The west shore., October 01, 1886, Page 295, Image 5

THE WEST SHORE
293
A NIGHT IN CHINATOWN.
WITH all the capacity to absorb and assimilate ap
parently incongruous eloniouts possessed by
the political, social and religious institutions of
the United States, they seem poworless to di
gest the Mongolian. The represeulniives ol nearly
every nation under the sun have taken rofugo in this
land of freedom, and before the second generation have
become completely Americanized, with one exception
the Chinese. For thirty-six yours tho "childlike 'and
bland" oountonanco of tho Chinaman has leeu seen on
the streots of our western cities, and yet, as a class, with
scarcely an indiviuual exception, he is as much of a for
eiguer to-day as he was when he left tho shores of the
Flowery Kingdom a third of a century ago. The Gor
man, the Swede, the Russian, the Turk, and evon the
Japanese, adopt the costume, and to a largo extout the
customs, of our people immediately Uxm planting their
feet upon our soil Clannish, they are, to a cortulu ex
tent, drawn togethor socially, and oven politically, by
those ties of common blood and birth which are among
the strongest that find root in the hearts of men; but
gradually these wear away by contact with the mass of
people, and the children of these immigrants, reared iu
our public sohools and associating with the youth of the
country, become Americanized aud reliovod of every in
clination towards such idoas and. customs of tho. land (f
their fathers as are iuoongruou with those obtaining iu
this country. Not so the Chinoaa They hold them
solvos aloof, aud wherever they go huddle together and
sot up a miniature China in the midst of our antagonis
tic civilization. A third of a century on tho I'aoillo
coast still finds them in their peculiar native costume,
their heads shaved and their pig-tails flapping about
their logs. This precious apondago, originally a badge
of servitude, is uow hold by them a orown of distinction,
without which no truo Chinaman can exoct honor in
this lifo or glory in the life to coma. Evon such of
thorn as protend to havo heoome converted to Christi-
anity under the faithful missionary labors of many good
and noble men and women chiefly tho latter still
cling to their pigtails with all tho superstitious fervor
of their more benighted countrymen. No olTort is made
to teach their children tho language and manners of this
country, but the little ones are in every respect miniature
counterparts of their fathers aud mothors, and as much
Chinese in every instinct and action as if they had been
reared under the very shadow of tho throne of the
Fearly Emperor. The explanation of this is simple.
Other nationalities come here to live, to minglo with our
people and becoino a part of us, and their children are
educated for life among us; the Chinese oome here for
a U'miorary residence, to make money upon which they
can eventually live at ease in their native land, and their
children are consequently reared with a view to a future
permanent residence in the lain' of their fathers. The
one is an immigrant, the other a carpet-bagger or,
rather, a br.mtro-poler, since his worldly possessions
are gonerally carried in bundles dangling from either
eud of a bamboo polo.
The great mass of Chinese in America are of the la
boring class, unmarried and irresponsible. Hound to
no locality by family or property ties, they go from
place to plaoo wherever employment can bo scoured.
They huddle lguluui' iu IL " CLiuutoMu" of our va
rious cities, from which thoy go out singly in search of
work, or are sent out in gangs to fill contracts for lalsir
taken by some " boss Chinaman," returning promptly to
tho oity rendezvous whenever out of work. Only those
of tho lottor class, the merchants, Imihkcs, etc., can af
ford tho luxury of a wife and family. A wife represents
an investment of from one hundred to fivo hundred dol
lars purchase money, and a steady outlay for current ex
onsos. Consequently they aro above the means of tho
ordinary ooolio, and are a scarce article in America.
Tho groat majority of Chinese women brought to this
oountry are of tho disreputable class. They are not
very numerous in comparison with the men, yet they
amount to several thousand iu the aggregate; and since
they remain iu tho cities and are there seen in great
numbers, they give tho impression of being in greater
foroo iu proportion to the men than is actually the ease,
Every effort is made by our customs oflUiinla to exclude
them under tho terms of tho restriction act, and of lata
years their uumbora have not increased as rapidly as
formerly.
There is one class of Chiueso who acquire aud main
tain projcrty interests hero the merchant. They aro
of a higher order than the mass of their oountrymen
who reach our shores, and tho two aro as distinct socially
as the same classes are among our own people, Their
promrty consists chiefly of merchandise, and it is sel
dom they acquiro real estate. Homo of them, howsver,
havo erected buildings uKn land held under a lease,
whilo a few have even gone to tho extent of purchasing
the land itself. Korns of these aro rich, even in the
American acceptation of that word, whilo all of thorn are
well-to-do aeoordiug to the Chinese standard. They are
shrewd business men, and stoes as fine a sense of
commercial honor as do tho white merchants occupying
mora imposing quarter on the adjoining street. Their
dealings aro principally with their own countrymen,
though our wholesale and commission merchants have
quite extensive transactions with them, aud find them
desirable customers. They have a commercial system
of their own, and it is seldom our courts are troubled
with their business affair. The majority of reeetiibla
women are wives of these merchants, and generally live
in ap:trtmeiits in the rear of, or alsive, their husbands'
store. They are seen but little on the street, aro modest
and retiring in their demeanor, and are usually drefeed
iu the most exKinsio silk aud velvet. They toil no
more than the lillie that put the glory of Holomon to
shsme, but are considered by their husUmls more as
toys ami ornaments than as companion and helpmeets.
Their domestic duties are practically nothing, since all
cooking is done by men, and they have but the care of