Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-06-25
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 Respec-
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 authorl-
ties that his eight-inch stub or braided
hair is pigtail, he may be allowed
to land and see his wife in Canton.
II 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 MS loen-
tity as a Chinaman or smuggle him.
self into America.
Woo Chow is man without coun-
try Woo is neither oriental nor occl-
dental He has been excluded from
the United States and from China for
fifteen years. This is how it has nap
pened:
Woo Chow had heard much OF
America, the promised land. In MS
home in Canton, when he attended an
American missionary school. HIS
blood was stirred by the tales OF OPP
portunity.
Fifteen years ago Woo left his ma
tive home and went to Singapore,
leaving behind 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 a
crew along the water front Among
others he picked up Woo.
Throughout the long voyage Woo
proved his fidelity. Being the only
Monaghan 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 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-ly1ng
and<flthy harbor of Singapore.
But Woo Chow could not land. He
was 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
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
queue was gone. Woo considered
himself no longer Chinaman, but to
make assurance doubly sure, Woo
bought 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 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, and
when he dies he will in all probability
be buried at sea.
Woo hasa 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.