THE SUNDAY OltEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 34, 19Q5
33
CHINESE FLOCK TO PORTLAND FOR WINTER
RETURN FROM ALASKA TO SMOKE OPIUM AND
PLAY FAN-TAN DURING RAINY SEASON
stage to another, a Chinaman should al
ways go first. If this simpU Sajaraficf"
were disregarded, seme Celestial gentle
man, quite unseen, would be fairly safe
to take the change of hurling rock or
stones on the head of the climber. On
many occasions these Chinamen have
tampered with the cage by which- we Ko
to our work, and we have to examine the
fittings carefully every time. The condi
tions of work have even got upon the
nerves of men who have served on min
ing staffs In wilder countries than South
Africa. The railway points have been
deliberately altered on several occasions;
.small accidents have resulted, and bit?
ones been averted by chance. Indeed. I
think It fair to say that John Chinaman
has no moral sense at all as we "West
erners see things, and he would not flinch
from any action, however monstrous, lie
can work well when he likes, and Is not
too well treated by his overseers. Some
times he seeks revenge. "VVe had the
whole camp out one night, because we In
terfered to prevent an unpopular over
seer from being roasted alive.
The Chinaman as I have met him on
the Hand is not on speaking terms with
honesty. Tou can leave nothing within
his reach. He is as susceptible to bright
colors as a magpie, and when once a
thing has disappeared it will never come
back.
DROWNING MOSQUITOES.
"Why Oil Is Fatal to Growth or the
Wrigglers.
Country Calendar.
Mosquito larvae, or wrigglers, as thv
are termed, require water for their de
velopment. A heavy shower leaves starl
ing water, which, when the air Is- full "
moisture, evaporates slowly. Then. to.
the heat favors the growth of the nr.
organisms on which the larvae feed; wrf--glers
found in the water 4S hours afte
their formation will have plenty of foo t,
and adult mosquitoes will appear. six to
eight days after their eggs are laid. Clear
water, with a quick evaporation, inter
feres with the development of the wrig
glers, so that a season with plenty of
rain, but with sunshiny, drying weather
intervening. Is not "good mosquito weath
er." Inasmuch as a generation of mos
quitoes appears to torment man within
ten days, at the longest, after the eggs
are laid: as a batch laid by a female
mosquito contains from 2(30 to 400 eggs: as
from each egg vnay issue a larva or wrig
gler which in six days will be- an adult
mosquito on the wing It is to the destruc
tion of the larvae that attention should ho
directed. The larva Is a slender organ
ism, white or gray In color, comprising
eight segments. The last of these part
Is in the form of a tube, through" which
the wriggler breathes. Although Its hab
itat is the water, it must 'come to th
surface to breathe, therefore its natural
position Is head down and tall, or respira
tory tube, up. Now. if oil Is spread on
the surface of a pool inhabited by mos
quito larvae,- the wrigglers are denied
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are -MM Vsi iiMtff'T T. SB
TO observe the human cargoes dis
charged by incoming passenger
trains one might easily conclude the
population of China had become- dissatis
fied with the Flowery Kingdom and was
invading Portland. There is not a train
that does not bring In from one to a
dozen queued heathens. y
It is nothing unusual, however; Just the
homeconiing of John Chinaman. During
the Summer 'he has been at work
throughout the Northwest ami even up
in Alaska. Now he has money enough
to keep him In rice for the Winter and
is coming back for a glorious old loaf.
Not until the gentle zephyrs of Spring
time make themselves felt will John ven
turte forth again. Then to the canneries
and fisheries will he hie, only to return
again with the first blasts that foretell
the approach of "Winter.
Its Populous Chinatown.
Portland, in admitting this questionable
honor, must plead guilty to possessing
the most populous Chinatown .In
Northwest. In Summer, to be true, the
Chinese population numbers only a few
hundred, but at this time it ranges into
thousands. For nearly all the prodigals
are back into the fold.
A lively aspect docs Chinatown present
these days, especially by night. Only
occasionally are white men to be
along Second street from Oak to
street, or from ilorrlson to Washington.
With both sides of the street crowded
with celestials antf the store slcns
Chinese, one need not have much imagl-
nation to feel himself In China. This is
the season, too, when John is at peace
with the world. He has plenty of money
and therefore plenty to eat. and the op
portunity to smoke, drink and gamble.
Drinking, gambling and smoking are his
favorite vices. Every Chinese smokes
many of them use "hop" in their pipes
fewer drink, nearly all are addicted to
the use of tobacco, and every mother's
son is a, born gambler.
Opium-Smoking Made Eass'.
Of course, where there are few or no
enlightening Influence the fancies of an
idle community gently turns to thoughts
of revelry. The heathen who Is addicted
to the "hitting the pipe" habit does not
have to look for his" diversion. He merely
digs up an opium layout, buys a few
dollars' worth of "dope" and repairs to
a little coop in the dingy upper floor of
some dingy building, where he proceeds
to revel in the fairest of dreams. Back
to the beloved prlent he goes and be
comes a ruler of men. His fellow beings
lick the earth as he approaches and "the
Dowager-Empress follows him. no matter
whither he may turn, -with Insistent pro
posals of matrimony. Finally he accepts
just to get rid of the old girl.
Dream of the Pipe. .
Banners of gold flaunt in the air; wicrd
music sounds from every quarter; poten
tates crawl to do his bidding on bended
knee, licking his feet to show their ser
vility, and then fate wafts him back to
a dingy little room. Fearing same rival
will Jump in and get the Dowager-Empress
away from him, he hastily bums
another pill, and returns to the happy
scene.
A relatively small percentage of the
almond-eyed denlseits are opium smok
ers, however. Those idlers who are not,
find gam Wing their pet ataueemea-t. The
police will tell yeu there Is no gambling,
but nevertheless meet any "fanqul devil"
can find all kinds of "chuck-a-luck" and
fan tan rooms in the full flush of oper
ation. John is not a plunger like his sinful
white brother. When he win a few dol
lars he will quit for the night satisfied
with his luck; and likewise when he
loses a (small amount he leaves the game.
When not absorbed with some sort of In
iquity John will assemble with a doten
or more of his countrymen and spend
venting ihe outlandish lingo of China.
Cost or living; Small.
The cost of livelihood for the itinerant
class is very small. Half a dozen of
them will Jive cooped up In a room
which any self-respecting dog might dis
dain. Without ventilation they will He
there until morning breathing air that
has been relieved of most of Its oxygen.
The average white man "would die of suf
focation in such a place before an hour
had passed, but the Chinese thrive amid
such surrounding. The preparation of
meals ix not a very complicated process.
Rice does for orMnary eccadove. During
Chinese New Years aad When his luck
has been running strong at the 9a me
pork, wedtoe. viccUMtt aad Uboral iMM
of chop sucy are added to the regular
fare.
All this, of course, does not apply to the
ocucr ciass 01 uninese, xor mere
reallt m n v T-niitaKI UnrAll. w m
few educated ones who do nothing worse
than gamble now and then. These are
engaged in more or less legitimate pur
suits the year around, conducting stores,
restaurant?. rooming-houses. barber
shops and other places of business. All
the Chlaese merchants do a thriving bas
inets through the Winter. During the
Summer their patrons are principally
laundryoen. porters and menials who re
main to work about in the city.
CHINESE AS MINERS.
Xot WlaidRs Praise From Their
Work la 'South Africa.
London News.
Now that the Chinese labor question Is
well te the fare, some aecoeat of actual
exjerieoo with the yottow laborers on
the Xan4 may a at he untnstrucUve. I
have m theorfee aim o f4. bat I saw
the rt hatch t CUmbm march on to
our mine's premises- I bare worked with
them, and spent anxious days and nights
in helping to keep them under when they
have broken out. What I have to say is
the truth as I have seen it. told without
prejudice or exaggeration.
To begin with, let me remark, that the
policy of mine managers has been to hush
up all troubles. The full story of the riot
ing has never bea yld. If the Chinamen
broke out and threatened whites or native
boys, we were ordered to uye n violence,
'even though ear Uvea were threatened
and the coelle fellows soon learned that
they could go a long way without being
hit back. Secondly, I may say It was
wrong to Intrust Cbtaamen with dynamite
and other explosive. We have had some
had accidents in the last 12 month, and
men have been Mown to pieces through
the careloM haaottag of high explosive.
t you eaa't get them to aaderoUad.
Either their rateiiigewee a low.grate
propostttoa. or is their complete sattaJac
ttea with themselves they have no room
for farther nuormatkm. At the
time, they bate the watte morn hgcamri of,
the aecideats.
They are as aawiory erowC to handle
aad revel la mhuhmt of every kind. Do. ,
Jry is. porha pa, a better word than mte
fcM la M mataaee. It was a rule- In
oojc'imtee than wh a man had to enmh
up 'a rop or rope ladder from one
access to the air which fhor must have.
Therefore, they drown Juet ax any other
air-breathing animal would arown uader
similar clrcutEstaacoa