THE CHINESE IN CALIFORNIA.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1885, 11 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE CHINESE IN CALIFORNIA.

(From a Cot respondent of the " New Zi-rUnd Herald".) The Chinese have boon in California dating back uh far us 18 10. There was then one pioneer Chinaman. The first largo shipment was by a cigar manu facburer, a European. Ho introduced them as Chinese cheap labour. In San Francisco yon may seue them in Chinese factories*, 50 in a room, working sowing machines, making pants, jumpers, shirts, and all kinds of European clothing : they may be seen working frdm oarly in the morning till 11 and 12 at night. This is what is called Chinese industry. I call it slavery. Is thoro any wonder why Europeans cannot compote with thorn ? The same may bo said of all other branches of industry that they have monopolised, the making of car-pet-slippers, ladies' boots aud shoes, etc. ; the manufacturing of tin-ware, such as billies, coffeo pocs, etc. ; you may see Chinese cobblers, watch-makers, money-brokers, tailors. Stores and shops innumerable : Chinese officers for the hire of Chinose servants, to which ladies (European) go when they want to hire a man chambermaid, or a Chinese boy to nurse baby and whoel the perambulator when the lady goes out. Chinamen are employed in a majority of private houses to do all the work that otherwise would have been done by European females — washing, ironing, cooking, making beds/cloaning windows, scrubbing, watering thegarden and keeping it in order. Tv some largo hotels thoy are employed scrubbing, cleaning vegetables, washing dishes, etc., and in country hotels thoy are largely employed as cooks, etc. Most all the washing of clothen, I might say, is done by Chinamen. In San Francisco all the bystreets wro full of Chinese washhoiihos. They are so numerous that a law has been passed providing that they shall bo six shops apart. These Chinese wash houses are patronised by men and women. You may often see the females going in there inquiring about thoir washing. Chinamen do all the fluting and wearing apparel to perfection, I am told, better than Susan or Jane. Most all servant girls get their washing there. The Chinaman is so convenient there is no resisting him. He comes for the dirty clothes and brings them back clean. His charges are cheap, and|ho will trust for a week or a month. Several Europeans have what are called " Whitetnan's" laundries. Their motto is "No Chinaman employed," but such is the state of things that a great number of them employ Chinamen. There are Chinese washhouses in every town or city throughout; California and the Rocky Mountains, in Salt Lake City, Helena, Montana, all through Oregon, and even iv British Columbia. Chinamen are employed on all the railways throughout California, and as f.ir over on the Pacific Line as Cheyenne, grading and repairing the road. Evoiy large and small town in California has its population of Chinese. They acquire land and houses, and they are a fixture ; all light farming work they do, picking fruit, Sec., for San Francisco in European style. Some of the bay steameis are mainly supported by Chinese sailors, coal-passers, aud Btokers. This company's vessels run to China aud Japan, Oregon, Panama route, and on the Australian Mail service. During the six years I was in San Francisco., they have landed Chinese men and women at the rate of 1200 to 1500 every fortnight; and besides innumerable ships have arrived with •tOO to 800— these latter would not be noticed in San Francisco. If you go out early of a morning to the diff«reut markets, you may sco about a hundred Chinese pedlars at each, getting their stock for the day's round. And in the daytime Chinese rag-pi<Jkere are innumerable. If not closely watched they will steal anything they can put their hands on. Chinese merchants and companies are acquiring a good share of landed estates in San Francisco, encroaching on some of the principal streets. They ship a great quantity of cigars and cheap clothing to the Eastern States Th<ire are two theatres and two Chinese Joss houses Chinese retail cigar stores are scattered all over the town, and on some of the principal streets Th«y economise every available space. If they get possession of a shop that is lofty, they make a second room above, •gonerdlly with enough room to sit

down, with their heads touching the ceiling. Their lodging-houses are orowded to suffocation, paolced Hka sardines. A Chinese woman is a piece of goods to be bought and sold. If a Chinaman wishes to marry, he must buy one from a boss at the ruto of 300 dollars, more \ or less. If a Chinaman becomes enlightened to the state of American law, he will perhaps run away with one and got married by a clergyman, and so obtains the protection of the law, as it does not publicly allow slavery. If Ah Quong owes Ah Jim 100 dollars and can't pay, Ah Jim takes possession of Ah Quong's wile as part of his goods and chattels. This is a true state of affairs in Free America. People are apathetic, but the fact is well known. Such cases as the abovo . often como boforo the Police Court.