The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-04-05

times Is glorious, as We all know. To
die for ones country. or for ones hon.
or. is to be privileged. To die Of pes
thence or famine is deplorable. But
to die by treachery is to leave a poor
legacy to those who follow-a legacy
OF unrest until vengeance has been
wrought"
He paused for Just a moment and 1
moved impatiently. But II l thought
to disconcert him by my action l was
not rewarded
1T is possible, Mr.. Clyde" he con-
tinued. that you are familiar with
the history of the trade in coolies be-
tween your country and mine?"
nodded YES" l answered. pass
ably familiar. l know that at one time
1t was black with outrages. l know
that In 1882 a Chinese exclusion act
was passed, and that in 1892 the Geary
law followed"
But you did not know, perhaps,
chat in spite OF your laws, the SNUG
Cling Of Chinamen-of Chinese labor
ers-into this country, has been al
most continuously practiced?"
1T is quite possible, dare say.
do not know the facts, however"
The facts In general way are not
material" Yup Sing assured me. But
l shall inform you OF single SPECIFIC
case. Sixteen years ago there ap-
peared in Canton a white man, sup
posedly Scotchman. calling himself
Donald McNish, and representing. ac-
cording to his own statement. certain
large American interests. Through
native agent 1t became known that
McNish was In search OF coolies. Very
soon, circulars appeared throughout
the district, worded somewhat after
this fashion: To the countrymen OF
All Shoe. Laborers are wanted in the
land Of California. Great works to be
done there. good houses, plenty food
You will get $40 month and good
treatment. Passage money required.
S45. | will lend the money on good
security. but l cannot take your wife
and child in pay. Come to Canton,
and | will care for you until the ship
sails. The ship is good The circular
was signed by All Shoe, the agent. In
response to it, exactly ninety-seven Of
my countrymen,' having left good Be-
curity for the required passage money.
were led stealthily aboard small
coasting vessel one night, and the YES
sci slipped quietly down the Chu-k1ang
to the open sea, with McNish himself
at the helm, and Eurasian named
John Woo, in the galley
The Vice Consul was now consult
ing a slip OF paper bearing, as l could
| ri
"If | am in error" said Yup Sing,
addressing his companion, 81 pray you
to correct me-" Whereat Mr.. Chen
Mok smiled reassuringly.
You are in all particulars accu-
rate" he announced and the Mott
street merchant, thus encouraged. pro-
ceeded.
The vessel you understand. Mr.
Clyde, was what is known in those wa,
ters as a lorcha. 1t was not so large
as Junk and it differed in other re
spects as well. 1t
."I think l have seen rude, but
of it," l interrupted
Il know to what you refer" was the
speakers rejoinder. But that was
more or less conventional. AS l told
YOU. every child draws boats like that.
| However, the lorcha was to be used
merely to convey the passengers to
| McNish's steamship, which had al
ready cleared from Hong Kong. and
which waited off the coast well out OF
sight of prying cruisers. Such, at
least, was the explanation. Whether
McNish ever had steamship is
matter for conjecture. Whether a
United States cruiser of the Pacific
Squadron, having received hint as
to his purpose. bore down upon him.
4 as has been said. is likewise open to
question. But of the truth of the Incl
dents which followed there can be no
dispute"
He hesitated long enough for the
Vice Consul to echo: mo dispute,
whatever, Mr.. Clyde" and continued:
"On the second morning after leav-
ing Canton, an hour after dawn, when
he at least pretended to see the cruiser
in full chase, he ordered his passen-
gers below, declaring that their safe
ty depended upon their keeping out of
sight. No sooner, however. were they
below decks than ne Dattened Gown
the matches, and imprisoned the cook
in his galley. A white fog prevailed
and the sea was very calm, both OF
which were conditions favorable to
McNish's purpose. Lowering the
lorcha's two boats he cut one adrift,
and entering the other, which he had
previously stocked with stores, he
made his way In it along the lorcha g
side to her PROV"
At this juncture, Yup Sing slowly
rose to his feet.
And now" he said, Il want you to
picture what followed. Standing up,
axe in hand, Donald McNish began his
diabolic work. With strong arm he
swung, and close to the water line
the blade bit deep into the timbers of