The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-03-23

vious to last June, about one thouoan0
Chinamen. Fl PsaA, the main. port Of
entry from Mexico, claimed seven hum
dred and fifty Of these, and San An
tonic, m inland city, one hundred and .
ten. The rest arc scattered about,
three or four in each little town IN the
district. It was found by the revenue
officers that not over four hundred OF
these were entitled to remain In the
United States, and the other six hum
dred were deported, either to China or
to Mexico, II they came to this country
from that republic, says Harpers
Weekly.
FL PAso was allotted ten thousand
three hundred and thirty-eight inhabi-
tants by the census of 1890, and the
business interests Of the city are nearly
entirely dependent upon the transfer Of
goods from or into Mexican territory.
Two wagon bridges and one railroad
bridge connect American with Mexican
soil and at times the Rio Grande isso low
that it can be crossed almost dry-shod.
Railroads reach to the north, east, west
and south, aftording quick and easy
transit in any direction, 30 that it Is IN
ideal smuggling point. Notwithstand-
ing the sleepless vigilance OF the rev
enue officers, the smuggling trade as-
sumes formidable proportions, and 1t u
largely due to this fact that the Chi
nese element forms 80 large . proper
tion Of the population.
The Chinaman is an expert smuggler,
aud devotes his energies to transferring
opium, tobacco, silks, Mexican en-
broidery and drawn-w0rk, on su OF
which articles there il q heavy tariff,
from Mexican to United States soil
without paying duty thereon. The
most profitable article for smuggling
has been in the past the Chinaman him
self, and It was to prevent the whole
sale importation of this class Of goods
that congress made the Chinese exclu-
sion law even more severe than 1t was
under the net Of 1881. In 1886 congress
passed law prohibiting the coming OF
Chinese laborers into the United States
for period of ten years, and provided
q penalty for bringing them In. In
this act provision was made for Ger
tifcates of identification for those al-
ready here, which entitled them to
come and go. This act was easily
evaded at Ell Paso, and doubtless else
where, for John would show up one
day in queue, long shirt and wooden
shoes and receive his certificate -
"Hong," and the next day the same
mild-loolking oriental would put in an
appearance dressed 'sallee samee Mel
lean man" and receive his certificate -
s.Hing" One of these certificates was
naturally for sale, and the price they
brought ran at times % high IS two
hundred dollars
Across the river from FL Paso 10 tho
Mexican city Of Ell Juarez. There are
many Cinnamon there as well, who act
a. confederates Of their countrymen
across the river. Chief among them Is
..Doc" Sing, who 10 rated commercially
at about one hundred thousand dollars.
DOC" is king among them. and with
fertile and cunning brain he has engi-
neered many = scheme whereby the
revenues were none the richer,
or whereby the population Of the
United States was increased by one
Mongolfan not really entitled to the
protection Of the stars and stripes.
Wong Ming il his chief lieutenant, and
is resident of El Paso, where he ranks
high as business man. Wong Ming
has lived In the United States shout
seventeen years, and Is one Of the few
Cinnamon who have families to share
the freedom Of this country with them,
and he lives retired and domestic lie.