The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-09

means valuable aggregation of realty.
Their disbursements are corresponding
ly heavy. They spent nearly $4,000 testing
the constitutionaiity of the Geary act.
Large sums were sent to aid sufferers
during The famlnes and foods in China
few years ago. They gave 81 COO for the
relief of the Jamestown victims. Last year
they subscribed $500 to the fund for the
reception of the California volunteers on
their return he me. Each comrany has an
elaborate affair. 1t is a sort OF All Souls
day, in honor of those who have died
during the year. Thousands of dollars go
OF in smoke and noise. with roast pigs
and pipes and little brown jugs on the
side
One great source Of revenue is the sale
of the office Ct priest, or keeper of the
temple. This office is much sought after
and has brought as high as $4,000 for one
year The holy man pockets all moneys
paid in the temple for incense, paper
money and the various offerings which
cause The mighty joss to smile upon his
worshipptrs. For thts the priest charges
thres or four hundred times as much as
they would cost outside the temple, but
in the ecstasy of devotion the devotee
gladly pays s or S. for something he
knows to be worth Two or three cents.
This and the large voluntary offerings are
perquisites of the keeper and the office
is well worth having.
In the interest of truth, il must be said
that the Six Companies do not always
dwell together in peace and harmony. I'm
Ill year ago, the relations had been as
amicable as could be expected where the
interests OF so many are concerned. But
there are two distinct factions, the Sam
Yups and the See Yups. The former are
the controlling factor in three districts of
the Canton province and the latetr in four
districts of the same. The line, formerly
drawn at nome has not grown dim in this
country. Proba bly, nineteenth of the
Chinese In the United States are See
Yups. and they form the majority OF Ave
of the Six Companoes. While strong in
numbers, they are weak in wealth, only
about % per cent. being merchants, the
balance laborers. OF the Sam Yups( pos
sibly nineteenth are merchants, and money
talks in Chinese as well as in other Ian
guages About year ago a See Yup was
killed, presumably by n Sam Yup. The
Sam Yup defended their man bravcly,
sparing no expense. and he was acquitted.
Then the See Yups boycotted the Sans.
and thus the war has ragged. sorry
spectacle for a mutual benevolent associa-
ton!
The fact that virtually all of the Chi
nese belong 10 the Six Companies does
not pervent their forming similar smaller
societies in every town where their num-
Der justifies IL. The small societies may
have the same name as one of the Six
Companies, but they are entirely dis ant.
and are purely local in character. They
have their halls and joss houses; they
meet and discuss their affairs and help
each other after a fashion. But all i'm
portant matters are taken to the Six Com
panies. To them all Chinese turn in time
of trouble. The directors are men of ef-
fairs. They employ American lawyers
and their understand the laws of this
country. The ordinary Chinaman knows
little OF law, and cares less. He saves
himsef the trouble by relying on the Six
Companies. Herein lies their power.