Arizona republican., 1895-04-06
TROUBLESOME CHINESE.
A Source of Great Annoyance to
the Government Officials.
Smuggling Operations of the Sly Celes-
tiais in the Rio Grande Country
Effects of the Exclusion
Law.


In no section OF this country did the
Chinese exclusion act entail such HARD
ships upon the Acknowledged residents of
the United States as it did along the Rio
Grande in Texas. In the revenue dis
trict of the Rio GranGe there were, pre-
vious to last June, about one thousand
Cinnamon. Ell Pasa, the main port of
entry from Mexico, claimed seven hun
dred and fifty of these, and San An
tonic, an inland city, one hundred and
ten. The rest are scattered about,
three or four in each little town in the
district. 1t 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 hun
bred were deported, either to China or
to Mexico, if they came to this country
from that republic, says Harper's
Weekly.
Ell 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
sol, land at times the Rio Grande is so low
that it can be crossed almost 6ry-shod.
Railroads reach to the north, east, west
and south, affording quick and easy
transit in any direction, so that it is an
ideal smuggling point. Notwithstand-
ing the sleepless vigilance of the rev.
enue officers, the smuggling trade as
sumes formidable proportions, and it is
largely due to this fact that the Chi
nese element forms SO large a proper
ton of the population.
The Chinaman is an expert smuggler,
and devotes his energies to transferring
opium, tobacco, silks, Mexican en-
broidery and drawn-work, on all of
which articles there is a 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 it was
under the act of 1882. In 1886 congress
passed a law prohibiting the coming OF
Chinese laborers into the United States
for period of ten years, and provided
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 as
''Hong," and the next day the same
mild-looking oriental would put in an
appearance dressed ''allee samee Mel
lean man" and receive his certificate as
Hing" One of these certificates was
naturally for sale, and, the price they
brought ran at times as high as two
hundred dollars.
Across the river from Ell Paso is the
Mexican city of Ell Juarez. There are
many Cinnamon there as well, who act
as confederates of their countryme1
across the river. Chief among them is
doc" Sing, who is rated commercially
at about one hundred thousand dollars
Doe is king among them, and witt
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
Monaghan not really entitled to tn,
protection of the stars and stripes
Wong Ming is his chief lieutenant, ant
is resident of El Paso, where he rank
high as business man. Wong Ming
has lived in the United States abou
seventeen years, and is one Of the few
Cinnamon who have families to share
the freedom of this country with them
and he lives a retired and domestic life
These two Cinnamon are the authori
ties in the Rio Grande country among