Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-06-05
GO THEIR OWN WAY
CHINESE IN AMERICA MAKE LIT
TIE TRouRLE.
Settlements Have Their Own Mayor
Who Is Absolute Ruler and Set
ties All Disputes - Fune.
tons Of "Hlghbinders."

There were about 10000 persons in
San Franchises Chinatown before the
earthquake and there are about 1000
IN that at New York, and these two
settlements are veritable cities within
nities. Each has its own mayor. who
rules over 1t without reference to the
laws of the land but who manages to
maintain order much mhre successful
ly than the white mayor and his police
do In their territories.
No Chinaman ever seeks the aid OF
the American courts He has few bus
mess disputes, for the Chinaman is
noted for his honesty as a trader,
Commercial paper" Is unknown
among them. The Chinaman is the
one man In business whose word is
accepted by white merchants as being
as good as his bond If misfortune
overtakes him and he cannot pay he
commits suicide and bequeaths all that
remains of his property to his creditor.
Occasionally dead Chinaman is
found In the street with knife or
bullet wound to tell how he came by
his death The white police take
charge of the body and make the usual
inquiries, but they never discover any
thing. At the sight of policeman or
detective Chinatown becomes dumb,
but those who have the confidence of
the Chinaman can easily learn that
Wing Sing was man without respect
for the emperor or his ancestors, who
neglected to obey the most excellent
commands of the mayor"
The "Highbinders" who have been
mentioned are supposed to fill another
function as well as that of an Unofficial
police. They are said to be main
tanned by the Six Companies, that
mysterious trading organization with
headquarters in China, which controls
nearly every Chinaman in America.
The great Chinese laundry business
in most of the cities of America is
controlled by them, as are the Chinese
grocery and supply shops and the
curio shops, where oriental articles
are sold to the white man at astOnish
ingly low prices. The Highlander"
carry out the will of their masters, the
Six Companies, sternly suppress any
revolt against their authority and
wreak vengeance on any man Who is
so careless of his life as to deal dis
honestly with his masters.
On rare occasions the American po-
lice secure evidence enough to justify
an arrest on the charge of assault or
manslaughter against Chinaman who
is supposed to be one of these mystic
rious secret police. The man no soon
er appears in the police court than one |
OF the ablest criminal lawyers obtain
able appears to defend him and a |
cloud of witnesses is produced to |
swear that he was thousand miles |
away when the crime was committed.
The power of the Six Companies is |
said to extend even to China They
can wreak their vengeance On the rel
atives of the man who offendS them in |
America, should he succeed In escap- |
ing, and so great Is the family anec-
tion which is characteristic OF the
OuIududu IkldJ MC 0OAuOul u1dNH0 ally |
effort to escape. preferring to- suffer |
the consequences Of his wrong doing |
in his own person.
Both in New York and San Fran
cisco the Chinatowns are selFcon.
tanned cities. They are not even de-
pendent on the white man for their
food supply. Dozens of quaint, weird
looking things to eat are to besfound
In the Chinese quarters. Chinese cloths
and silks are imported from China
for clothing and Chinese furniture and
utensils for the household. Even the
fresh vegetables are grown by Chinese
market gardeners in the suburbs OF
the cities, and the poultry which forms |
30 large part of the Chinaman's food
is bred by Chinese poultry farmers.
Eggs are imported from China and are
considered great delicacy when they |
have attained the age Of two years.
The health authorities find the Chi
nese clearly and remarkably free from |
dicooco ord ovnonahfo IN diScin1fnn