The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-24
Numerous Chinese Women I'm.
ported as Actresses" for the
Exposition.
DIR. MASTERS ON THE SCHEME.
The Local Methodist Missionary Tells
What Becomes of 'Chattels" After
They Arrive.

Collector of Customs Wise may have
matter brought to his attention soon that
will probably put his vigilance on the
question of Chinese immigration to cru.
cal test.
When the steamer City of Picking left
for China he sent away thirty-four of the
260 and more Chinese that were imported
for the Midwinter Fair It was supposed
that only twentyeight would go, but the
Collector and Inspector Williams managed
to round up as many as thirty-four. The
others, except those previously sent away
in desultory manner, are still in the
country.
1t is learned that Fong Ching (who is
best known as "Little Pete') has been
doing lucrative business since the At
lanta Exposition began to be prepared for.
Quite number of Chinese women have
been brought into this country as "act-
resses" for this fair, but in reality the i'm
porters seem to have had another and
| more profitable purpose for them.
Many of these women are fast becoming
"chattels," according to the Chinese idea
of morals, and are evidently destined to
find their way to the dens of vice in China
town.
| Up TO date the census of Chinatown
ordered by the Treasury Department has
| not been commenced, although the immi-
! grafton of Chinese is falling off consider
| ably, and this falling off would allow the
| force in command of Collector Wise to be
| engaged, as Secretary Cariisle's assistants
have ordered, if the Collector could m ake
| up his mind to begin the work.
| Very few Chinese arrived on the last
| steamer, and it is not expected that dur
| ing the Chinese holiday season the incom-
| ing steamers will furnish the Collector
with very much to do.
| AS to the ultimate purpose to which the
Chinese women imported by Little Pete
and his accomplices are destined, an in
terview with Rev. +. j. Masters of the
Methodist Chinese Mission yesterday will
give an idea. This is what DR.. Masters
said:
There is no use for further speculation rs to
the destination of the thirty-six Chinese
women and girls imported six months ago for
the Atlanta Exposition. Twentv-seven OF
these girls have already found their way to
California. Fifteen of them have been located
in San Francisco resorts OF vice, and more are
being consigned into these dens of infamy just
as soon as their purchase is completed.
The neat way the United States Government
has been hoodwinked by Little Pete" and his
gang is the subject of much congratula tion
on the alleys of Chinatown, while the more
decent Chinese an1madvert very severely on
the laxity of our laws and the gullibility of
the treasury officials at Washington.
1t will be remembered that Lang Nam and
Fong Ching (the latter better known under the
sobriquet of Little Pete'') managed the Chi
nese exhibit at the Midwinter Fair and made
a pile of money by the importation of the cele-
brated Juvenile Theatrical Troupe, etc.
These enterprising Cinnamon were not slow
to perceive that the Atlanta Exposition Of
fered similar opportunity for gain.
Negotiations were opened and an arrange
ment was made with the treasury by which
they were permitted to import number of
Chinese actresses singing-girls and mattresses
for the exhibition. These females were pur-
chased in Hongkong for about $500 each by
the local rings for importing Chinese women.
The recent depleted condition of the China
town market and the severity of customs regu-
lations had driven these shareholders TO their
wits ends to discover way to land their chat
tells. The Atlanta exhibition furnished pre-
text, and Lang Nam, Little Pete" & Co. I'M
dertook to get them through. The sum of
$3.50 per head was to be paid in advance to
these gentlemen before the girls left Hong
kong and 500 per head On their delivery at
the fair. AS the $3.50 would cover the whole
expense incurred in their transit it can easily
be figured up how much money will be made
out OF this nefarious transaction.
1t was expected that this so-called theatrical
party would arrive via San Francisco, in
which case the girls would have been photo
graphed by the Collector for future reference
But the artful Pete was too wide awake for
that, and said to the customs officials, ''Not
much! l wouldn't bring them through San
Francisco even if you paid their passage over"
Accordingly they came via the Canadian Pa
cifc and entered the port of Ogdensburg,
where no embarrassing questions were asked
and no photographs were taken. How these
damsels spent their time at Atlanta nobody
here knows. Nine of them formed attach
ments in the South and their husbands paid
handsomely for their brides.
A few weeks ago the remaining twenty-seven