Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
Is MUCH EXAGGERATED.
The Cunning of the Chinese Said to Be
OYerrated.

been very much exaggerated" said a
former sea captain in conversation the
sther day with New Orleans Times
Democrat writer. "I was in the
Hong Kong trade for several years,
where I was compelled to make a
pretty close study of the native char
acter," he continued, "and I soon
found out that the stories of their
phenomenal astuteness were mostly
rubbish. It is true that the average
Chinese business man will generally
overreach European newcomers; but
it isn't through any superior fnesse
OF intelligence-it is by plain,
stfaight-out lying. That is some
thing the European isn't prepared for,
and, until he learns the ropes, he can't
believe that wealthy, dignified mer-
chant of high social and commercial
rank will tell him a deliberate, pre-
meditated falsehood. As rule, it re-
quires several sharp lessons to get
that fact into his head. l will never
forget my own first experience. We
had arranged with a prominent Chi
nese merchant of Hong-Kong for
quantity of tea, but at the last min
ute there was hitch about the deliv-
cry of the consignment. He told me
it had been temporarily tied up by
the officials on account of some mis-
understanding about the internal
taxes. I discovered by accident, later
on, that the lot had been sold over my
head to a chance customer, and the
tax story was mere pretext to gain
time for the substitution of an in
ferior grade. The tea merchant was
sedate, courtly old gentleman, and
he told me this outrageous lie with
perfect calmness, looking me squarely
in the face, without a culver. 1t never
occurred to ne to doubt his word, and,
but for chance, we would have been
heavy losers. When I exposed him,
Indignantly before all his employees
and several foreign residents, L sup
posed he would be ashamed and dis
concerted. An American Of his stand
ing would have been Inundated and
crushed beyond measure. have
known men to commit suicide for less
disgrace; but he never so much as
blinked He heard me through
blandly, made no comment, and be-
gan to talk about something else. He
had told lie, was caught, and re-
garded the episode as closed.
cit is that sort of thing that throws
foreigners off their guard" continued
the captain, "and gives the Chinese
their reputation for preternaturaa
shrewdness. Most Of their lies are
clumsy and childish, and, for that
very reason, are apt to be credited.
He wouldn't dare tell me such a
thing if it wasn't so,' the stranger
will argue to himself, and, as conse-
quence, be gets badly left. When a
European trader tells lie, and, I am
sorry to say, plenty Of them do, it is
usually some complicated fabrication
that will leave him a loophole for ex-
PLANTATION in the event of detection;
but Chinaman takes no such pains. |
He confines himself to plain, bald
misstatement of fact, which is rather |
staggering to one who is accustomed |
to believe that men Of large affairs |
can't afford to deliberately deceive.
But, after the situation in that respect |
is understood, the American never has |
any trouble holding his own with the
oriental. On the contrary, he gets
the best of nine deals out of ten. The
native Chinese business world seems
to have no conception whatever of
the meanness and criminality of false
hood, yet believe it is a matter of
custom rather than character The
best proof of that is the strict integ-
rity of the Chinese tradesmen in this
country. We have a mum Der of them
here in New Orleans, and half dozen
OF so deal pretty extensively with the
jobbers. Without exception they en-
joy reputation for absolute truth
and reliability. A wholesaler on
Magazine street who sells large guam
titles of soap and starch to a Chi
nese firm near the police headquarters
remarked to me recently that they
were the most satisfactory customers
on his books, because he could place
implicit confidence in ANYTHING thew