The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-10-17
SEATTLE FIRM TO COLLECT ADJ
DRESSES OF COUNTRYMEN
IN UNITED STATES.
Remarkable Protectorate over 'hou
sands Of Cinnamon Is Maintained
at a Great Cost.

1,omediatelv after the Chinese New
Year the Quong Tuck company OF Sc
attic will begin the work of collecting
the name and address Of every China
man in the United States. capable OF
reading either English or Chinese CHAR
acters. This work, done as thorough
" and successfully as the United
States census bureau gathers Its sta
tistics, is undertaken annually by the
Seattle firm. the only establishment IN
the United States which knows at all
times the names and addresses or
practically every Chinaman in this
country.
The work of collecting this informa-
zion involves the expenditure of hum
;lreds of dollars, and is labor OF love-
for there is no remuneration OF any
kind. For years the Quong Tuck Com
pany has successfully gathered the list
of names of Chinese residents in tins
country who are able to read or write
in any language, and has kept 1t Tor
reference.
Thousands of letters sent from China
to Chinese in this country are delivered
to the men for whom they are intended
through the work of this volunteer
census bureau. It is estimated by
members of the Quong Tuck company
that more than $500 is spent annually
in postage to forward letters ad-
dressed to Chinese in America in care
of the Quong Tuck company. This is
approximately 5000 letters sent for
ward each year.
Forward Many Letters.
Scores of letters addressed from Chi
nese come to the Quong Tuck COM
pany with the name of Chinaman
known to be somewhere in this coun-
try, written in Chinese chara cters,
and only the name Seattle" on the
envelope to indicate it's destination.
Sooner or later the postal authorities
searching for the person refer the let
ter to the Quong Tuck company and 1t
is forwarded properly, says the Seattle
Times.
There is an unknown number of Chi
write any language. Comparatively
few of their names are listed at the
Quong Tuck company, but the others
are nearly all there. No other Chinese
firm in America makes such extensive
preparations for the annual revision
of the directory, and no other known
firm of any nationality undertakes such
an extensive work of protection for
their countrymen.
Since the federal government estab-
lished the Nippon station for Seattle
Japanese there has been considerable
talk among Seattle Chinese in fapor of
securing a substation for Chinese and
locating it at the store Of the Quong
Tuck company. The firm itself mas
taken no steps in that direction, but
its work in seeking out and taking
care of Chinese in this country is
practically as effective as would be a
substation. Moreover it is done with
out even the remuneration that goes
to the official in charge of a substa-
ton and involves a heavy expense for
the work
Heretofore the Quong Tuck company
has supplied to Chinese throughout
the country copies of the exclusion
law and the treaty. Scores of Chinese
from interior points where local at
torneys are not familiar with the pro-
cedure, appeal regularly to the Quong
Tuck company for advice regarding
their papers, and the company's own
attorneys here supply the information
at the expense of the Seattle firm.
Keeps Tab on Exclusion Laws.
If the exclusion law is revised at the
coming session Of congress, or the
treaty with China changed, the Seattle
company will Immediately print AMI
distribute copies to Chinese, through
out the country. The necessity for q
knowledge of the law affecting them is
apparent to all the Chinese, but the
Seattle firm is depended upon to sup.
ply the information.
The collection of Chinese addresse.
gives the Quong Tuck company a more
comprehensive idea of the number O,
Chinese in various parts of the coun.
try than is possessed by almost anv.
one else. The company approximates
the Seattle population at 500: in the
state there are said to be 5000 and in
Portland between 1000 and 5000. OF
Portland Chinese population. 1000 are
engaged in cannery work on Puget
Sound. San Francisco Chinese popu-