The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-04
AN ALASKA MESSIAH.
He Causes a Str ike Among Chi.
nese in the Canneries.
Much Trouble Results From the Imposition
Of Labor Contractors = A self-Eleeted
God Of War Almos. Drowned,

Interesting news from the Alaska can
neries was bought to this city yesterday by
the steamer Signal, which arrived in port
early yesterday morning. The vessel brought
heavy cargo of canned and barreled
salmon. consigned to local companies. More
than this. the steamer brought intelligence
OF peculiar craze among the thousands Of
Chinese employed in the canneries of
Alaska, and an explanation for the cause of
the shortage of nearly 10000 eases of salmon
for the seasons catch.
From A. b. Ford, the charterer of the Sig
nal, who came down as passenger. and from
the officers OF the steamer a reporter OBJ
tanned some important facts in reference to
the unpleasant experiences the Gamers had
during the season with their incident Mon
gol employees. Sat one of my canneries,"
said Mr.. Ford, Il had ffty-two. Chinese,
who were furnished me by Celestial labor
contractor. Out of this number there were
only two who were not green hands. That
is what led to great deal of trouble later
on. We generally get a half dozen men who
know nothing about the business and who
are either too indolent or surly to learn, out
OF every fifty who are supplied as experi-
enced fishers or packers.
CONTRACT CHINESE.
This year we were imposed upon to an
alarming extent, and so was nearly every
Gamer IN Southeastern Alaska A good
deal OF trouble and excitement was also oc-
casioned further north from the same thing
but OF that i knew little. At our canneries
the green hands began to act ugly upon the
day they were landed. They could not or
would not do the work, and refused to COM
plete the labor to which they were assigned.
FINALLY every one of the Mongols objected
10 receiving orders or instructions, and fatty
refused to work at ALL Their strike seems
to have been ordered by a sort of half
crazed fellow called Ali Ping, who professej
to be new God of War; and preached to
his 1ellow-c0nntrymen that they were en-
titled to their board and contract wages
without work. During the time they were
IDLE they created no disturbances. At last
the boss Chnaman induced the men to go to
work and the strike came to an end. This
strike was one of the causes that led to the
big shortage IN the seasons pack.
MANY GREEN HANDS.
The Chinese are paid by piece-work,
that Is the contractors who supply them get
certain sum for each case or barrel of
salmon packed. The iaborers are paid by
the season by these contractors. who are i'm
posed upon at such a wholesale rate by
sending up so many green hands"
Captain Smith Of the Baranoff Packing
Company, whose establishment is situated
on Baranoff Island, said that out of twenty
one chinese sent up there more than half
were green hands. 1T took some of them
a long time to learn the business" he said,
land to teach some it would be necessary to
break their stubborn necks. For the season,
which lasts about six months, each Chinese
is paid from $40 to S270 by the contractors,
who make about as much more out of their
labor have heard That among the can
neries In the upper parts of Alaska, where
several thousand Chinese are employed, con-
siderable trouble was also experienced
through the scarcity of experienced hands,"
The steamer Signal, which brought seven
ty-three Chinese from the canneries, had
several mlshaps and exciting incidents dur
ing the voyage. The steamer was delayed
twice for about four hours each time by her
machinery breaking down and the blowing
out of cylinder rods. The first mishap and
delay of this kind occurred inst outside the
harbor of Bella Bella and the second near
Cape Flattery.
A GOD OF WAR.
All Ping, the deposed and self-elected
god Of war;" was aboard, and to him the
superstltious MoDgols attributed the acct
dents Of the voyage. All along the Alaskan
coast Ping stood aft night and day burning
slips of paper. BY this peculiar method he
loudly declared he would drive away all
evil spirits and storms. While OFF LoriDg,
Alaska, one night, he lost his bal
ance and toppled overheard. A num-
Der of Mongols who witnessed his
involuntary plunge shook their fists and
loudly cursed him. Not one would make
any attempt to rescue him and were fighting
mad, when Sidney Perry. the brave young
steward, jumped overheard and took hold of
tue drowning man. Ping soon had Perry in
a deadly embrace and both would have
drowned had not an officer thrown life
buoy TO them. Ping and his rescuer were
hoisted back on the steamer and resns ci-
tated. During the remainder of The voyage
ring burned no more paper and remained
in seelusion.