Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-21
THE CHINESE IN MEXICO.
HOW THE UNITEDrsTATEs EXCLUSION
LAWS MAY BE EvADED.
An Ostrich Farm-The Phantom Ship ol
the California Desert-Danger-
Gus Ground.

the California Desert-Danger-
Gus Ground.
Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIoN.l
LOWER CALIFORNIA, Mex, 1889.
That undesirable class of citizens, the
pig-tailed Celestials-who are nearly ruin
ing Upper California by sending out of it
to China not less than $4,000 per diem,
through every day of the 365-are gain
ing an alarming foothold upon this penin-
sula. Between their silent, unobtrusive
and interchangeable hordes and the English,
who already own and control its northern
half, the United States may as well say
adios to any future interest in this corner
of our continent. 1t is lamentable fact
that while our worthy lawmakers are
prating of American prowess and valor-
ously applying the Monroe doctrine here
and there in spots foreign powers are
quietly possessing themselves of tid-bits of
territory almost under the shadow of the
eagles wings. Ever since the earliest
efforts of the United States Government to
restrict Chinese immigration, the heather
have been buslly inventing schemes by
which to evade the Exclusion Acts, with
more or less success. One by one as they
have been pointed out, defects in the ex-
isting statutes have been corrected, until
at last it was thought that law had been
framed without loophole for the pig-tails
to slip through. But now it seems that,
A NEW SCHEME
Is on foot, which, if allowed to proceed,
will greatly increase the Objectionable inn
portation, and render it more than ever
difficult to check. Though vigorously de-
MED by those who are said to be its pro-
moters the story comes from too reliable a
source to be ignored, and, true or false, is
as follows: In the winter of 1SS7-8S, the
Mexican Government, through General
Carlos Pacheco, Secretary of Public
Works, Colonization, etc, made ICON
cessionn to General T. Masae of 800
square kilometers of land, including the
gold placerS and rich mineral ground OF
what is known as the Real del Castillo dis
trict of Lower California. This enormous
grant-equal to about 116 square miles
came about through the personal friend
ship of President Diaz for General Masae,
the latter having served in Mexico under
Maximilian, and, after the fall of the En-
pire being prevailed upon by Diaz to re-
main in the country,
Not long ago General Masae went to San
Francisco, where he was closeted long and
often with the Six Chinese Companies,
who, as is well known, make 1t their main
object to import Celestials into California
directly from the Flowery Kingdom by the
wholesale, so to say. Though the matter
was kept as quiet as possible, and the Gen
eral resolutely refused to be interviewed, a
few of the facts leaked out. The available
will be utilized for colonizing purposes,
and its great gold placers will be leased for
long term of years to the Six Chinese
Companies, who will bring over coolies by
the ship-load and will land them at En-
senada, the first Mexican seaport below
the United States line This human cargo
will be distributed over the various claims,
where they will remain until a second
ship-load arrives; whereupon the first lot,
of thousand or more, will be collected
together and paid of, with instructions to
cross over the line, whenever they can,
into Upper California, their ultimate des-
tination when leaving China; and the
newcomers will be put in their places on
the claims. The process can be repeated
as often as desired, especially as the Eng
lishmen, who now occupy the northern
peninsula, have no prejudice against the
pig-tails.
Some months ago, party of Celestials di-
rect from China, who have spent MANY
years in poppy-raisirg at home, visited
this peninsula, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether good quality of opium
could be produced here. They spent weeks
IN careful survey, going as far south as
Magdalena Bay; and finally declared that
nowhere-not even in the Flowery King
dom-had they seen soil and climate so
admirably adapted to the growth of the
poppy as in the northern half of Lower
California, near the sea. They tried hard
to buy 500 acres of land of the Americans
who were then in possession, and had they
obtained it, would Immediately have set
tied thereon a Chinese colony and gone
extensi sely into the opium industry.
Should the silk-skirted gentlemen return
now with their liberal offers and the cash
in hand, they might not find it so difficult
to purchase from the present owners.
In an interview with one of these Chi
namen, he told me that he had more than
twenty years experience as Superintend-
ent of
AN oPIUM-RAISING COLONY
In China, and that he preferred the black
poppy to either the red or the white. as
it yielded better and was more hardy than
the other varieties. The seed is s0wn in
beds, and afterwards the young plants are
set out in rows. BY the second year, the
poppy has grown large enough to produce
some gum, but it is at its best VIII en- from
three to ten years old Two Cinnamon,
who thoroughly understand the business,
can easily take care of ten acres These
can be hired for about $40 per month; the
seed will cost 81 per acre, and each acre,
after the second year, will yield from
$4,000 to $4,000 annually. So you see
there is money in it.
In few sections of the United States
farmers have experimental a little with
the white poppy-but it is not likely to
ever figure largely among American pro-
ducts. Mr.. Bratt, the United States Con-
sui at Teheran, has been studying opium
culture in Persia, where a very fine article
is produced, and declares that he believes
it might be raised to great advantage in
all the Southern States, particularly in
upper California. Though the abuse of
opium has brought the drug into disrepute
it serves many useful purposes in materia
medica, and should be made a wealth-pro-
ducing source wherever practicable The
poppy, like the olive, the cacti, the thistle
and the cholla, does not need good soil nor
much water, but thrives in barren and
rocky places. Most of the hills and plains
of aia.California are carpeted with the
red and yellow varieties, growing in such
luxuriance as TO prove that this is its
native soil and climate
Speaking of queer industries-next to a
ranch, Of wood-liee or cochineal insects,