The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-02
CHINESE PRESENCE OF MIND:
A Philosopher Relates an Instance os1heH
wonderful SelfControl.

1T is not along the broader lines OF
social life alone that we can trace race
characteristics and distinctions, said
a seedy-looking individual yesterday
evening as he stood in front OF Chest
nut street hotel, buttoning up we'll
worn fall overcoat closely to his throat
so as to concea! the still more worn
summer coat beneath. and drawing on,
with careless fastidiousness, a pair OF
kid gloves that were badly in need OF
repair. His general appearance. says
the Philadelphia Mquirer, was that OF
broken-down sporting man or ward
politician who had been subslstlng Tor
many months on the expectations OF an
appointment when the ciyil-service law
is repealed; his air was that OF MIL
lionaire just sauntering out after hay
ing enjoyed sumptuous dinner, but,
according to his own statement, re was
neither.
II am student of social science, "
he said, "and nothing delights me more
than to study national peculiaritles
and characteristics as they arereVealed
in the trivial occurrences Of everyday
! life.
ITO illustrate, l went into a Ninth
street Chinese laundry the other even
inc. The heather had neglected to
send nv linen home. That, however
did not strike me as a race pecullarl-
ty; it is rather a class characteristic
common to all laundrymen, no matter
what their nationality. But some,
thing occurred while I waited that did
strike me.
1T 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 in the bulk window had just been
lighted. A good deal of oil had been
spilled on the outside of the bowl IN
filing it, and suddenly this caught fire
and blazed up, not only endangerlns
the red curtains draped about the win
dow, but threatening to cause an eS-
plosion of the lamp.
"a Chinaman on the far side OF the
room saw the flames and uttered a
single exclamation to call the atten-
ton of the others. That was the only
sound made by any of the celestials,
and none of them LETT their work eI-
cept one nimble little fellow, who
jumped lightly and quickly into the
window.
But the flames had been seen from
the street, and instantly the room was
filled with the passers-by, who rushed
madly in, each one shouting directions
at the top of his voice.
"Throw the lamp into the street!
Dash water upon it, Run for police
manr Strike the fre-alarmn they
cried, and one excited individual yel-
led: Take a club and smash it to
piecesn
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 hubbuh
he wrapped it around the burning lamp
and held it there till the flames were
completely smothered. Then he quiet.
ly returned to his work without stop
ping for moment to discuss the occur
renee, but it was several minutes be-
fore the excitement died out among the
Caucasians who had crowded IN anc
they were ready to depart.
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 90
cidental races. You may say that the
conduct of the Cinnamon resulted
merely from oriental apathy, or you
may attribute it to the fatalistic habit:
of thought engendered by eastern re-
ligions, or you may say that the occur
renee furnished q confirmation of Her:
bert Spencers theory that hurry ane
oyerwork have resulted in a condition o:
nervous instability among all the race:
of the west. But whatever you attri
butte it to, I tell you the Chinaman'!
method of action is the best when yor
have to deal with coal-oil lamp tha
is about exploding.