THE HEATHEN CHINESE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2064, 26 June 1890, Page 3

THE HEATHEN CHINESE.

“ Por ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the heathen Chinee is peculiar,” sang Bret Harte; and, no doubt, so thinks one of the officials of one of our local banking institutions. Enter John Chinaman with the air of a man who carried a miniature Mount Morgan about with him. “Me too muchee gold ; you buy ? ” queried the heathen in his blandest manner. The official nods assent, and John, following him into the exchange room, places the dust on the counter. After cleaning the gold, the banker placed it in the scales, gauging thp weight with his practised eye, But the scale containing the dust refused to swing, though the perplexed official continued to throw in the pennyweights against it. At length suspecting something “ crooked ” he commenced an examination of the scales, and at once the Celestial made a furious rush fop Ifie door. was quickly apd brought back, when it was found that a slender wire with a five pennyweight piece of lead had been adroitly attached to the under part of ifie scale. After giviqg the a practical explanation of thp situation, toe banker allowed him to depart, John retaining to the last a most immovable expression qf surprise at the wbol© Times,