The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-10
A WHITE GIRL SOLD.
MORE FRUITS OF HARD TINES
A Chinaman Marres White Girl at Sea-A
Los Angeles Paper Tells How Guey
Gets Rachael.

Charles Guey. Chinaman, and Rachel
Atwater, an American girl. were mar
ried on Thursday on the high seas.
Capt P. A. Olesen. OF San Pedro, per-
formed the somewhat dubious ceremony
on board his steam launch The case has
attracted much attention. as it is the first
instance in Los Angeles in which a white
girl has gone through the ceremony Of
marriage with Chinaman.
Charley Guey is cook at the Lincoln
Hotel, and theAtwaters, then in strait
ened circumstances, used to call at the
house for the refuse victuals. on which
they lived Here Rachel saw Guey, who
Immediately fell in love with her, and af-
ter many visits to the tent where the
Impoverished family dwelt. the Mon
golian made formal proposal for the
hand OF the young girl, including the
usual money consideration. The family
saw a chance to return to their native
state of Wisconsin, and money Consld
Grafton OF $3.50 was agreed upon, Of
which SIS was to be paid down and the
balance was to be handed over in install
ments OF SIS per month. Guey, who pos
sesses a bank account among other
American tastes, agreed. and the girl was
literally sold in order that some men,
bers OF the family might return to their
old home.
After the attentions Of the Chinaman
to the girl became known, the supplies
from the hotel were cut off. and the At
water family was entirely dependent upon
the charity OF Guey. who gave so cents
a day to Mrs. Atwater. upon which sum
the whole family managed to exist.
The mother OF the girl Rachel excuses
! the act on the ground of self-preserva-
ton. She says: I'VE have been pretty
| hard up. My husband broke his leg some
time ago. and since he has been able to
walk could get no regular work. We
have family OF FIVE boys and three
girls, and none are able to work Charlie
Chinaman. He has helped us out, and
my husband and all the children except
Rachel, the baby and the cripple. will go
| back to Wisconsin,
The woman Atwater persists in saying
that her daughter Rachel is 10 years old
but the girl does not look day over ID
None the less. she appears to be very
fond OF her yellow husband, and de-
| clared that she thought the world OF him
Mrs. Atwater accompanied the girl and
Guey to San Pedro and went out to sea
with them. She gave her name as
Weaver, and the girl was known tc
Skipper Olesen as Rachel Weaver.
The reason for the marriage at sea
was two-fold. In the first place the
couple would have had great difficulty
in finding a clergyman or justice OF the
peace who would have acceded to Their
request: and. again, Mrs. Atwater de
clares that there was a damsel at the ho-
tel where Guey works who had designs
on the Mongolian. and who declared she
would sue him for breach OF promise
il he married any other than herself. But
Guey, with smile that was childlike anC
bland, slipped away and married hi:
Rachel where the jealous damsel coulc
not reach him.
Charlie Guey is Americanized in many
ways, though still clinging to his pig tail
On the streets, however, he hides this or
nament beneath a wig and wears Amer
lean clothes, giving him the appearance
OF a Japanese. He is fairly educated
speaking good English and fair amoun
of French. The future residence of the
peculiar young couple has not yet beer
decided upon.
We have not a very exalted opinion
of member of cOnureSS who is Sr