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Q n SUNDAY. JUNE 30. 1963 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
Colorful Chapter in History Washed
Away
Br DORIS ROBINSON
M1 Tribuna CorrMpondtni
Yreka-One of the most col
orful chapters in the history
of Siskiyou county, and neigh
boring Shasta county to the
south, unfolded during a pe
riod of some 40 years of the
19th Century, when the area
had quite a large Chinese
population.
The chapter began in the
early 1850s, when large num
bers of Chinese poured into
northern California, lured by
reports of vast wealth in the
gold mines of the area. It
reached a climax in 1890,
when Yrcka's Chinatown was
washed away in a flood.
The Chinese who came
larger numbers of their coun
trymen in to work for them
In fact, it was said that 90
per cent of the Chinese were
slaves to the other 10 per
cent. The average Chinaman
was accustomed to working
for a maximum of 10 cents
a day in China. His services,
therefore, could be obtained
for considerable less money
than those of the native Call
forma, who was used to get
ting from $2 to $3 per day
As a result, relations be'
tween the Chinese and the
Californians were not always
good. Some of the whites were
alarmed at the influx of Chi'
ncse and felt the newcomers
were getting a stranglehold
teeking wealth brought even on the area's commerce.
I . 0 -
; . II
RESCUED This stand was rescued from Chinatown before
it was destroyed, and was later donated to the Siski
you County museum by the late Clyde Turner. For some
time It was used at the museum to hold the register for
guests. The little Chinese hat on top of the stand was do
nated by a Mrs. Balfrey of Etna, Calif.
TAKES FIRST JUMP
O'Brlcn-Pfc Larry Smed
ley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Barnes of O'Brien has been
stationed in Georgia. He re
cently took his first Jump
from a helicopter In exercises
of this paratroop division. His
outfit Is known, as John F.
Kennedy's Minute Men and
was given the title by the
President himself.
s
EYES BURN?
1
3'
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Convenient Credit
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MEDFORD SHOPPING CENTER
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It was said that every claim
sold to the Chinese was for
ever lost to the community.
as no proceeds from that
claim ever went in any chan
nel of trade, save the one
which went directly to China.
It paid for all their fish, rice,
clothing, in fact everything
commercial.
If there was a delay in a
cargo arriving, they would
buy as little flour as would
sustain life, a few pair of
gum boots, and what lumber
they needed, but in return
they would take every chick
en and hog within the range
of their acquaintance, the
natives claimed. Or while one
was buying boots, another
would steal two pair.
Numbers Increase
Their numbers steadily in
creased. Stores began to close,
to be succeeded by "Ching
"Chong," "Cha" stores, and
the produce was replaced with
queer fish, little beans, dried
snails and beetle bugs from
China, much to the gratific'
tion of the San Francisco
ship owner.
Many thousands of Chinese
worked on the railroads about
1883 in Shasta county. One
newspaper clipping reported
that some of the Chinese
working on the railroad were
killing all the fish In the river
by means of powder.
The article also reported
that about SO Chinese com
plained bitterly of the treat
ment they received from the
company. They were com
pelled to work for low wages
and to buy their supplies
from Sisson and Crocker, pay
ing In some Instances double
prices.
They said they were charg
ed 4 cents a pound for rice,
13 cents a pound for pork.
Purchases Straw Hal
One case related about a
Chinaman who had purchased
a straw hat in town and hap
pened to have it on while in
Sisson and Crocker's store. A
clerk reached over and grab
bed It, exclaiming, "Where
you get him?" and put it up
on the shelf, compelling the
man to purchase it over again
of them.
In every race of people one
finds both the good and the
bad, and this was true of the
Chinese. There is a story of
a man who came to i his coun
try when 21 years of age, by
the name of King Sing Wong.
He lived to be 90 years old.
He worked for an English
man named Luke Shaw, and
after working for him in
Quartz valley for 20 years,
teaching hydraulic and other
typos of mining and serving
faithfully, he took the name
of Luke Shaw.
He worked for many years
for others in the area and then
retired In Oakland, Calif. He
was married to Louie Len
Gcw, who died In 1909. They
had seven children.
Tribute Is Paid
Frank W. Hooper paid him
a great tribute at the time of
his dcutli mid recalled his act
of heroism at the time of a
mining accident on Indian
creek. He was presented a
walch as a token of appre
ciation by his American
friends and lie was always
proud to exhibit it In later
years.
Two Chinese of Yrcka, a
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, also
were highly tliouKht of by the
community as fine people.
They were remembered espe
cially by the citizenry at limes
! of Chinese (uneruls.
They always rode in a
horscdrawn buggy, bowing
i and smiling to the people as
ttie procession wound Its way
through town to the cemetery.
The Chinese burial custom
was odd compared to the
American way. Everyone was
Invited, a brass band played
and thousands of red papers
with tiny holes punched in
I them were strewn from the
i home of the deceased to the
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pawn- .t . ' ., TTV-Ar.c -w ,, -
THE END OF CHINATOWN Yreka, Calif.,
once had its own Chinatown, located near
Highway 99 in the block now occupied by
the Yreka laundry and other business firms.
It burned several times, but was finally
wiped out by a flood in 1890. The above
photo was taken during the flood, on Feb.
4, 1890. Susequently, all the buildings were
washed down Yreka creek. (Siskiyou Coun
ty Museum photo).
v
I.
NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION Siskiyou
county once had quite a large Chinese pop
ulation, so large that a Chinese new year's
celebration was held annually. This photo,
ml
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Ill aiMIIIMUll IIIIMM I
loaned through the courtesy of the Siskiyou
County Museum, depicts a celebration at
Yreka one year.
cemetery. The belief was that
the devil had to pass through
the tiny holes in the paper
before he could reach the de
ceased, who thus was safe If
he reached the cemetery first.
Huge quantities of food were
cooked and left at the ceme
tery on the grave. A whole
roast pig and plates of food
and liquor were left to assist
the deceased on his journey
to "Chinee" heaven.
Chinese Cemetery
The Chinese cemetery for
Yrcka is on the Montague rd.
Just across the railroad tracks
north of the highway. All that
is left is a broken down fence
and a brick altar on which the
Chinese burned incense and
hung red paper streamers as
part of the ceremony. They
buried their dead for a while,
then opened the grave and
shipped the remains back to
China. It has been said thai
the shipping line shipped back
the dead and brought back a
cargo ot live Chinese to take
their place.
The Chinese New Year cele
brations lasted about two
weeks and were another col
orful affair. Six prominent
Chinese companies headed the
mining operations in Yrcka,
and each belonged to a dif
ferent "Tong." Headquarters
for the companies and their
stores were located in China
town. All Chinese working for
the companies did their shop
ping, smoked opium, and gam
bled on the premises. The
games played consisted of
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Fan-Tan, Lotto, draw poker
played (American style). If a
Chinaman had not paid his
last year's debts, he was not
allowed to gamble.
During t',:e New Year cele
bration a game played by Chi
nese boys was called "Fights"
and compared somewhat to
the American football. There
were two teams of about eight
boys each. An explosive which
was wrapped in padding look
ing something like a pincush
ion, was shot into the air and a
mad scramble ensued. The ob
ject was for a player to carry
it to the "Joss House" safely.
First Prist
A round trip to China for
the lucky player was first
prize and $500 was divided
among his teammates. Fire
crackers exploded from tall
poles and the Americans join
ed with the Chinamen in their
noisy and colorful celebration.
Yrcka's Chinatown burned
several times during its exist
ence but was always rebuilt.
The area covered was from
Highway 99 in the block now
covered by the Yrcka laundry,
Boyd and Fransun and cast
to the railroad tracks. A flood
in 18H0 carried the shacks
down Yrcka creek and now
none of the original homes re
main. At present there is only
one family tracing their ances
try from Chinatown still liv
ing in Yreka. They own and
operate the White Circle Cafe
on Miner st.
Only one family is left in
Weavervillo, Moon Lee, who
operates a store there and
watches over the "Joss
House."
In 1852. 2.500 Chinese were
living along the Tiir.i'y river
In the Weaverville district,
and the foreign miners tax
totaled $8,000 a month. Al
though they were thousands
of miles from their homeland
Ihcy built their house of wor
ship and followed ancient cus
toms and religion.
They called their temple
"Temple Amongst the Forest
Benealh the Clouds." Inside
altars, carvings, gongs, panels,
lanterns, tables, drum, tapes
try and banners were found,
as well as images of Chinese
deities, including those of
Medicine and Wealth. The
deities numbered three and
were made of clay. There
were three elaborately carved
altars.
Food and incense and red
candles were placed in front
of the images; whiskey and
tea were kept before them to
satisfy their thirst. Lee still
keeps up this old custom. As
trustee, Lee deeded the temple
to the state in 1950. i
There are so many stories
recalled by old timers one
cannot wrile them all, stories
about how the wives and
mot hers of the Chinese were j
kept at home, their yards
fenced with high board fences
so they could not see out. ;
One story tells of a white j
lady who sat beside a large I
knothole in the fence and
taught the Chinese lady how
to knit, and how a little boy
took flowers to the lady inside
the fence because she did not
have any.
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