Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-11
HUMAN BEASTS OF BURDEN.
Cinnamon Hitched Up % Horses in Pare Of
California.

Chinamen Hitched Up - Horses In PARE Of
California.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
An astonishing sight has been presented re-
Gently 70 observsnt travellers over the narrow
gauge railroad to Santa Cruz while passing
through the great market gardens near
Newark. in Alameda county. Il is nothing
more or less than the utilization Of Chinese
iaborers as beasts OF burden, and Of their own
volition, too.
Along the railroad near the station mentioned
bands Of coolies have rented large tracts Of
land for the purpose Of raising vegetables for
the San Francisco MARKET For the past few
weeks the Chinese have been engaged In plant
ing beets, onions and other vegetables, using
large drills in doing the work. Horses have usual
ly been employed to pull these drills, but here
the Chinese laborers substitute themselves for
the usual beasts Of burden, hitch themselves
up in their stead. and are by another coolie
guided like dumb driven cattle" The large
seed drill somewhat resembles a pillow. 1t has
handles like that implement, and from the IRON,
of the drill extends rope six or eight feet long
On the end OF this rope pole about eight fee,
in length is tied. Two Cinnamon place the pole
In front of them, shout the middle Of their
bodies, and bending to their work they pull the
orlu ABOUT the neid In response TO the COM
mands Of the man nc the handles
In some cases. instead Of using the pole two
ropes are attached 70 the drill and the coohe
beasts Of burden take the ends Of these lines
over their shoulders and plod over the field.
Backwardsand forward they go. just like horses
and apparently as contented with their Lot.
Certainly in no other part of the United States
is such sight to be seen, that OF human beings
voluntarily taking the place Of work animals.
When the Mormons founded Salt Lake CITY
and populated the country Whereabouts the
working of women in the fields was common
and even until few years ago many an old
Mormon could be seen from the cars driving 9
herd of his wives hitched to pillow like oxen
and like them staggering under the yoke
receiving but his curses il they stopped TO rest
The influx of Gentiles has, il is supposed, pu,
an end to this inhuman treatment Of the Nor
mons female slaves.
In some older countries where the poorer
Classes are downtrodden and animals are
scarce and fodder dear such conditions do still
exist, though even there they are fast becoming
rare.
In Holland women aided or hindered by
dogs are compelled to draw canal boats
while their lords and masters sit complacently
on the boats smoking their pipes, removing
them only to yell at their beloved and al
mired helpmates if they lag in their heavy
task
In the north Of Germany women are com
PEELED to do similar work to that Of the coolies
In Alameda county and hitch themselves ny
with horses or cows to be driven either BY other
women who change of to give the first . rest
or by their husbands, who consider their posi-.
ton is at the helm" and never change. In
the north Of France women can still be seen
harnessed in carts with dogs dragging the
products Of the field into market. but this il
becoming extremely rare, though formerly Of
common occurrence.
The fellahs of Egypt are the only other ciass
OF degraded human beings that are forced to
do the work of beasts and the only men % EN-.
ployed, and they probably have the hardss,
time OF it. They are still compelled to draw
the primitive pillow. made Of two wooden sticks
one Of which serves for q handle and the othel
Is pointed down into the ground
But in this land Of plenty, where animals Of
all kinds are in abundance and cheap and
the fodder for them can be raised ct nominal
COST it is indeed peculiar thing for Chinese
even to consider themselves cheaper than
beasts: and it is all the more astonishing tina,
this should occur but Q few miles from San
Francisco, and in a country Of fertile and Very
remunerative fields.
1t is difficult to understand by what idea Of
economy the Chinese see an advantage in en-
ploying their own fellows after the manner OF
the beasts of the field" but it probably has its
basis in the fact that in China men do about IL
the field work. But there they have no farm
ing machinery and few horses, and al work il
done by hand.