The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-13
ABOUT CHINAMEN,s PIGTAILs.
Why II Is They Dislike TO Part with
Them.

why II Is They Dislike to Part with
Them.
From the New Orleans Times Democrat
One of the oldest bits of information
mat has come over the wires for many a
aay IS the announcement that the Emperor
of China was forced TO abdicate because
he Issued an edict commanding his sub
1ects to amputate their pigtans. According
10 the cableeram, this singular pronuncla-
mento gave rise to such a howl of popular
Indignation that the Emperor hastened TO
take IL all back, and turned over the reins
Oh government TO his mamma who wears
no pigtail, and consequently has no views
on the question. Why the loss of his
queue should occasion such anguish 10 a
gentleman from the FIowery Kingdom has
always been more or less of a mystery To
Americans. and two theories are current
concerning IT, One is that no tailless Chi
naman can enter the celestial paradise
and the other that every inch of missing
hair means century in perdition. Either
explanation is fairly satisfactory, If true
ana Times-Democrat reporter made an
effort yesterday to ascertain the exact
1acts The first person he approached was
q sleek Monaghan who runs laundry not
Tar from the custom house. The subject
was somewhat difficult to introduce grace
fully.
Hello, John" he eaId. why don't Won
Cinnamon want TO cut off your pigtaHs %
HUI? How? Pigtails?" exclaimed the
laundryman, looking alarmed and instinc-
lively grabbing his own queue with both
hands, evidently fearing that the caller
meditated an assault.
es, you don't want to cut them off. do
your"
"Clut um off, gasped the Chinaman In
horror. "Clut um off" he repeated, turning
light green, which is as near as a China
man can come to turning pale "Yo' go
way as I get some plelise" with that
he Owed into the back room and locked
the door The reporter concluded that this
was a covert hint that he was not wanted
SO he ambled out
Tom Choy Is probably the only China
man in New Orleans who speaks good
English. He smiled with all his teeth
When the matter was explained, and offer
ed to furnish the necessary light
wearing pigtaiis is just a custom" he
said. Religion has nothing to do with il
not a thing. Why, in my country there
are some priests that have no queues. and
some that show the top and leave a ring
around the head Cinnamon don't like 10
lose their queues because they most all ex.
pect to go home some day and then thew
would feel queer-strange. The women
would laugh at them. That's All there is
TO it. When a Chinaman makes up his
mind to stay in this country he cuts of
his pigtail generally. 1 know many such
in San Francisco"
About the Emperor's orders. don't he
tieve 1t. II sounds to me crazy. One rea-
son why | don't think he would do so Is
that the japanese like to Initiate the
Americans, and most rich japanese cut
their hair the same way They make fun
OF the Chinese pigtails, and If everybody
cuts them off they would say Il was on
that account. II can't be true"
On the Pacific coast the San Francisco
hoodlums used to make great delight In
catching Cinnamon and securing their
queues as trophies Finally the govern
ment at Pekin made formal complaint and
law was passed by the California legis-
failure Furnishing such pleasantly with not
less than three years imprisonment for
each pigtail. and since then pigtail hunt
ing has lost It's popularity.
A gentleman now connected with the
postal service here tells an interesting story
along these lines: II was IN LAREDO, Tex,
some years ago." he said land one night
/ went into a bar room with a daredevil
cowboy acquaintance. A meek-Iooking
Chinaman was standing at the cigar case
and the COW puncher slipped up behind him
and shipped off his pigtail with a pair of
shears. l never saw such a startling trans
formation in my life. The meek Chinanan
turned livid and his eyes blazed IKE a
mad cats. He whipped a dirk out of his
blouse and ! honestly believe that he
would have killed US both IL he hadn't
been held. The cowboy was advised next
morning by the town marshal to leave al
once or he would probably be ASA ssinated
by some member of Chinese secret So
clety. have let pigtaIl severely alone ever
since"