The San Francisco call., 1910-01-31
California Lures Dark Skinned
Subjects of King Edward
From Home
RECORD NUMBER OF MEN
IN TURBANS ON STEAMER
Chinese, FilipinOs and Natives
From India Have Bloody
Clashes on Trip
SURGEON is KEPT BUSY
, REPAIRING COMBATANTS

4 MONG the steerage passengers
~ who arrived here yesterday
from the far east on the liner
Manchuria were 191 Hindus. the
largest number of these dark skinned
subjects of King Edward thar ever
came to this country in one ship. 1t
is only few years since the turban
decked oriental was good deal of
curiosity in this part of the world.
For at least two years d steady stream
has been coming across the Pacific,
until now every China liner brings
from a score to a hundred Many of
them stop off at Honolulu and try
work on the sugar plantations, but the
tales that have been sent back to In
dia of the summerland inside the
Golden gate lures them here. and
their stay in the islands IS usually
brief.
Imported by Railroads
They were brought here first by the
railroads, whose demand FOR cheap,
unskilled labor in their construction
work was greater than could be re-
cruited from the food OF white in1mi-
grafton and who were prevented by
legal bars from bringing in Chinese
and Japanese laborers. They were
tried first in British Columbia and in
the state of Washington, but the rig
orous winter climate of the north
proved too severe for them. Even in
fine weather they are said TO be indif-
ferent laborers but when the weather
turns cold they lie down and shiver
and either die or seek warmer eli
mate. The result has been that most
of the Hindus in the United states are
now located in California.
Bring Caste Prejudices
They bring with them all their caste
prejudices and by those responsible for
their care on board ship are regarded
as wholesale nuisance In every batch
that crosses the Pacific are men of diff
ferent castles and woe betide the steer
8 ge steward that fails to recognize the
fact that it would be a deadly insult
to ask the tall Sikh in the red turban
the khaki uniform. The food for the
different castles must be prepared and
served separately. The preparation and
cooking is done in each case under the
supervision of some Hindu who knows
what's what in the culinary etiquette
of his own caste. Before his brown
brothers will eat this cookery critic
must make some kind OF an oriental
affidavit to the effect that the hash con-
tains nothing which Mahommed or Bud
dha has placed on the blacklist and that
it has been cooked according to the
cook book of their own particular re-
Iigion.
Variety of Costumes
Among the Hindus who arrived yes
terday were young men and old. Most
of them wear turbans and their raj
ment otherwise offers rare variety
and includes the uniforms Of half a
dozen British native corps Many OF
the dark immigrants have their neither
limbs encased in riding breeehes of an
extreme British type. the gift perhaps
of a former employer and now proudly
displayed in the land of the free as
the latest thing from London. Among
the former soldiers are men who wear
is the coveted Victoria Cross that is
bestowed only for conspicuous bravery
under fire.
Some of them needed all their scrap
ping ability to hold their own on the
Manchuria When the liner left the
shores of Asia there were 35S Filipinos
and 1S4 Chinese in the Asiatic steerage.
as well as the Hindus The Chinese
hates the Hindu while the Filipino is
equally hostile toward the Chinese. and
before the three races had been to-
gether half an hour the trouble began.
The vigilance of Captain Dixon and his
officers prevented a general engage
ment. but every few hours saw a
rough and tumble fight. which usually
ended in bIoodshed more OF less seri-
ous. Doctor Richter. the liners surgeon.
was kept busy patching broken heads
and sewing UP knife wounds.
Orientals Suffer From Cold
The Manchuria left Yokohama In a
snowstorm and the cold weather for
time rendered Fiipinos and Hindus
hors de combat. So seriously did the
cold AFFECT the oriental passengers that
Captain Dixon changed the course Of
the ship and went far to the southwark
in search of sunshine strong enough to.
thaw. out the shissring Hindus aae