The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-05-15
GO THEIR OWN WAY
CHINESE IN AMERICA MAKE LIT.
TIE TROUBLE.
Settlements Have Their Own Mayor"
Who Is Absolute Ruler and Set.
ties All Disputes Fune.
tons Of "Hiphbinders."s

There were about 10000 persons in
San Francisco's Chinatown before the
earthquake and there are about 1000
in that at New York, and these two
settlements are veritable cities within
cities. Each has its own mayor" who
rules over It without reference TO the
laws of the land, but who mar ages to
maintain order much more 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.
iness 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. II misfortune
overtakes him and he cannot pay he
commits suicide and bequeaths all that
remains OF his property to his creditor
Occasionally a dead Chnaman Is
found In the street with a knife or
bullet wound to tell how he came by
his death. The white police tako
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 Chlnaman can easily learn that
WING Sing was a man without respect
for Al or hiu Whn
neglected to obey the most excellent
commands of the mayor"
The "Highbinders" who have been
mentioned are supposed to fill another
function as well a. 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 "Highblnders'
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 OF
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 q
| cloud of witnesses is produced to
swear that be- was a thousand miles
away when tl" 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
tion which is chara-frr'7tic Of the
| Chinamaa any
effort {, lei
| the con ,Jinl
in his c son.
Both In New York and San Fran
cisco the Chinatowns are self-con
talned cities. They are not even de
pendent on the white man for thei,
food supply. Dozens Of quaint, weird
looking things to eat are to be founC
in the Chinese quarters. Chinese cloth!
and silks are imported from China
for clothing and Chinese furniture anC
utensils for the household. Even thu
fresh vegetables are grown by Chimes,
market gardeners in the suburbs o
the cities, and the poultry which form
so large part of the Chinaman's foot
is bred by Chinese poultry farmers
Eggs are imported from China and ar,
considered great delicacy when the!
have attained the age of two years.
The health authorities find the Chi
nese Claanly and remarkably free from
disease and amenable to discipline.