The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-01
CHINESE sELF-coNTRoL.
A Philosopher Relates an instance
Of their Presence of Mind.
philadelphia Inquirer


1T is not along the broader lines of So
cial life alone that we can trace race char
acteristics and distinctions" said seedy
looking individual in front of Chestnut
street hotel, buttoning up a well worn fall
overcoat closely to his throat so as to con-
ceal the still more worn summer coat be-
meath, and drawing on, with careless fas-
tidiousness, pair of kid gloves that were
badly in need of repair. His general
appearance was that of broken down
sporting man or ward politician who
had been subsisting for many months on
the expectations of an appointment when
the civil service law is repealed; his air
was that of a millionaire just sauntering
out after having enjoyed a sumptuous
dinner, but, according to his own state
ment, he was neither.
81 am student of social science" he
said, land nothing delights me more than
to study national peculiarities and char
acteristics as they are revealed in the
trivial occurrences of every day life.
ITO illustrate, I went into a Ninth
street Chinese laundry the other evening.
The heather had neglected to send my
linen home. That, however, did not
strike me as race popularity; it is rather
a class characteristic common to all laun-
drymen no matter what their nationality.
But something occurred while waited
that did strike me.
ut was just about dusk The streets
were crowded with people going home
from work, and in the room half 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 filling it, and sud-
denly this caught fire and blazed up, not
only endangering the red curtains draped
about the window, but threatening to
cause an explosion of the lamp.
"A Chinaman on the far side of the
room saw the flames 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 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 passers by, who rushed madly
in, each one shouting directions at the
top of his voice.
g Throw the lamp into the street,
Dash water upon itr Run for police
mani Strike the fire alarmr they cried
and one excited individual yelled: Take
a club and smash it to piecesr
Meanwhile the little Chinaman in the
window had quickly seized large, damp
cloth from his table, and while his fellow
countrymen looked calmly on amid all
the confusion and hubbub he wrapped
it around the burning lamp and held it
there till the flames were completely
smothered. Then he quietly returned to
his work without stopping for moment
to discuss the occurrence, but il 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 say that the
conduct of the Cinnamon resulted merely
from oriental apathy, or you may attrib
ute it to the fatalistic habits of thought
engendered by eastern religions, or you
may say that the occurrence furnished
a confirmation of Herbert Spencer's
theory that hurry and overwork have
resulted in 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
coal oil lamp that is about exploding.
"You couldn't lend me dime, could
you, to pay my car fare? want to get
to Richmond, where / am announced to
lecture before conclave of the Theo-
sophical society"