Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-12
JAMAICAN AND WEST MD1AN LAboRERs QUARTERS
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cause the paint has turned dark. ana
would be truly indignant should the quar-
termaster even hint at an application OF
soap and water. Because the furniture
is free. many OF them DO not seem to
understand that some one has To pay for
il, for il is often treated with the great
est vandalism a visitor recently OBJ
served a small boy with a Ratchet chop
ping at the legs of a good mission fin
ished dining chair. AS a piece Of wood
the size of her finger flew off she called
the attention of the child's mother to the
mischief.
'Oh. that is nothing. was the answer
THE chair don't belong to NE and / m
not going to take care OF the commission
furniture. II anything gets broken up
the quartermaster will have to get mo
another"
Many of the canal workers have never
been used to having plenty OF money and
they seem TO lose their heads completely
over the large salaries each pay day
brings to them. They indulge in all sorts
of extravagances in the way OF imported
novelties which the Chinese merchants
are only too glad to procure for them. A
woman with several neglected. dirty
looking children with perhaps nothing
left OF her husbands last months salary.
will take a handful Of gold pay day
and rush out to Chinese shop and pur-
chase Canton linen table cover trim
med with real cluny lace. at from s15 to
$50, or perhaps pay a first instalment
upon a Satsuma tea set at 500 If her
husband should lose his position his COM
rades would have to take Up collection
to enable them to return to the United
States.
things. The Cinnamon are always will
ing TO give credit to an American on the
canal roll. and sometimes they have
difficulties in making their collections.
An American couple of the class that
considers ii a point of honor to "cheat a
Chink' ran up large bill at a Chinese
store for various extravagances the wom-
an wished to take with her on a trip to
the United States. The night before she
sailed they visited the store together,
and the man promised to pay the bill on
his next pay day. But, as his wife had
arranged for long stay, he moved into
bachelor quarters and proceeded to for
get all about it.
The Chinaman, after several months Of
vain attempt to collect the bill, brought
suit against him before a zone Judge. The
American came to court and proceeded 10
swear that he had never seen the China
man in his life. had never been inside OF
his store, or made a purchase, and that
he knew his wife never had.
ignoring this. the Chinaman said,
softly:
You poor man in trouble now: velly
sad. You Eottee no wife. She no Hkee
you any more. She go away and no
writee you any letter"
Its lie" flashed the American. hotly
"My wife writes to me every week. L
had a letter on the last boat from her.
Here it is, Judge" and he passed ii over
to the magistrate.
Quick as Il flash. the Chinaman pro-
duced a book:
Now, judge, YOU see lat telee you ls
truth. In my book lat mans wifee. she
signee her nance to my bill. You see?
1t alice samee writing lkee lie letter.
And it was. too. So. with a singing
reproof. the Judge ordered the American
to pay the bill before leaving the court
room, while he congratulated the China
man upon his shrewdness.