Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
Charges of an English Teacher.

The Enclosure is a copy without signature
of a letter from an Englishwoman. teach
er in China. 1t is addressed to Mr.. WI
from Toronto, and says:
Dear Sir: I have been engaged for a
good many years in teaching English to Chi
nese the last six years in Yumati, opposite
Hongkong. I left for a visit to my home on
the 14th Of May and as all the years, now
about eighteen. I have been among the
Chinese, 1 have had my whole being so
aroused and indignant at the way they are
treated at San Francisco and Hongkong
by Americans, thought I would write and
tell you some things perhaps you did not
know before.
In the first place this examination Of
the eyes is a regular farce 1t is all to ex-
tort money. 1 was to bring Chinese lady,
the wife of a dentist, to San Francisco I
waited for three vessels, could not go be-
cause OF her eyes, and she has not gone
yet. Because l am known to the consul in
Hongkong, having often taken Chinese
there, and because l am British, I had my
eyes examined on the Doric before l sailed.
The doctor never washed his hands nor the
glass cylinder with which he turned my
eyelids over. and he had examined ninety
Chinese and japanese. Now, he did this
right along. The consequence was that
many developed the disease before we
reached San Francisco. One bright little
boy of twelve who was coming alone had
no disease till We were two days out from
Honolulu. This boy is the son of a mer-
chant In San Francisco. / went to see the
father several times. found the child was
detained in the filthy sheds at the wharf.
His certificate was all right His father
offered to get the best eye doctor In San
Francisco, but was not allowed. / saw the
poor man the day before the Doric sailed
and he was alomst frantic. The poor little
lad was sent back alone to China and his
father was allowed to see him for half an
hour.
Almost all who come have to deposit the
return fares with the steamship company
SO 1t pays them to send them back. I was
asked to go to the Chinese bureau and tell
what / saw done and what was done to
myself and Mr.. Meehair told me he was
very sorry about the little boy. and I dis
tinctly told him the doctor goes about
spreading the disease. 1t makes my blood
boil to see the way the Chinese are treated
and talked of in San Francisco.
Helped the Boycott.
ct helped all 1 could toward the boycott
It's useless to say it's to prevent the coolies
coming. know merchants who have been
detained In these filthy sheds, unable to
eat the rotten food and black rice, and
who have been broken down In health for
months afterward- Everywhere Japanese
are working more cheaply than Chinese
and have to be treated now like human
beings. There were some thirty Chinese
returned from the Doric. / hope to re-
turn to China in about a year. but never
to see San Francisco again. was at a
meeting an ono OF the missions there at
wfich dear old mani think he was Eng
lish-said The only way to make the Amer
leans feel is through their pocket. Boycott
all you can. 1t is not only coolies who
come and have to be treated as IL they
were beasts but Chinese ladies are subject
ed to shameful treatment in the quaran-
tine station-at least / have heard their
husbands tell what was done. The Chinese
ought to have the same right toeland as
any one, and do hope they viii hot back
out in regard to this boycott. hope you
am not connected with any mission and
teach because love to do my little to ad-
vance China, and l love the Chinese people
Yours sincerely,
ssP. 81 have seen nothing in any of the
papers about the examination Of the eyes,