Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-07
THE HEATHEN cHINEE.
Cnexcelied as Servant, and shrewa
Enough to Care for Himself.

Enough to Care for Himself
A former Detroit young lady. now
married and living at Vancouver. B.
G., is here visiting relatives, aud tells
some interesting, as well as amusing,
stories Of the Chinese. with which
article of humanity Vancouver is over
run. They are as numerous there as
are negroes in certain Southern cities,
and no one would think of hiring
white servant, because they are not
to be had. A .'tenderfoots family.
she says, ought TO set the price of
their first servant as moderate as pos
sible, for, should they pay him s25
per month to start on, they will never
be able to hire another for a cent less.
The Chinese servants of Vancouver
are not organized into a labor union.
They don't need to be. They all
know each other and all work to-
gether 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
brethren, is a So house: this a $40
house, and SO on, and he readily
promises to do as the rest do.
Mrs. McF- tells Of servant she
had. She had let a former servant,
to whom she was paying S25 per
month, go, and hired in his place a
celestial from a ''twently-flive dolleen
house. The latter was the incarna-
tion OF stolidity and stupidity. He
could do only the simplest tasks and
cook only the plainest dishes. Dis
gusted with him the lady went to see
his former mistress, to whom she told
all.
''He has simply been fooling YOU"
answered that lady. Cling was the
best servant ! ever had-a good cook,
who knew all about the choicest
dishes, willing and active ! only let
him go because he chased my daugh-
ter with stick one day, with the
ayowed intention of beating her. But
how much do you pay him?"
Twenty dollars
ss'Ah, there's the secret of his lazi-
ness. He is merely gauging his work
to make it commensurate with his
pay-according to his idea of the fit
ness of things"
Mrs. McF-- raised his pay 81, and
now gets the latest dishes, etc. She
has come to the conclusion that Chi
nese, especially the servants, are not
such fools as they look
They never steal, she says, But
they will lease the household belong
ings just as though they owned them.
She went to birthday dinner at
friends house one day and was aston
ished to see three of her silver tea
spoons and two damask napkins, all
handsomely monogramed, on the
table. Her friend fortunately caught
her eye at the critical moment, and
noting the rising flush on Mrs. Nc
RS face, took her aside and ex-
planned matters. She was satisfied
and resumed her seat at the table,
once more marveling at the mixture
of shrewdncSS and independence in
the Chinese characteT-and honesty,
too, for these things are all religiously
returned, cleaned, to their rightful
owners. She had reason later on to
thank her stars this was the Chinese
custom. She gave a o'clock dinner
in honor Of the visit of an Eastern
friend. She wanted to invite thirty
guests, but hadn't the requisite
amount of tableware from which to
feed them all at table. In her di-
lemma she remembered the old trick,
and acquainted Ling with the facts.
"Allee light, me sabe. Me gettee
him." promptly responded that
worthy.
She and her guests entered the din
ing-room that evening and Of a 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 ludicrouS-
ness of the scene flashed upon her,
and laughing outright She explained
matters to her Eastern visitor, while
the rest of the company looked on and
laughingly nodded approval.
This is merely the Chinese servants
way of helping each other ont, and
the strong bond Of fellowship guaran-
tees the safe return OF the property
every time. - Free Press.