Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1901-08-09

V%V*0*V$VS~~V~
Singapore Is city having dealings
In one way or another with every peo-
pie to the north, east, south and west
of II, including all the larger islands.
Money reaches Singapore by the boat
load and is distributed as literally. 1t
is sort of clearing house for the east,
and the Malay and the Jayanese jostle
against the American and the Holland
or at the counters of the banking
houses.
For five years | was what Is called
the transfer agent at Singapore. Pro
vided with steam launch and trusty
srew, received or sent out all the hard
money arriving and departing. Ex-
cept In case of four or five lines Of
steamers, no money Is received at the
wharf. All the native craft lie at an
chor to discharge or receive. There
are several reasons for this. but the
houses The money will arrive in bags
or boxes and Is in copper. brass, sill
yer and gold. 1t has been counted and
tagged, but 1t must be gone over again.
A Malay Chinaman or n Borneo trader
would rob his blind grandmother If
he has tagged box 81 900" you can
be sure that 1t is short from $50 to
500. Assisted by two clerks, | board
ed the craft and reeounted. retagged
and resealed the treasure and. after
giving certificate of the correct
amount, loaded IL In the launch and de-
posted it on shore.
My work was anything but easy.
Every consignment carried counterfeit
coins to be worked off on me. and ev
cry native was up 10 all kinds of tricks
to come cut ahead. Under the law !
had a great deal of power, but there
were scores of ways In which | could
be delayed and annoyed. OF all the
people | encountered the Chinese were
the worst for trickery. There are plen-
ty of honest Chinese traders located at
Singapore, as honest as the same num-
Der of foreigners. but as to the Chinese
afioat never met a square man. found
each and every one TO be the slickest
kind of liar and swindler. What pur-
ported TO he silver bars would turn out
to be lead thinly coated. gold ingots
would br n deception and snare, and
they would even go to the pains of
counterfeiting such cheap coins that II
takes - Of them to make an American
cent. 1t was stipulated in my bond
that should make good all losses aris-
ing through any carelessness of count
ing or handling, aud there was never a
moment when my vigilance could be
relaxed.
Almost at the beginning of my career
| had business with Chinese trader
named Whang Ton. That was the
name he gave, and he pretended to
deal In honest goods. but | have no
doubt he was an out and out pirate.
He came into the port about three
times year, and he had ten times too
much money aboard for an honest trad
er. He never disputed my count or
in this was an exception. He won my
gratitude IL not my respect In this mat
ter. and after having dealt with him
three or four times | ceased to watch
him for tricks.
In three years he came into port nj
least II times. and he never brought
less than $4,000 worth of stuff. lie
did not always have the same junk,
but his men were always the same.
His money was of all nations and all
coinage, and it was fair to believe that
he robbed all alike. As there were no
charges against him | did not think
best to say anything ashore. and SO
Whang Ton arrived and departed with
out let or hind1nce. On what turned
out to be his last visit. so far as |
know, he brought only about $4,000 TO
be exchanged. and he Informed me that
he had decided to leave the sea and
settle down ashore. He was more COM
munlcative than had ever known him
TO be before. but there were only two
or three points | remembered after
ward. One was his retirement from
trade, and the other was about a Phil
ippine craft lying astern of him. She
had brought in $4,000 TO be exchang-
ed, and was to put the money aboard
of her that evening. He asked many
questions about her, as | remembered
later, and | answered all as far as |
could and gave no weight to the mat
ter.
While | received and shipped mostly
between 8 O'Clock a. m. and 5 o'clock p.
m IL hannnnnd noU md fhan thn+