The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-18
which the Chinese problem will ever be

which the Chinese problem will ever be
settled.
So he intimated to the ladies of his con-
gregation that he deemed it is his duty to
go on mission to the Pacific Coast, there
to fight for the Chinaman in the very
thick of the opposition and cruelty to
which be is a victim.
With commemorate zeal the ladies had
raised a purse of several hundred dollars,
and at the moment of the opening of this
sketch the Rev. Mr.. Grober was rapidly
drawing near to San Francisco IN the full
fllment of his important duty. No sooner
had he reached this City than he proceeded
to put himself in communication with GER
tain choice spirits representing the Celes-
tial empire on this coast. He had brought
letters of introduction from one of his most
promising Sunday-school boys to sundry
cousins and friends of his, and decided to
present them without delay. He would need
a little time to grasp the situation before
undertaking to show the white people OF
the coast their error toward their man and
brother, but he knew Charles letters
would put him on the right track for all
necessary information.
The Chief of Police, to whom he applied
for aid in hunting up Charles cousin,
shook his head when he saw the inscription
on the envelope.
THAT All Hung" he said, "is one of the
biggest rascals in all Chinatown. 1t takes
two men to watch him and keep track OF
half the deyiltry he is up to-"
The Rev. Milton Grober regarded him
suspiciously. 1t panied him to think how
mere race prejudices could warp the iudg-
ment of an honest seeming man like the
Chief, and prompt so deliberate an attempt
to poison a strangers mind against a
fellow being. II have had great expert
ence with the Chinese" he said, stif1y,
"and usually manage to call out the better
elements in their nature. l find it the
only way to deal with them"
Eyes" said the Chief, dryly, 81 should
think it might be effective. 81 confess,
however, that save in general way, l am
not familiar with the better elements of
Chinese nature" Then he called All
Bung, the court interpreter, and told him
to glance over Mr. Grober's letters.
All Bung read them and grinned. The
last one, however, he read a second time,
casting a sly glance out of the tail of his
eye at the Chief. Then he handed them
all back. Gall belly good letter." he said,
and not line changed on his SNUG
countenance.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs suspicious were
aroused, albeit he said nothing. He offered
Mr.. Grober the services of a guide, but his
offer was declined. 81 shall see for myself
with unimpaired judgment" was the
clergyman's commendable reflection. So
he departed to hunt up All Hung, and
meantime the Chief sent for two of the
best detectives at his disposal, and was
closeted with them for long time.
1t would take too long to detail the Rev.
Milton Grober's investigation into the Chi
nese question in San Francisco. 1t was
conducted, he fattered himself, in spirit
of absolute impartiaity. In all his re-
searches he was ably seconded by All
Hung, who, as an earnest believing China
man, rejoiced to welcome his white brother
and further his efforts to understand the
situation of this much abused people in
the land of the free. Mr.. Grober told him
self that he saw much to condemn, much
that was shocking in the extreme. He
considered it a disgrace to the people
of California that these people should be
compelled to burrow under ground like
rats; that the sanctity of their homes
might be violated at any moment by raid
ing police. He wrote one letter to the
ladies of his congregation, in which he
described in touching terms how All Hug
had told him that the Chinese are actually
forced to keep their little girls in cells be-
hind grated windows, so determined are
the police instigated by American
preju dice to seize and deport these
children that the prosecuted Chinese
may not educate them and take them
home. He was taken to the theater to
witness an historical drama, which, in his
letter, he characterized as shorn of
all the garish and sensuous vani-
ties by which our own theaters seem
to attract giddy youth and lead it astray.
The temperance of this frugal people re-
commended itself to him. He held it up
as shining example to the young
men OF his congregation, writing at length,
and with deep feeling, of the earnest
ness and religious zeal of this little
understood people. He had rather curl
Gus adventure, that revealed to him this
Chinese characteristic. In company with
All Hung and number of others who
were revealing Chinatown to the clergy
man, he was on tour through a hereto
fore (by him) unexplored part of the
quarter. They had drunk tea in the big
restaurant on Dupont street, and Mr..
Grober had addressed the Cinnamon there
Assem- bled, telling them about the ''boys"
in Bethany Sunday-school. Then, follow
ing his guides through many winding
ways, they plunged twenty-five feet under
ground, into the very bowels of China
opened door and they came sud-
denly upon a group of China
men busy as Mr.. Grober had never
before seen them. They were crowded
about table, eager and excited. At one end
sat sleek Celestial, with a counting-rack
and many stacks of coin before him. On
the table was tray of beans and curious,
funnel-shaped continuance, through which
the beans were made to drop, one by
one. Even the guides looked some
what startled and the assembly, seeing
the clergyman, set up an excited
clamor of shrill, monosyllabic cries, and
pressed closely about him with eager, in
curing faces, There was a hurried con-
sulta ton xz-hiIa haa,,r fr11arael coin