THE CHINAMAN AND THE “BUSTED” BBNK

Dunstan Times, Issue 1266, 4 June 1886, Page 4

THE CHINAMAN AND THE “BUSTED” BBNK

A Melbourne exchange says ; “When the news of the failure of the Commercial Bank of Son'll Australia reached the Chinese in camp at Coldec Point there was a scene of great ■excitement, owing to the remembrance of former Bank failures, and every Chinaman —Lite opulent merchant and the most wretched rag-gatherer—-started to inspect his savings, so as to see if any of the notes were in his possession. One Celestial, who earns one and sixpence per day at the latter occupation, hastily i ipped a patch from off his nether covering, and from be-, neatli brought out ten LI notes. He eagerly scanned them, and saw they were on the Commercial Bank of A us* tralia. Thinking this was the illfated Bank, he became frantic, and rushing out ofliis hut he tore down his pigtail and indulged in various wild amics peculiar to the Oriental, exclaiming — 11 What for Englisheeman idle same wo poor Chinaman? Me poor before me \ve ,! y pom' now.” The other Chinamen weieas ignorant as lie was and could give him no com Kolapou. He then grew melancholy, and going iuio his hovel fixed a rope to tlm rafters and arranged a slip knot, by \tfiich moms he resolved to depart to the place whore Bank failures aie unknown. The Celestial was indulge in his last opium smoke, and was (hen about to finish the business, when luckily Mr Homy Leo "Young, the Chinese interpreter, came a! -mg, and, having heardjof this affair, entered the but. He then inspected the note*, and pronounced them to bo all right. John was incredulous but finally went to the Bank to settle the question. On arriving there (he officials laughed at his fear, hut the Chinaman wished to be certain about it,.and would not leave the banking institution until be had the notes exchanged for ten sovereigns. The suicide was thus averted, and the poor decrepid old raggatherer went Lack to his hut, took down the apparatus that was to have elevated him into the next world, and then, going to the Joss-house, he knelt before Joss, as all good Chinamen are supposed to do, and thanked the lieu l hen god for allowing him to continue his avocation of col led lag rags, bones, and bottles for a short time longer.”