The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-01
That's Trade Name For CHI
nese Struggled Into United
States From Canada.
FREIGHT CHARGE RUNS
FROM $3.50 TO S420
Are Brought In In Oil Tank
Cars-After Manhole Cover
Is Screwed On They Depend
on Valve In Bottom For Air.

Tacoma, Wash. Dec 3e.---An inn
port OF considerable magnitude
which has not appeared in any Gus
toms report for the past year has
been the business in yellow oil
from Canada TO the United States.
yellow OIL comes IN oil tank cars.
It Is not oil: it is human beings
Chinese. The shippers do not court
the attention Of the immigration
agents Though the traffic is a secret
one and subject 10 considerable haz-
ard. II has been brisk of late, and is
-lacrative.---1!, s-rai!uzp fares alone
charged TO the Chinese are enough
TO make II profitable
To anluEElS IA Chinese from VAN
eouver to New York In an empty oil
tank car costs s420; to Chicago, $3.50;
to Seattle or Portland. $250- Since
they seldom travel in less than
dozen lots, ascarload of yellow on Is
worth at least $4,000, and often q
great deaf more.
Federal Investigations show that
some railroad employees who are in
position to have knowledge OF this
underground passenger business are
prosperous out of proportion 20 their
wages.
The Chinese exclusion act bars
Chinese lahorerr from this country
Canada admits these men on pay
ment of $500 head tax. And Chi
nese laborers are now flocking Into
the United States In large numbers
by means of the oil-tank route.
Freight Rate High.
Chinese often come in goods cars
sealed with q freight seal in British
Columbia They also cross the border
occasionally by automobiles. but the
otl-tank car ia newer device, and
for a long time proved safe for con-
csaling illegal passengers
The immigration inspectors are
doing al in their power To stop TINS
practice They have not yet uncoV-
cred the principals OF the new snip
ping ring, but they have hopes
The scale of railway fares was sup
piled as evidence at the trial of one
Fundeherg, a fireman on the Great
Northern, recently convicted in the
Federal Court for conspiracy to
smuxgie. Fundeberg was arrested
at Everett. Wash, after some Chinese
had been unIoaded from sealed
goods car,
Discovery Of the oil-tank route was
made last April. The cars used are
IN amply fuel oil tanks. which are
devotad 10 company use These cars
look like overgrown locomotive poll
ers. or very much inflated steel pipes
set on A boxoar truck. They have
n manhole at the top. the only open
Ing in them. except small unloading
valve in the bottom at one end. An
empty fuel tank lined with pianking
Will hold considerable number OF
Chinese.
Presumably the cars are loaded a.
False Creek, near Vancouver. since
that is the place where they DISCHARGE
fuel. Each passenger is supplied with
\ suit of overalls for travelling. one
r,da In the interior of a greasy TANK
car will ruin any suit Of clothing
with these special travelling robes
and fresh water and food. they EN-
bark Somebody screws down the
manhole cap. and in the United
states, usually at Everett, just q Few
niles across the border, somebody
releases the passengers. for the men
inside the steel tanks are helpless.
Then there follows a night auto,
mobile ride to Seattle and delivery OF
the roods TO whoever ia paving the
massage money. These little Iayers
IN yellow oil" are run strictly
r. O d