Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-01-19
CHINESE AT SCHOOL.

mcn, from tho province of Canton, and
the Cantonese ore at once the most en-
terprising, tho bravest ccd the
toughest" subjects of the Emperor.
from their ranks arc dr;.yyn tho
cleverest INGREDIENTS in I'll parts of
China, tho most daring navigct-
ors, tho finest Goldicr3 and tho
most efficient police. They push out
into other countries, says q writer
In Katc Fields Washington, whom ttcy
can no longer endure the ovcrDoDul;.-
ton, poverty and 6qualor ct home. Peg
sibly ono in twenty cen read end write
in q very limited way The rest have
neither the time nor the opportunity to
learn.
There are no public STOOLS in China,
and life there il 80 wholly = struggle
for the barcst needs of existence that
the means would be lacking to attend
them if thcro were. Where fcmily o.
from four to Six persons jointly earn
end aro expected to house, clcthc and
feed themselves on four dollars Il
month; where the common peoples
food consists of poor rice ut q cent and
half q pound, now and then veg
cSable which they arc able to raise
themselves, and perhaps once 4 week &
little fish; where they rlact work in
freezing weather Dat Of doors clad in
cotton garments; from such region
any escape is welcome, Gny refuge is
Heaven as compared with it. The Can
tonesc knows nothing &c danger, priva-
ton or. hardship citor what re has left
behind him at homo. Fighting comes as
natural to him az irca".nc' or STRIVING.
1T is only one CT tic incidents, after all,
Of an existence whn3c hia'kcct aim was
tho procuring Of means to G,:atain it
Bclf and whose bc-,2dal.icc were drawn
By the hand OF an Memorable fate.
What 1 have Ill hero viii account
for the slow Pros:rG@:i which GccEa3 to be
made by the v>ri:T'. charitable agencies
established b. TIC U,2ito ,soDlc Tor the
benefit of the Chi:.2Gc. Iuur religious
societies, for instance. have opened mis-
sion schoola for them il TIC city of
Portland. These ill.IS;Gution8 arc all
doing earnest work, bat only one has Sc
cured tho services Of IN American in
structor who cal talk to his pupils il
tho Chinese language; tho rest have
white persons at their head, with Chi
neso interpreters, preachers and teach
Crs. The exception il the Prcabytcrian
school, presided over by Rev. William S.
Holt, who lived ten years il China and
became an expert in speaking and wit
ing the language OF the country, and
more especially the dialcct of The Can
toncsc. Ills work may be taken, if To-
cGl opinion is to be trusted, as about
the best gauge CT the success Of such
efforts Daring the fuur years he has
been here he has had sonc two hundred
pupils. Of these only about q dozen
have shown & dc&ir> - g.. = ?lir,-
cation any distance -, 81. -. .,,-.i:oonta-
~ stage. This Is not because G:lc rest
arc lazy or stupid. for they arc the very
reverse. Tho pupils are mostly hou:C-
hold GcrvGntG and clerks il stores. They
make no matter of coming to school in
the evening Gftcr hard days work acd
spending two Or three hours ut their
books, and the Cinnamon has yet 70 be
found who caa not learn his English al
phabc1 in one day and be ready the next
to reed words of single syllable.
The whole trouble il tilat they arc ana
thctic about c?2~y t'i:1T beyond what
they So Is goiny to bring them in some
Immediate Io:ofa:o, OF make their wor!5-a-
lGy livcT q tri;ic easier. T1oy cen find
= "luHf m,GfiIGt 1of C-lcr l;IDOr ana COM
nt:s!ld better WAGES if they can s2c:.l:,
rn2.A anil writ English, therefore thcy
sec; &lch knowledge. Tho iIca CT
learning f<r l22rria3'a own sc!5c, OF
E2t55;ng IN education for the fund Of IL
incl RESOURCES ald refined enjoyment
j. I7iIl bring with it, is flrt1,oGt from
their E1iAIs. E'or centuries their an
e,&Goro have hal no higher ambition
than the 3,stigfc2Siol Of tho bodily wants
Of Gio d2y ard ITO prcviTion OF y hole 70
crawl mo 1T niTht Wll;lt ccn be o.
E'cc1:tl off the effect Of such Gorditf i:l1tI-
"ncc8 upon The THOUGHT and character
Of G!lc present generation?
}ro0Ctlcd by TIC instinct Of material
gS,EI, tha Chinr.n2n seeks t,19 seho3l
c11tl baGic0 his Gtulics. His progress j.
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