The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-03-05
The Chinese in America.


1t is the general impression among
Americans that the Chinese in THE
country ate parsimonieus. This is
not the case. The Chinese have earn
ed enormous amounts OF money, to be
sure, but they have also spent largely.
Their savings may be estimated as not
more than 10 per cent. Of what they
earn, which is very often permanently
invested in this country, and does not
60 to China. Laborers seldom save
anything, and this is as true of the
Chinese as Of other Municipalities. In
the first place, the Chinaman is usual
iy charged more for what he buys
than any one else, and, again, he is
inclined to be spendthrift when he
can. He is en- cpicure in his own
way. He is also fond of silk clothes
and expensive shoes. Very often he
ls gambler. The actual needs of tbe
Chinaman are greater in this country
than In China. The climate in the
kwang-tung provinces is 80 mild that
all he requires at home is thin cot
ton blouse and trousers, and two extra
garments for winter. His hat is Of
roughly plated straw, and he wears
straw sandals. In this country he
must wear WOODEN underclothing, q
felt het, and leather boots, if q labor
er. His boots in America costs four
or FIVE times as much as his whole out
fit in China.
The food bought by the Chinese is
often quite as expensive as that Of the
whites. Instead Of living almost alto
gether on rice and shop suey, as is the
general impression, Cinnamon, being
quite as fond Of meats as Americans,
buy pork, beef, and chickens. Chop
sney is made to sell to curious white
persons who visit Chinatown. In the
vicinity Of every large city where there
is any considerable Chinese colony,
there are truck gardens devoted to
raising vegetables exclusively for Chi
namen from seed brought from their
native lands. These vegetables are
unknown to Americans. But the
Chinese also consume large quantities
of the finer kinds Of American vege-
tables. The Chineman has q sweet
tooth also; and in the best Chinese
restaurants in San Francisco, New
York, Chicago, and other large cities,
the best of wines are served to Chin
ese as well as American customers,
together with the finest and most ex-
pensive foods. In the average Chin
ese restaurant in those cities good
board can be had by the Chinese for
from $15 to $40 q month, and these
restaurants are lagely patronized. AS
q rule, the Cinnamon are compelled to
lodge in mean quarters; but in New
York and San Francisco there are q
number Of we'll appointed homes, oc-
oupied by the families Of well-to-do
Chinese merchants, which the Amer
ican seldom or never sees. In Now
York there is no apartment house,
up-to'date in every respect, occupied
by Chinese families. The Chinaman
sticks % closely as he can to the ira.
ditions and customs OF his country,
which are strange 70 the Occidental,
and, therefore, o subject for comment
and often for derision.
There are not many rich Chinamen
in America; but some 'of them are
very we'll of, with fortunes ranging
from 100000 to s5OO,OOO. There is
one multi-millionaire, ChinTan Sup,
who Is che richest Chinaman in the
country. Chin Tan Sup owns whole
towns, and employs hundreds Of white
men and women in the factories and
canneries. He owns ranches, city
real estate, gold mines, and diamonds;
he conducts real estate business,
and he has several merchandise stores
in San Francisco. He is self-made
man and very shrewd and progressive.
He came to America in the steerage
as a lad, and vent to work in ki:ch-
on. he married q white woman, and
with their savings originated "little
lottery" business in San Francisco.
He was largely patronized by Ameri-
cans, and soon grew rich enough to
become merchant also. From this
beginning he developed into CONNER
cial and political power. He is called
"Big Jim," on account Of his size.
He is six feet tall, and well proper
toned, good looking man. In busi-
ness he is regarded as the soul Of
honor. His wardrobe is magnificent,
and savaral uo1ats oro poodod 80 90.