Bisbee daily review., 1908-11-17

t0ougles Observation-Disclosures
give be-turbaned and Aercely be
SAiskered sons of India. wearing 9
motley apparel to which, seemingly
All the nations of the world may have
contributed and Speaking a jargon
that In breath suggested Biblical Bed
lam. arrived in Douglas yesterday Io
easf their lot In TIE new world OF
Mnlch they have heard SO mucn
1ney have not come all the way
from Mandalay." but they have come
nom singapore, where they shipped
as iascars many, many months ago
and from that tim euntil the olive.
arab uniformed oGscials of Uncle
Sam at this place admitted them,
nYed precarious existence. Almost
were they refused admission to the
United States and for a time they
we're kept at the outer threshold OF
the land of the free in danger Of not
being allowed to enter. When they
arrived at FL Paso a few days ago
tne immigration authorities were IN.
enned to debar them, not because they
did not have the right per Sc to come
INTO this country, but because they
eid not have enough money to reach
their intended Destinations point in
Calffornia-and thus were liable to be-
come pubic charges. But the matter
vas deferred until the secretary of
the department of commerce and ia
Dor could be hard from and it was MS
order that admitted them. They paid
their head tax at Ell Paso and then
came on to Douglas.
When they were comforting with
Inspector in Charge Council. or. rath-
er, trying TO confer with him, they
were treated to wonder of wonders,
for who should approach but a white
mantle kind of man they have
grown to depend up-and address
them in their native Hindu tongue.
At once this man became their guide,
guardian and mentor. He extracted
information from them of their past
and their plans of the future ana
greatly assisted the officers In pass
ing on them. This man is C. L. Pierce,
a switchman in the Southwestern.
yards here, who, many years ago,
dwelt for long period in the iand
Hpling has immortalized
The Sikhs when they ltf Singapore
had no Intention of leaving for good
their native land. On the contrary,
they shipped out as lascars Inc
cruise of their ship took them to
pfttNC5f " SdlidO. reTu.
Here they left the ship and claim
they got no money. They told Mr..
Pierce that the fare was poor and the
master unkind. They could not STAND
the treatment they received and so
decided to leave. Then, too, they
were nearing Amer lea, the land OF
which they had heard so much ana
where brethren from the Punjab haa
gone, and they decided to make for it.
From Callao thew made their way to
Panama where they crossed the istn-
mus and reached the Atlantic side,
bringing up one day not long ago at
Vera Cruz. From there they came
TO Ell Paso and then to Douglas, anu
here they are still Their destination
Is Clio, California, from which town
Sawn Singh, one of their caste, reput-
ed to be wealthy, will send them
money; at least SO said Bhola Singh
yesterday. and he supported the ut
terapce with a telegram
This Hindu who calls himself Bho,s
Singh is not the hest looking of the
Ave. vet he is more loduacious ana
evidently moro experienced. He was
talking to Mr.. Pierce and a newspa-
per man vest erdav and he seemed a
true Bedlamite, for with his native
tongue were miyed mot few WORDS
of Spanish and English.
Bhola Singh made low salaam and
then saluted as Mr.. Pierce and the
reported dropped in on the five at
their quarters on H avenue yesterday.
Then he proffered his hand and the
other Hindus did likewise.
In strange tongue Pierce then
con municated with them and had no
difficulty in making himself undeg-
stood
TITS been long time since l talk
ed their language, but it's not hard
and then it all comes back, you know.
| didn't ship lascars out of Singapore
for six years without learning some
thing" he said to tho pewspaperman.
what is a lascar? Well, lascar
n the parlance is Hindu or Malay
who goes to sea. These fellows here
are far above the lowest class, or
caste. of the people CT India See this
fellow, and how his beard is curled?
That denotes caste, as does the silk
turban he wears. HIS skin is lighter