The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-08-01

Under the Equator.

AMERICAN VI Tuloptdu illdu liiS toN
and island of Singapore, furnishing, as
it does, examples of variety of Eastern
races, and many different religions and
modes of life. While the government
officials, the garrison and many of the
merchants are English or European, the
great mass of the population is Chinese.
with a sprinkling of MalaYs, Killings.
japanese, Javanese and Bengalees.
The native Malays are an indolent
race. Who dislike hard work, and who
usually fish and pick up odd Jobs, or
peddle shells. sponges and such things,
earning thus sufficient to keep the breath
of life in their bodies. They are shift
less and utterly lacking in moral stami-
ma lying and stealing is fine art with
them. and they are utterly untrust-
worthy. At the same time they are the
most bigoted Mohammedans and very
religious
The Killings are a numerous body, also
Mohammedans, who are the petty shop
keepers and traders; many of them also
do the washing and laundry work of the
Europeans, cheating out" the clothing
upon the rocks in manner most del
structive of clothing and buttons; they
are called Dhobis. They also furnish
the laborers on the streets, and you will
frequently see gang of men with only
a nln n ahant thnir ,taiCtc md fn1han n
their heads, their bodies glistening in the
fierce sun, carrying stone or earth in
shallow baskets, or beating it down into
compact surface. 1t takes about Is Of
these fellows to do the work of one man
in America. The Cinnamon are the
house servants. coolies and boatmen ;
While many of them are also engaged in
trade, in some instances having amassed
large fortunes, aud doing an immense
business.
Each of these classes has his parteu-
lar sections and so in King ST., busy
thoroughfare, you find the King traders,
in his little stall, perhaps not more than
six feet square, where surrounded by his
wares the merchant sits cross legged on
a bench, which serves him as seat, table,
bed and counter, and displays his goods.
He will show you all the goods in his
shop with the utmost good nature, and
not take offence if you buy nothing. He
will cheat you numerically it YOU dc
not know the prices of what You want
to purchase.
In the Chinese quarter, YOU lind hun
drrds of small shops, where you can buy
anything you want, from paper OF
pins, to "A bottle of Perry Davis Pain
Killer, or box of Carriers Little Liver
Pills. You can buy here timed goods
of every description; American oil al
2lc gallon, peas, beans, corned beef
salmon, butter, milk and such household
commodities. have hunted the bazars
through however, and can find no can
ned corn.
The Chinese merchant is generally q
fat, round faced. good natured looking
man, with an important and business
| like air. He wea : loose white smock
| with blue or green trousers; and is al
ways clean and neat, with long pig tai
tipped with silk. hanging down to hi,
heels. He wears European hat anC
shoes, his clothes are of fine material
and his whole appearance betokens pos
| pcrity. He has large warehouse IN
town, with handsome residence, furn-
| ished with every modern convenience
and luxury; has "A comfortable country
| house drives to business in fine turn
out, owns several retail shops and trad.
ing vessels, makes good bargains, lends
morev at high rate of interest. speeu-
lates considerably and always comes out
| ailead, AMI gets TaJter and richer every
day.
The harbor of Singapore is crowded
with men-of- war and merchant men of
all nations, from vessels Of thousands of
| tons burden, down to the pran or COM
mon sam pan.
TO hose who have associated heathen-
ism with mud huts and poverty and de-
graduation, with naked men and women,
and ignorant tribes of uneiviized people,
life in Singapore is revelation. Here
are men worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars, living in elegant mansions, with
bright intelligent. well educated child
rem; some of them occupying high posi-
tons in the Colony. with "Hon.@ attach
ed TO their names, who are yet heather
i'm the vericst sense. No, heathenism is
not confined to mud huts and degraded
peoples, but sometimes dWelIs in marble
palaces.
Singapore contains many fine public
buildings of modernl sever
al churches and schools. one Protestant
and one Roman Catholic cathedral, and IA
multitude Of mosques, temples and joss
houses. A tram-way or horse railroad
was operated in the streets of Singapore.
some years ago, but the "Jinrickshasf
have taken its place, and only the rails
remain to tell of its failure.
These Rieshas are unique affairs.
They resemble an over grown baby car
riage of the type in use some wears ago,
with TWO wheels and covered top. They
are drawn by coolies, who exhibit wOnd-
erful endurance, travelling five miles an
hour, easily. One cannot help feeling
of repugnance, at being thus hauled
about by Il human being, but when he
reflects that these coolies are dependent
upon this for their living. and are per
fectly contented with their lot. earning
what is to them "A princely salary, about
SIS a month, or 81 80 of our money. his
scruples vanish and he soon comes to
feel quite at home behind his human
steed. If one prefers, he can hire a
gharry, with diminutve pony and a
King or Javanese driver, but the Rick
shas are quite generally used. There
are over 5000 of these 'RickshaS in
Singapore, under municipal registrations
so one can secure IA conveyance at any
hour of the day, with little difficulty.
The roads in Singapore are fine. The
British are good road builders. even the
old Romans did not excel them. The
soil is of Il reddish hue. with a great dead
of iron, and Is pulverized and rolled uu-
I'll il is like cement smooth and hard