The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-08-18
WORKING HIS WAY TO INDEPEND-
ENCE.

ties have their highbinders. There are
probably not more than 200, certainly
not more than 800, highbinders in this
country.
Now, to understand what highbind-
er really is, you must know that the
Chinese colonies in this country have
their own methods of government,
based on Chinese laws. They obey all
of our laws except the laws against
gambling. They violate the gambling
laws of this country, just as white men
do. But, while observing our laws, they
maintain the laws of China, and execute
them as faithfully as they can. They
elect a mayor and common council for
each colony. The mayor presides at
banquets, receives distinguished guests,
reports to the Chinese consul all mat
tiers which may be of interest to the
Chinese government, furnishes aid to
the distressed, and arbitrates disputes.
The mayor of each community must
have an officer to execute his orders, to
carry official documents, and name
trustees of property of deceased China
men; also to execute the Chinese laws,
even to the extent of taking life. This
executive officer is the highlander.
Now, you see, the popular impression
that there is a secret order of high
binders is erroneous. Each highlander
is alone in the performance of his du-
ties, and has no official or social re-
lation with any other highlander.
Referring to the secret societies of
Cinnamon in this country it must be
known that each society maintains
three classes of charitable funds-for
the sick or wounded, for the care of
widows and orphans, and for the burial
of the dead, or their transportation to
China. These charitable funds are held
so inviolable that embezzlement is re-
garded as an objectionable crime. The
embezzler of charitable trust funds is
invariably punished with death. The
highlander performs his sworn duty
when he executes such a criminal. And
it is fact that nine out of every ten
Cinnamon executed by highbinders has
been discovered, given fair trial, and
been convicted of stealing charitable
funds.
Now, with this understanding of the
situation, the highlander is not such
bad fellow after all.
The Six Companies are obliged to en-
ploy highbinders to enforce contracts,
whenever any Chinaman is derelict, but
that seldom happens. Besides furnish
ing coolie labor by the thousand, and
making plenty of money out of them,
the Six Companies discovered that the
laundry business in this country was
profitable. They conveyed the word to
China, and offered to furnish transpor-
tation to every Chinaman who wanted
to come to this country, also to furnish
the money to set him up in business;
each beneficiary to pay back to the Six
Companies double the amount thus in
vested in monthly installments. Double
payment having been made, the laun-
dry business was to belong to the in
dividual making the payment.
Now you know how it happens that
there are so many Cinnamon here in the
laundry business. Every moon-faced
Mongolian whom you see ironing near
the window of his laundry is pushing
that hot iron along the pathway to in
dependence. He hopes some day to own
his own laundry. After that he may be
mayor, councilman or highlander. He
knows that he can never be president of
the United States or even a policeman;
but he wants to be Independent, and
he deserves credit for his labor, and his
ambition to rise, even to the dignity of
being highlander. SMITH D. FRY.