The citizen., 1913-06-20
MUST SAIL THE SEA
Cinnamon Condemned to Live m
Board Ship.
Woo Chow Prevented From Landi,,
Either in America or China bv
the Authorities of the Respeo.
tive Countries.

New York.-Woo Chow sailed from,
this port on board the steamer Am.
bria, bound for Singapore. If Won
can convince the Singapore authorl.
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 i5en.
tity as Chinaman or smuggle him.
self into America.
Woo Chow is a man without a 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 it has han.
pened:
Woo Chow had heard much Of
America, the promised land. in bis
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 a 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 crew. The captain picked up a
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
At last the ship arrived in New
York. AS the sky line of Manhattan
island loomed up Woos heart beat
faster for he felt that at .ast bis
dreams were to be realized Even in
those days New Yorks sky line was
marvellous contrast to the low-lying
and filthy harbor of Singapore.
But Woo Chow could not land. He
was a Chinaman and the Chinese Sc
clusion act barred him out
Greatly saddened. Woo returned to
Singapore. In that town, however, he
was informed that it really was easy
enough to get into the United States
for the authorities in America only
nhinafnd fn fhn Of
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
queue was gone Woo considered
himself no longer a Chinaman. but to
make assurance doubly sure Woo
bought belt and pair of western
trousers and tucked in his shirt At
last, he thought he would be admitted
Again he was doomed TO disap
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 Woos 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, an
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 ne
will be able to convince his country
men that he is one of them, for he
has been allowing his hair to grow fof
several years.
EaI, sNI nIn TnrANIIDT uIlM1