Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-07-11
MUST SAIL THE SEA
Cinnamon Condemned to Live on
Board Ship.
Woo Chow Prevented From Landing
Either In America or China by
the Authorities Of the Respee-
tive Countries.

New York-woo Chow sailed from
this port on board the steamer Am
bria. bound for Singapore. II Woo
can convince the Singapore authori-
ties that his eight-inch stub or braided
hair is a pigtail, he may be allowed
to land and see his wife In Canton.
If not. he will be condemned to sail
the seas some more-he has been on
the water continuously for fifteen
years-until he can establish his iden-
tity as a Chinaman or smuggle him
self into America.
Woo Chow is a man without coun-
try. Woo is neither oriental nor occi-
dental. He has been excluded from
the United States and from China for
fifteen years. This is how 1t has hap
pened:
Woo Chow had heard much OF
America, the promised land, In his
home in Canton, when he attended an
American missionary school. His
blood was stirred by the tales Of op-
portunity.
Fifteen years ago Woo left his ma
tive home and went to Singapore
leaving behind a wife. and father
and mother, and two children.
For two years he worked on the
Singapore river front, until one day
a ship, sailing for America, was with
out a crew. The captain picked up q
crew along the water front. Among
others he picked up Woo.
Throughout the long voyage Woo
proved his fidelity. Being the only
Mongolian on board he had to do the
work Of all the white men. but he
never complained.
York. AS the sky line of Manhattan
island doomed up Woo's heart beat
faster for he felt that at last his
dreams were to be realized. Even IN
those days New York's sky line was
a marvellous contrast to the low-lying
and filthy harbor Of Singapore.
But Woo Chow could not land. He
was Chinaman and the Chinese Sc
elusion act barred him out.
Greatly saddened. Woo returned to
Singapore. In that town, however. he
was informed that 1t really was easy
enough to get into the United States.
for the authorities In America only
objected to the customs of the Chi
nese. not to the people themselves.
Again Woo ventured forth, and
again he came to New York. This
time. when still eight days from land,
he visited the ships barber and ca
joled the individual into providing
him with a haircut. The precious
himself no longer a Chinaman, but to
make assurance doubly sure, Woo
bought a belt and a pair of western
trousers and tucked In his shirt. At
last, he thought he would be admitted.
Again he was doomed to .dlsap-
pointment, and again he returned to
China. But there they would not let
him in, for he had no pigtail. He
was not the same Woo who had left
China. and the Chinese would not
allow Woo's contention that he was
a native. and as he had no passport
he was excluded. OF course, If Woo
had been able to appeal to the captain
with whom he had left China he might
have been better treated. but the cap
tain had been dismissed in New
York
So Woo Chow is condemned to sail
the seas for the rest of his life, am
when he dies he will in all probability
be buried at sea-
Woo has left New York again,
bound for the far east He thinks he
will be able to convince his country
men that he is one of them, for he
has been allowing his hair to grow for
several years.