The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-06-13
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle.

Paper Read Before the Cha,ttauQua Circle.
~HICAGO like most large cities
of America has its Chinese
~ colony. OF course in point of
population San Franclsco's
Chinatown takes first place, then New
York with its famous Mott st. comes
second, Chicago is third on the list
with a population of six thousand.
The writer held position in the city
of Chicago for several years which
made it incumbent upon him to be-
come thoroughly familiar with China
town, the habits, customs, and charac-
teristics of its Inhabitants. / found
<John Chinaman' an interesting fellow,
so have chosen him as subject for
this paper.
A great many people imagine that
all Chinaman can do is "washee," but
that is mistake, for in Chicago you
will find him engaged in all manners
and sorts of occupations. Aside from
Chinese laundrymen there are doctors,
dentists, opticians, Chinese bakers,
cooks, walters, tailors, cigarmakers,
porters, janitors, buffers, coachmen,
etc. Then in the commercial line there
are grocers, tea importers, silk mer-
chants, haberdashers, cigar manufac-
turers, importers of and dealers in
chinaware, bric.a-brac, and bamboo
furniture, to cay nothing of those con-
ducting "chop suey" houses, maintain
lug shop joints" and operating "fan-
tan" and "bungalOO" games.
Chinatown is situated in So. Clark
st. The president of the tong (tong
meaning company is Hip Lung who
keeps wholesale tea house at ,319 So.
Clark St. Hip Lung, who is reputed
to be several times millionaire, is the
wealthiest Chinsman in the United
States, and the "Big Chief Mogul" of
Chinatown. Mr.. Lung is an American
born Chinaman and we'll educated;
he and his counselors look after the
material interest of every individual
Chinaman in the city of Chicago, and
they all owe allegiance to him. He
acts as their banker, invests their sur
plus earnings for them, gives them ad'
vice in legal and business matters. In
short, he is a sort Of fOster-father tc
them all.
There Is only one tong in Chicago
and that fact alone eliminates tht
h,ghbinder, for there is nothing fOl
him to do. 1t Is only in cities tha
have more than one tong that the high
binder finds employment. You Otter
read of the bloody crimes committed
by the highbinders of San Francisco
and New York, but each of those cite
has more than one tong-the forme
ak, and the latter two. When mem
bers of two different tongs have mis-
understanding, then the highbinder
get busy. When one of those high
binder murders are committed, th
newspapers TEEN with lurid stories o
the "mysterious highbinder society.
Che accounts published in the pres
would lead one to believe that tn
highbipder's were an organized gan
of blackmailers and murders who hav
secret lodge rooms with the walls deco
rated with skulls and cross.bones, an
the floors carpeted with tanned huma
. skins. Now any time you read new'
paper story like that you are readln
q fairy tale, for the so-called "higl
binders society" is all myth, and e.
lists only in the overworked imagin'
tion of the newspaper reporter.
A highbinder is nothing more nj
less than an individual paid ASSASSIN
He doesn't belong to any fraternit
He May be in the employ of one tor
this month and some other tong Il
next month. 1t Is simply matter
business with him, and he always earl
his fee. Cinnamon have q very stri
code Of honor, and always settle the
differences out of court. II one Chin
man breaks faith with another belon
ing to different tong, the penalty
death; his doom is sealed; there Is