The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-09
STILL TALKING OF IT.
EACH INSINUATEs THAT THE
LEPER Is SOME OTHER FELLOW.

View of the Photogrsph-Hs Does
Not Relish The Idea of Being Dead
and Still Being Here.
The mere mention of the word leprosy
makes a look of unutterable horror pass
over the face of the Savannah Chinaman
Just OF present. Those who do not believe
that it is possible for the Mongolian's ccun-
tenance TO change iced but to bring up that
subject TO see that his features are just as
capable Of expressing emotions Of surprise,
disgust and anxiety as those OF any other
people.
Such, at least, was the experience Of a
MORNING NEWS reporter Yesterday when
be attempted to interview several Of them
on the subject.
"Do you know anything about this case
of leprosyW was asked OF one elmondreyed
resident. who was sitting in his shop on
Liberty street, asserting clothing and at
taching cabalistic signs to the little bum
dies.
The eyelids of his small optics we're
| drawn closer together and his whole bear
ing became indicative of cautious cunning
He kept on checking up the soiled clothes,
but made no verbal ans wer. His sole reply
was slight negative toss Of the head.
Don't know anything about it, heyp
continued the reporter. You don't know,
case of leprosy in here, and that 1t will In
jure your businessp
The way to his voice was evidently
through his purse. The eyelids opened and
alarm succeeded what was palpably an at
| tempt to appear unconcerned.
Me no leper,' he cried out. "Why you
say thatl Me all right
"Yes, but where is the other Chinaman
that used to stay hsrep
"Other ChinamanY' and look Of holier
innocence and surprise was never seen on
mortaIs face.
Eyes, other Chiuaman. There were two
of you here not long ago. Don't remember
| 1t, supposep
1t was minute or two before the
blessed light of knowledge broke in on the
| Chinaman's mind. 1t took him about that
| long to decide what was best to say.
10, yes, you mean other Chinanan used
10 be here" Struggling his head as IL that
was something he had nothing to do with,
But ms no leper."
| AS he drew nearer the reporter In fixing
| the clothej, several ugly, red, sore-looking
! spots were apparent on the sides Of his face
near the eyes, and bis nose was extremely
red and offensive to the sight. IL was as
bad as that Of confirmed topper. He evil
! IDENTIFY did not enjoy the close scrut1nizipg
he was being subjected 10, and, handling a
long needle in an unpieasantly suggestive
| manner, said:
why you stay herea You lose your
checker
He was assured that no check had been
lost. He was rapidly becoming uneasy,
| especially as he doubtless remembered that
the same person had called on him in the
| morning, when he denied his name only to
admit 10 on the second visit. Probably
thinking that to be a little more communi-
cative would enable him to get rid of the
bothersome Caucasian, he branched out Of
his own accord.
"You say you work on paper. That
tough story bout Willie Wong Gen. Awful
tough on him. He not there no more, and
no leper bout here. Me don't know leper
if me see him. May be one in city; me
don't know. Tough on Willie Wong Gen.
Don't you think soP'
The Chinaman smiled guilelessly, but
there was wisdom in his seeming Innocence
It is much better, he evidently thought, to
question than be questioned. and for several
| minutes he put the reporter on the rack and
tried to squeeze something out Of him.
Through 1t all, though, he never did tell
where the other Chinaman was or what
made the blotches on his face. The China
man may look like an ignoramus, but he
has a well developed amount of gray matter
when 1t comes to saying much and telling
little.
He had an idea that there might be a
leper further downtown. Downtown
the Cinnamon had an idea that there was
probably leper in some other part Of the
town. Each one was DESTROYS of showing IL
off on some other fellow oountryman whose
stand was some blocks away. 1t may have
been their desire to draw business to them
selves in this way. The average Chinaman
chases the dollar with just about as much
avidity aud cupidity as the average Ameri-
can, and there are tricks Of the laundry
trade, in such emergencies as this, as we'll as
in other lines with whose dark ways the
heather Chinee" is as yet unacquainted.
Another strange fact was that OF several
seen no one would acknowledge that he had
ever met leper in China, and all seemed to
want to convey the idea that that is some
thing unknown in their country. When
this matter was dropped and that Of COM
pulsory photography brought up it was
much easier to draw them out. They GER
tainly do not relish tie idea of having their
appearance perpetuated on paper il any
such manner
"How long that thing last" asked Joe
Long, after he had been told all about the
governments intentions In this respect.
"Longer than you will, Joe," he was in
formed. ut will be here when your bones
are buried in China"
Joe shook his head obviously.
What want with picture me when me
dead 2" he asked.
The reporter gave it up at once. Joe was
personally interested, though, aud desired to
probe further.
"How many time me got this. me get
you know, -"
Photographed was too big a word for Joe
to tackle. When told that 1t was prob
ably only once he seemed somewhat res
lieved, but was still evidently doing con-
siderable thinking.
Just as the reporter was about to leave
he half reconcied himself TO the Inevitable.
"Well, when me go back to China it no &c
with me. 1t stay here. All'e boys see it.
see me. May be good. but me no like it.
Be here when me dead Me dead, me here.
All'e boys see me but me no see them. Nc
understand. Must do what guvment say
do. Wing Ching get fine S. one time go
ing Sunday school. Me let 'em take what
you call 1t. Me keep S."
Who says the Chinese are not logical
thinkersl They have seen the effect and
studied the causes too often not to under.
stand how things are run in this country.