Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-31
sAREWn cHINgse sgAVANrs.
Their Methods of Appropriating Employ
ers' Household belongings.

Their Methods of Approprating Employ
ers' Household Belongings.
A former Detroit young lady, noF mar
ried and living at Vancouver, b. c., IS Wis.
ting relatives, and tells some interesting
as well as amusing stories of the Chinese,
with which article Of humanity Vancouver
is overrun. They are rs numerous there
as are negroes in certain of the southern
cities, and no one would think Of hiring a
white servant, because they are not to be
had. A "tenderfooP family, she says,
ought to set the price Of their first servant
as moderate as possible, for should they
pay him twenty-five dollars per month to
start on, they will never be able TO hire an
other for a cent less.
The Chinese servants of Vancouver are
not organized into a union. They don't
need to be, They all know each other and
all work together to the common end-to
get as much as they can of the good
things. The minute newcomer strikes
the town he is shown around. That, he
will be told by his yellow skinned breth-
rem, is twenty-five dollar house; this
twenty dollar house, and so on, and he
readily promises TO do as the rest do.
Mrs. McF- tells Of "A servant she had.
was paying twenty-five dollars per month,
CO. and hired in his place celestial from
twenty five dollee" house The latter
was the incarnation of stolidity and stu
pidity. lie could do only the simplest
tasks and cook only the plainest dishes.
Disguised with him the lady went to see
his former mistress, to whom she told all
"He has simply been fooling you,n an
hot on ba
servant | ever had-a good cook, who
knew all about the choicest dishes, willing
and active. But how much do you pay
himf"
"Twenty dollars"
"Ah, there's the secret of his laziness.
He is merely gauging his work to make it
commensurate with his psy--according to
his idea of the fitness of things"
Mrs. McF--- raised his pay five dollars,
and now gets the latest dishes, etc. She
has come to the conclusion that the
Chinese, especially the servants are not
fools.
They never steal she says. But they
will lease the household belongings just as
though they owned them. She went to
birthday dinner at IA friends house one
day and was astonshed to see three Of her
JtdSpUOllS anu Two udlldSh HdlhluSt dll
handsomely monogramed, on the table
Her friend fortunately caught her eye at
the critical moment, and noting the rising
flush on Mrs. McF-'s face, took her
aside and explained matters. She was sat
isfied and resumed her seat at the table,
once more maryeling at the mixture of
shrewdness and independence in the Chi
nese character-and honesty, too, for these
things are all reigiousy returned cleaned
to their rightful owners.
She had reason later on to thank her
stars that this was the Chinese custom
She gave O'Clock dinner in honor Of the
visit of an eastern frend, She wanted to
invite thirty guests, but hadn't the requi
site amount of tableware from which to
feed them all at table. In her dilemma
she remembered the old trick and nc
quainted Ling with the facts
"Allee light, me sabe. Me gettee him,
promptly responded that worthy.
She and her guests entered the dining
room that evening, and Of II verify Ling
had kept his word, for upon that table was
the most varied assortment of knives
forks, spoons, dishes, etc, she had ever
seen. The ludicrousna $50 Of the scene flashed
upon her, and, laughing outright, she eX
planned matters to her eastern visitor, while
the rest OF the company looked on and
laughingly nodded approval. Free
Press