Telegram-herald., 1890-01-27
os-nses essssNeE O. N.No.


a ssslss.sooHer E-ssza-s Kusisaes - fSsIf
won8erssI self Csasrsl.
ssTt = nof sloag lzs arossder lces ef So
efs1 he s3sae Ebs& secs-a xs-ce race char
s.c-erissfss a1d dlsElacuogs. sd = sessy
j.. xioz nj sidazl IA frons - = Chestnut
srresx boteL aa1x1ulDg zp sssI czn fsN
ossrCoaE Classiy q hls Ehrcz5 - - - COZ
ceaI TIE sIill more Won ssllaassF CO.'S -
reash. and drsuiElz on. 9Th careless f@s
riasoasnss.s. q pair II kid gloves tiast were
baslv Ia uead II repair. hls general
appearance ~.s that Il broken down
sporung nan ~ q ward poilrlclan who
nd be~n sabsisGlhg foE many months on
~ expocIarions OF an appolz traent when
the ciya service lzw Is repealed, his ar
vas that of = Enilhonzlre Juss saanterlng
out after having en ,oyed sumpfuous
dinner. bat. according 70 his oSn state
msnl, be Vas neither
Il ala a student OF social science, " be
ssid. "and nothing delights me more tnan
70 study national peouiiariues and char
sc.eristics as they are revealed n tie
trivial occurrences Of every day life,
To illustrate, went into a Ninth
street Chinese laundry the other evening.
Tie heather had neglected 20 send nv
huen home. That, however. did not
strike me as race popularity; u israthef
class characteristic common 20 al leun-
drymen no matter what their nationality.
But something occurred while waited
that did strike me.
IL was Just about dusk. The streets
were crowded with people going home
from work, and in the room half a dozen
Cinnamon were busy ironing at different
tables. A coal oil lamp that hung n the
bulk window had just been lighted. 4
good deal Of oil had been spilled on the
outside OF the bowl in filling it. and sud-
denly this caught FIRE and blazed up, not
only endangering the red curtains draped
about the window, but threatening 10
cause an explosion OF the lamp.
a Chinaman on the far side of the
room saw the 6ames and uttered a single
exclamation TO call the attention Of the
others. That was the only sound made
By any of the Celestials, and none Of them
left their work except cne' nimble little
fellow, who jumped lightly and quickly
into the window.
"Blt the flames had been seen from
the street, and instantly the room was
filed with passers hy, who rushed madly
in, each one shouting directions at the
top of his voice.
" Throw the lamp into the streetr
Dash water upon it" Run for police
man" Strike ;he-fire alarm" they cried,
and one excited individual yelled: Take
a club and smash il to piecesT
Meanwhile the little Chinaman in the
window had quickly seized a large, damp
cloth from his table, and while his fellow
countrymen looked calmly on amid all
the confusion and huhbub he wrapped
il around the burning Emp and held it
there till the flames were completely
smothered. Then he quietly returned 10
his work without stopping for moment
to discuss the occurrence, but it was
several minutes before the excitement
died out among the Caucasians who had
crowded in and they were ready to de
part
Now this difference of behavior in
the face of danger and amid exciting
/ circumstances does certainly Indicate a
/ fundamental and characteristic differ-
/ ence between the oriental and the occi-
dental races. You may saw that the
/ conduct Of the Cinnamon resulted merely
1 from oriental apathy, or you may attrib-
/ ute it to the fatalistic habits Of thought
+ engendered by eastern religions, or you
NAV say that the occurrence furnished
/ confirmation Of Herbert Spencer S
/ theory that hurry and overwork have
resulted in a condition of nervous insta-
bility among all the races of the west.
But whatever yOu attribute it to, tell
you the Chinaman's method OF action is
the best when you have to deal with a
/ coal oil lamp that is about exploding.
"You couldn't lend me dime, could
you, to pay my car fare? l want to get
/ u Richmond. where | am announced n
/ lecture before a conclave Of the TheO-
sophical society" - Philadelphia In
/ quirer.