing desperate race against Oxford with
my old crew.. when your voices reused me
to sensation once more"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
The Most Barber. in the World.


China has, perhaps, more BARRIERS than
any other country in the world, and the
Chinese head needs more attention than any
other head on the globe. The Chinese dude
has his head shaved daily and the man is
very poor who cannot afford his weekly
shave. A place is left at the crown about
as big around as lineup and the hair
which grows on this forms the cue. The
Chinaman has his face shaved even to the
forehead and about the eyes, and you find
the BARRIERS on the streets, in shops, in the
country and in fact everywhere. Itinerant
BARRIERS carry two small red stools made of
boxes in the shape of a pyramid in which
they have drawers containing their razors
and basins. They shave without soap and
they use two-pronged piece of iron with
which they make a noise like that of
mammoth tuning fork as the sign of their
trade. You hear this noise everywhere
throughout China, and one of the common
est sights of the streets and country roads is
one of these BARRIERS at work upon patient.
The Chinese razor is in the shape of an
isosceles triangle. 1t is made of rude steel
and many of them are pounded up from
wornout horseshoes which are imported
from Europe by the thousands of barrels, and
which are used in making all kinds Of Chi
nese implements. The rates of shaving are
very low, ranging from a few tenths Of a
cent to 10 cents and more, according to the
class to which the barber belongs and to the
standing of the customer. The BARRIERS
unions fix the rate ofshaving for their MEM
bers and they have fines and penalties.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
Labor Mos, Thorouehly oreanized.

There is no country in the world where
labor is so organized as in China, and every
branch of employment has its trade organi-
zation or guild. There are LOO men who
run passenger wheel-barrows in Shanghai
and the guild that these belong to regulates
the rate of fare and the hours of work.
.Weavers have guild, the BARRIERS have
their trades unions, and even the beggars
have their associations presided over by a
president who assigns to each his beat and
who can punish with his bamboo such as re-
fuse to obey him. These guilds are very
strong and their demands are respected BY
the Government The BARRIERS were for
long time prohibited from the literary ex-
aminations, which are the only passports to
Office, on the ground Of their being engaged
in menial occupation. They combined to-
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
A Queer Question.
New York SUM-

(which of the great characters of old
would you like to marry?" This is the
question that was brought under debate the
other night in.the Blank Society, and half
a dozen members of both sexes indicated
their choice, and the reason for it. One
bold man of mature years and marital ex-
perience selected Xantippe as the woman of
his preference; another selected Cleopatra,
and third the Queen of Sheba. Of the
three ladies, one made the choice ofSamson,
another of Hercules, and third Job. The
question will be further debated, and every
member of both sexes belonging to the So
ciety is to be required to make choice of
life partner from the great characters in
history.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
VALUABLE PAVING.
A Description of Solid Silver Wagon Road
i'm Colorado,

Description of Solid Silver Wagon Road
in Colorado.
'You may talk about nickle-plated rail-
roads," said L. 7. Stanley, "but what do
you think of solid silver wagon road? The
Horseshoe mine, in Colorado, has one, al
though when it was built they didn't know
it would pan out that way. They had to
have road from their mine, distance of
three miles, over which heavy loads had
to be drawn. They took the rock that had
been taken from the shafts they were sink
ing and which lay around in the way, and
macadamized the road all the way through.
The wagons passing over the road ground
the rock down.
"One day they had heavy rainstorm, and
when things got dry again after this rain,
the wind blew the dust off the road, and all
through the road bed, every which way,
they could see big streaks of silver. Well,
maybe they didn't collar on to the rest Of
that loose rock that lay around those shaftsl
They sent away lot of it to be assayed,
and when the report came back they found
that their road bed was worth 5000 a ton.
1t was little expensive to drive over, but
they had to have the road. and suppose
they've got it yet, if their mines have held
out"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
Opposed to NInchinerr.

The Chinese trades unions are against the
introduction of machinery. A sewing ma
chine for the making of Chinese shoes was
destroyed at Canton not long ago, and a
strike was caused there by the importation
of sheet brass for the making of cooking
utensils, as this would injure the business
of the brass hammerers. As rule, how
ever, strikes are not common. The organi-
cations of both employers and laborers are
such that it pays to settle matters by arbi-
tration.
The officials of the cities are, as rule, on
the side of the workmen in cases of trouble,
as the employers are the capitalists, and by
having cause against them they are able
ment. For this reason the employers wish
to have as few labor troubles as possible.