SUBDUING CHINAMEN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1388, 26 May 1883, Page 2

SUBDUING CHINAMEN.

(American Paper). ' The Southern Pacific Construction Company contracted with Chinamen for their labors in California at a fixed price per head, and.was under bond to return them to the agent of the Six Companies when, the road was completed. > Ah Sin kept his ears open and was observant. It was not long before he learned that one hundred cents for twelve hours of hard work was not the usual price paid railway laborers, fie began to desert, and the country between El Paso and the Pecos River was soon full of eastward moving pigtails, In this emergency a man arose—they always ..do under such circumstances—who boldly proclaimed his ability U nip this Chinese rebellion in the bud. The company granted him extraordinary powers, and he entered upon his labors. In three months after his peculiar methods of subjection were inaugurated nothing could tempt one of, his Celestial navvies to desert his post. I formed .his acquaintance.. He is a man of intelligence and thoroughly informed on the subject of Chinese character peculiarities. He specks the language fluently and can decipher the hieroglyphics on a " washee-washee" bill at sight. , While'we were talking the foreman of the.track-laying gang came to the car. , "Ah, Martin," ho said, "I have been looking for you. One of those fellows who deserted last month has returned, and the interpreter says that he has induced half the men to quit and go across the country to the Sunset Extension. He is down among my I gang now." '' "Heis,isheT' quoth Martin; and a peculiar falling down of the nose and flying up of the lip disclosed his white teeth. "I'll fix him." He picked up a heavy billet of wood as he finished speaking, and invited me to go along and f' see the fun." I went. The obnoxious Chinaman was in tho centre of an excited group of his compatriots, volubly discussing on the superior inducements held out to laborers on the other road. We were close upon him when one of the group, caugh't sight of Martin's white teeth, and gave a warning cry.: The crowd scattered, and the chief conspirator started to flee. Too late. The billet of wood flew through the air, struck the deserter between the shoulders and he fell flat in the dust. Martin bent over him still smiling, and by the way of resuscitation kicked the prostrate Celestial several times. \.

.The..Confucian groaned and'raised himself to a sitting posture. He was ordered to. stand up, and he did so with some difficulty. The foreman produced a stout rope, and the smiling Martin requested two of the track-layers to bind his prisoner's foot. He assisted them by administering to each sundry kicks and cuffs, which tended to quicken their movements considerably. When the conspirator was securely fastened he was ordered to march forward to the car. The prisoner soon; reached the car and stood Reside the step, crying and sobbing. : His captor kicked him several times, and he managed to scramble to the platform, although he had no use of his hands or arms. We followed him.ihto the car, and Martin reached his hand under the' prisoner's blouse and drew therefrom a large Colt revolver. / " Now, if he had been a white man he would have shot me on sight." He cocked the pistol, and, as though by accident, pointed the muzzle at the Chinaman's head. The wretch fell upon his knees and began to beg piteously, Martin seemed to enjoy the poor devil's and smiled upon him benig'nahtly, ' " "It is hop die with you anyway, John," was. Martin's: consoling observation. *<lf I shoot you hero it is all over. If I carry you back up the track you'll be hung*^. The Chinaman continued to pray for mercy, and after drawing' beads on jjj| head several times' ilto^^ujt^ip 1 pistol in his pocket, on the platform. ..... ■■.#■■'.■!s>s*'. . "What asked.' ' ■'[Jo^~ : '' u .•".', , |! Qbj J'll carry him back.up. ; the road a couple of hundred miles and drop him. He won't come baeb," ■ There was in the latter sentence, but as the 'speaker's teeth were gleaming I did not demand moro explicit information. When we got ready to move out the Chinaman was locked up in an empty box-car. That was the last I Baw of him. One of the train hancis told me the next morning that he was dropped alongside the track during the night. When I asked what they were shooting at about midnight he replied: "■ • "Antelope I" Every mile or two we passed a Chinaman's grave. They bury their dead above ground in wooden boxes, over which a thin layer of dirt is thrown. Each one was marked by a head-board covered with hieroglyphics. Some of the graves were newly made and the little piles of paper money, which the dead man's friends had placed there to, >pay his (expenses in the other' world,- had not yet blown away. On some; of the graves were bowls, of rice and baked chicken. 1 ; Dead Chinamen are always supplied with provisions for the long journey. I remarked on; the great number of graves to the brakeman. " Yes," he said," it is a'sickly country—for Chinamen I" That fellow's irony was incomparable.