The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-06-27
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2 Copyright, 1901, by c. B. Lewis. 2
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Singapore is a city having dealings
in one way or another with every peo-
pie to the north, east, south and west
of it, including all the larger islands.
Money reaches Singapore by the boat
load and is distributed as literally 1t
il sort Of clearing house for the east,
and the Malay and the Javanese jostle
against the American and the Holland
err at the counters of the banking
houses.
For five years I was what is called
the transfer agent at Singapore. Pro-
yided with steam launch and a trusty
crew, received or sent out all the&ard
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
Choir to discharge or receive. There
are several reasons for this, but the
main one is to save time at the barking
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 it must be gone over again.
A Malay Chinaman or BorneO trader
would rob his blind grandmother. If
he has tagged a box ISL 900" you can
\ hot oh 70
500. Assisted by two clerks. | board
ed the craft and recounted, retagged
and resealed the treasure and. hfter
giving certificate of the correct
amount, loaded it 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, anSa ev-
cry native was up to all kinds of tricks
to come out ahead. Under the law |
had a great deal of power, but there
were scores of ways in which l could
be delayed and annoyed. OF all the
people l 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
af1Oat I never met square man. found
each and every one to be the slickest
kind of liar and swindler. What pur-
ported to be silver bars would turn out
to be lead thinly coated, gold ingots
would be a deception and a snare, and
they would even go to the pains of
counterfeiting such cheap coins that 1t
takes % of them to make an American
cent. 1t was stipulated in my. bond
that I should make good all losses arts
Ing through any carelessness s.lin
ing or handling, and there wasfff
moment when my vigilance 81
relaxed a. r.7---'s -.-4 -
Almost at the beginning of my career
I had business with a Chinese trader
named Whang Ton. That walls 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
err. He never disputed my count or
tried to work off bad coin on me and
in this was an exception. He won my
gratitude If not my respect in this mat
ter, and after having dealt with him
three or four times l ceased to watch
him for tricks.
In three years he came into port at
least II times, and he never brought
less than $4,000 worth of stuff He
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 l did not think
best to say anything ashore, and so
Whang Ton arrived and departed with
out let or hindrance. 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
municative than had ever known him
to be before, but there were only two
Or three points I 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 exehang-
ed, and was to put the money aboard
Of her that evening. He asked many
| questions about her, as I remembered
later, and ] answered all as far as I
could and gave NO weight to the mat
ter.
While I received and shipped mostly
between 8 o'clock a. m. and o'clock p.
M, it happened now and then that
craft wanted to sail after hours, and
30 l stretched point in her favor and
charged q percentage. This percentage
was to cover my increased risk. In
the case OF the Philippine craft the
money was to be on board at 6 o'clock,
| which was an hour after dark at that
season of the year. 1t was placed in
the launch at 4:3O, and | steamed out
to Malay craft and counted and re-
sealed the $4,000 she had aboard.
Then l spent Is minutes talking with
the captain OF an American whaler and
was ready to run down and get rid of
my cargo. I had to pass Whang Toms
junk en- route, and he was on the look
out for me. He said he had overlooked
a box containing about a thousand dol
| lars and was anxious to have it count
ed and credited with the rest. AS he
had basket of wine and box of CT
| CARS for me, l could not well refuse,
and / went aboard with my two clerks
to rush the count through. Five armed
men were left in the launch, and had
no anxiety. We had counted half the
| money and old Whang Ton was stand
ing by with grin ON his face when
five or six natives who had sneaked in
to the cabin suddenly flung themselves
upon us, and we were made prisoners.
| At the same moment a dozen Of the