Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-22


nearly every seat ia the large audience
ROOM Though six thousand miles from
Augusta and the Kennebec VALLEY. the
general appearance Of the assembiage
vas very like Sabbath congregation In
New Engiand or Western New York,
the faces and the dresses having q
strong American type, and the sermon
and singing clear Anglo Saxon ring In
thought and tone. A solid block Of
Maine or New Hampshire hoated out
| two thousand miles into the Pacific
would not seem unlike this piece Of
Hawaii. We leave the church, go q
short distance and we see a fine brick
building admirably arranged within for
library which has many thousand vol
uines Of well selected books Of History,
Biography, Fiction, Science. and general
literature. and spacious reading room
well filed with tables covered with news
papers, magazines and reviews, chiefly
American, but some of the best Of Great
DfsShiH arc nVe WehtiAss AboS~ "ooN'
and periodicals are made good use Of by
numerous intelligent readers. Ga the
opposite side Of the street Is large and
commodious edifice Of brick. owned by
ard for the use Of the Young Mems
Christian Association, with reading
room, library. and q spacious hall for
lectures, and other convenient rooms
adequately furnished, all Of which are
made good use OF, by the well managed
as soeiation.
Observing 80 much decidedly Ameri
ca and Christian In general appearance
and tendency on Our way home from
Sabbath worship, we pass through the
Chinese portion Of the city. What do
we seer Do disorder and forbidden
sights greet the public eyer Do we
witness drunkenness and noisy gather
ings a. the corners Of the streets, as are
too often seen on the Sabbath in Ameri-
can towns Truth aud justice compel
US to answer in the negative. Yester
day all was quiet and orderly In these
Chinese streets, as much so as you have
the right to expect In a staid New Eng
land town. Thus it was the other day
when the funeral procession of the
recent deceased king, kalakana, passed
these same streets, with the United
States Marines and numerous other
bodies marching In escort. Every
house, store, shop and balcony was
packed with Cinnamon to the very side
walks, and more orderly throng we
never witnessed. Today, Monday, we
pass through these same Chinese streets.
How busy with life and patient indus
try. Early in the morning sound of the
hsmmer and the click OF the sewing ma
chimes are heard in the shops, and the
tramp OF the market men just in from
their long walks, bearing the products
of the gardens and the plantations for
the supply Of the city population. All
and patient Chinese for their daily sup
ply of vegetables and fruits. Quick in
their movements, cautious and sharp in
their bargains. seldom boisterous, never
staggering with drunkenness, they seem
mainly absorbed in their own labors and
business, and little inclined to interfere
in the affairs of others. IL Is true, they
have their faults, and more or less of
them their vices. Too many OF them
use opium, and some Of them will snug
gle it into these Islands in defiance OF the
laws and Of the vigilance Of the custom
officials. Alas too many Americans.
of English, German and Irish blood,
will smuggie rum, gin and whiskey
into Maine and New Hampshire,
though these poisonous drugs
cause more crime, poverty and
misery In our towns and cities than does
opium among the Chinese. 1t is true,
majority OF the Chinese men here smoke
the pipe, the cigar, and the cigarette, but
hardly to the same injurious excess that
prevails among Americans and Germans.
In their stores. shops, and other places
of resort, this pipe and cigar nui sance is
not more nasty and bestial than with the
American and German smokers and
ehewers. Indeed, the latter In squirting
filth and poisoning the air Of rooms,
halls, and public places, beat the former
out OF sight. We never saw Chinese
shop or store so fetid, filthy, and forbid
ding as an American smoking car. The
most careful and experienced observers
here say. that they do not know how
this country could get along without
the Chinese. Unopposed and with free
ingress here they would turn these
Islands into gardens of fruitfulness and
beauty. Yet the wisest and the most
far seeing Of the citizens of Hawaii see
clearly the danger Of admitting many
more Chinese, If these Islands are to
have an Anglo Saxon civilization and
to aili liate hsrmoniously with the United
States. But whether we speak of the
virtues or the vices of the Chinese, OF
their strong points or their weak points,
a fair deduction from the logic Of exist
ing facts, and the chronological, com
mercial. political and social tendencies,
point to the conclusion that the three
great nations of the future will be the
United States, Russia and China.
In the last three months several thous-
and Japanese have come here from their
native land, mainly to work on the
sugar plantations, and this nationality
now numbers seventeen thousand. or
nearly one.fifth Of the population of
these Islands. Before consenting to the
coming here Of these people the Japan
csc Government is carefully thoughtful
in requiring stipulations from the
Hawaiian Government that they shall be
we'll provided for as to food, lodgings,
medical attendance, and certainty of
pay. The Japanese men on the planta-
tons receive an average Of fifteen dol
lars month. their board and medical
attendance, and the women ten dollars
a month. The Japanese are also well
liked as house carpenters and painters.
Much the larger portion of the labor OF
the Islands is now in the hands of the