The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-12-26

/ iteamer Caroline for the porrpose of
taking them down the bay 70 the Rio.
which was lying in the stream wait
~ Tor that addition to her passenger
hist. But the Porto Rlcans had
| banged their minds and fOrty-foIr
Of them declined to go on the little
| steamer. rrcferrigg to take chances
| Mt Port Costa. and ms a result but
NINETY were taken to the big boat.
| when the Rio was reached there was
more trouble and thirty more absolute
liz refused to go aboard, saying thrt
| thov feared Chinese slavery.
! Captain Tsonle kent alongside tie Rio
| with the Carolire ns long as possible
while the timid Porto Ricans were
argued with and when he found that
Italk was use'cee he brought tNcm 10 san
Francisco and landed the thirty at The
/ jackson street wharf. There thev
stood, shivering and half clad, until
some kindly disposed person took them
90 the Whar1nrcr's office at tho foot
Of Main street. The police Were noti-
/ fed Of the plight NJ the wretchcs. bit
/ aoid they could do nothing for them
IThoy finally felt into charitable nan Is
and were provided with food and lodg-
| ing for the night.
lose Morales. youth of is years ali
of them appeared to be boys, some be-
II ing less than II years Of age-waa the
prlrCiual spokesman of the party ard
talked az glib1y as his chattering teeth
would permit When asked why they
had left the main party he said.
"a man came to us and told Us thpt
we were going to be taken to Honolulu
and sold az slaves to Chinese. He saiG
there We're neither Americans nor Span
iqh on the Islands at Honolulu and that
we would be kept with the Chinese and
would only get 25 cents day and
would have to live on that. H. said
the Islands were fun of fever and that
the work was very hard. He said that
| California was fine place for us -
live and told us that the people of san
Francisco would take care of us and we
could get plenty OF work and make s.
or 81 day.
"He said that when we got on the
ship where we could not get away we
would be treated like slaves and would
get very little to eat. We do not want
to work with Chinese. We do not like
Chinese and we want to stay in Cali
forria where the people will take care
OF us"
"whv did you leave your homes ."
was asked.
| Because we did not have intelligence
enough to remain contented there.
Things are very bad there and we We're
| told that we could get plenty of work
| in the sugar plantations at Honolulu
ard make plenty of money f we would
go there. We made no contracts 70
work there. but agreed to go and WORK
for Il man and pay him back out OF car
wages what II cost to take us there.
We have been well treated on the way
and have been given plenty to eat"
Have you had any trouble with The
people who brought you here?"
"NO trouble at all. Some man came
to us when we were travelling, q week
/ ago, and told us that we We're going
to have trouble but we did not believ"
him. He wanted US to leave the cars,
but We would not do 1t. He came TO
us many times and at last he told us
that we were going to be sold as slaves
and would have to work for the Chi
Inese. Then we began to have fear and
we liked California and wanted to stay
here"
How are YOU going to live if you
stay here? Have YOU any money!" was
asked.
I'VE have no money at all, but the
man told us that the people here would
take care of us: that we would get fonC
and clothing in San Francisco and thai
there was plenty of work for us on the
plantations in California. think We
will stay here. We do not want TO ~
where we will be slaves and we like
California;