PRICE OF A WIFE.

Evening Star, Issue 3735, 11 February 1875, Page 3

PRICE OF A WIFE.

The ‘ New York Times ’ own correspondent at San Francisco writes to that journal:—The Chinese are in some respects very much like us. They buy their wives. A Chinaman here in want of a wife, scrapes together his wages and sends the amount home, generally to his father or mother, with the order for a wife, and they go into the market and make the best bargain they can, according to the money to be invested. Sometimes the amount is small, and really a first-class article cannot be had for the sura, but the old lady generally does her best and ships over the woman consigned to her son, who meets her at the steamer with his bill of lading, pays freight and charges, and takes his property. It was a miscellaneous consignment of this sort that was grabbed by our zealous authorities ; but Judge Field, of the United States Supreme Court, decided that the proceedings are illegal, and ordered the discharge of the squad. If any of our readers want to know the price of a real useful wife of this sort, of reliable color, warranted to wash (Mondays), I can inform them, as ray Celestial, Ah Sam, who dusts out my office, has recently imported one. Sam sent money to his mother, and in due course of time the purchase arrived, and Sam brought her' down for my inspection. She was as ugly a Chinese woman as I ever saw. I said, “ Sam, not handsome. eh?” Sam says, “No, no handsome much; handsome gal cost heap money, and all time kick up—bobberv.” Sara had the correct idea of it, and was wisely content with a plain article that was most likely to stay by him. Sam told me that the original cost, with freight and charges, was .300 dols—all it was worth if 1 am a judge of that species of goods, gained from a mild experience.