roughing it-第60部分

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believe　anything　different　from　that。　　Uncle　Lem's　dog　was　there。　　Why
didn't　the　Irishman　fall　on　the　dog？　　Becuz　the　dog　would　a　seen　him　a
coming　and　stood　from　under。　　That's　the　reason　the　dog　warn't　appinted。
A　dog　can't　be　depended　on　to　carry　out　a　special　providence。　　Mark　my
words　it　was　a　put…up　thing。　　Accidents　don't　happen；　boys。　　Uncle　Lem's
dogI　wish　you　could　a　seen　that　dog。　　He　was　a　reglar　shepherdor
ruther　he　was　part　bull　and　part　shepherdsplendid　animal；　belonged　to
parson　Hagar　before　Uncle　Lem　got　him。　　Parson　Hagar　belonged　to　the
Western　Reserve　Hagars；　prime　family；　his　mother　was　a　Watson；　one　of　his
sisters　married　a　Wheeler；　they　settled　in　Morgan　county；　and　he　got
nipped　by　the　machinery　in　a　carpet　factory　and　went　through　in　less　than
a　quarter　of　a　minute；　his　widder　bought　the　piece　of　carpet　that　had　his
remains　wove　in；　and　people　come　a　hundred　mile　to　'tend　the　funeral。
There　was　fourteen　yards　in　the　piece。

She　wouldn't　let　them　roll　him　up；　but　planted　him　just　sofull　length。
The　church　was　middling　small　where　they　preached　the　funeral；　and　they
had　to　let　one　end　of　the　coffin　stick　out　of　the　window。　　They　didn't
bury　himthey　planted　one　end；　and　let　him　stand　up；　same　as　a　monument。
And　they　nailed　a　sign　on　it　and　putput　onput　on　itsacred　tothe
m…e…m…o…r…yof　fourteen　y…a…r…d…sof　three…plycar…petcontaining
all　that　wasm…o…r…t…a…lofofW…i…l…l…i…a…mW…h…e〃

Jim　Blaine　had　been　growing　gradually　drowsy　and　drowsierhis　head
nodded；　once；　twice；　three　timesdropped　peacefully　upon　his　breast；　and
he　fell　tranquilly　asleep。　　The　tears　were　running　down　the　boys'　cheeks
they　were　suffocating　with　suppressed　laughterand　had　been　from　the
start；　though　I　had　never　noticed　it。　　I　perceived　that　I　was　〃sold。〃
I　learned　then　that　Jim　Blaine's　peculiarity　was　that　whenever　he　reached
a　certain　stage　of　intoxication；　no　human　power　could　keep　him　from
setting　out；　with　impressive　unction；　to　tell　about　a　wonderful　adventure
which　he　had　once　had　with　his　grandfather's　old　ramand　the　mention　of
the　ram　in　the　first　sentence　was　as　far　as　any　man　had　ever　heard　him
get；　concerning　it。　　He　always　maundered　off；　interminably；　from　one
thing　to　another；　till　his　whisky　got　the　best　of　him　and　he　fell　asleep。
What　the　thing　was　that　happened　to　him　and　his　grandfather's　old　ram　is
a　dark　mystery　to　this　day；　for　nobody　has　ever　yet　found　out。




CHAPTER　LIV。

Of　course　there　was　a　large　Chinese　population　in　Virginiait　is　the
case　with　every　town　and　city　on　the　Pacific　coast。　　They　are　a　harmless
race　when　white　men　either　let　them　alone　or　treat　them　no　worse　than
dogs；　in　fact　they　are　almost　entirely　harmless　anyhow；　for　they　seldom
think　of　resenting　the　vilest　insults　or　the　cruelest　injuries。　　They　are
quiet；　peaceable；　tractable；　free　from　drunkenness；　and　they　are　as
industrious　as　the　day　is　long。　　A　disorderly　Chinaman　is　rare；　and　a
lazy　one　does　not　exist。　　So　long　as　a　Chinaman　has　strength　to　use　his
hands　he　needs　no　support　from　anybody；　white　men　often　complain　of　want
of　work；　but　a　Chinaman　offers　no　such　complaint；　he　always　manages　to
find　something　to　do。　　He　is　a　great　convenience　to　everybodyeven　to
the　worst　class　of　white　men；　for　he　bears　the　most　of　their　sins；
suffering　fines　for　their　petty　thefts；　imprisonment　for　their　robberies；
and　death　for　their　murders。　　Any　white　man　can　swear　a　Chinaman's　life
away　in　the　courts；　but　no　Chinaman　can　testify　against　a　white　man。
Ours　is　the　〃land　of　the　free〃nobody　denies　thatnobody　challenges　it。
＇Maybe　it　is　because　we　won't　let　other　people　testify。＇　As　I　write；　news
comes　that　in　broad　daylight　in　San　Francisco；　some　boys　have　stoned　an
inoffensive　Chinaman　to　death；　and　that　although　a　large　crowd　witnessed
the　shameful　deed；　no　one　interfered。

There　are　seventy　thousand　（and　possibly　one　hundred　thousand）　Chinamen
on　the　Pacific　coast。　　There　were　about　a　thousand　in　Virginia。　　They
were　penned　into　a　〃Chinese　quarter〃a　thing　which　they　do　not
particularly　object　to；　as　they　are　fond　of　herding　together。　　Their
buildings　were　of　wood；　usually　only　one　story　high；　and　set　thickly
together　along　streets　scarcely　wide　enough　for　a　wagon　to　pass　through。
Their　quarter　was　a　little　removed　from　the　rest　of　the　town。　　The　chief
employment　of　Chinamen　in　towns　is　to　wash　clothing。　　They　always　send　a
bill；　like　this　below；　pinned　to　the　clothes。　　It　is　mere　ceremony；　for
it　does　not　enlighten　the　customer　much。　　Their　price　for　washing　was
2。50　per　dozenrather　cheaper　than　white　people　could　afford　to　wash
for　at　that　time。　　A　very　common　sign　on　the　Chinese　houses　was：　〃See
Yup；　Washer　and　Ironer〃；　〃Hong　Wo；　Washer〃；　〃Sam　Sing　&　Ah　Hop；　Washing。〃
The　house　servants；　cooks；　etc。；　in　California　and　Nevada；　were　chiefly
Chinamen。　　There　were　few　white　servants　and　no　Chinawomen　so　employed。
Chinamen　make　good　house　servants；　being　quick；　obedient；　patient；　quick
to　learn　and　tirelessly　industrious。　　They　do　not　need　to　be　taught　a
thing　twice；　as　a　general　thing。　　They　are　imitative。　　If　a　Chinaman　were
to　see　his　master　break　up　a　centre　table；　in　a　passion；　and　kindle　a
fire　with　it；　that　Chinaman　would　be　likely　to　resort　to　the　furniture
for　fuel　forever　afterward。

All　Chinamen　can　read；　write　and　cipher　with　easy　facilitypity　but　all
our　petted　voters　could。　　In　California　they　rent　little　patches　of
ground　and　do　a　deal　of　gardening。　　They　will　raise　surprising　crops　of
vegetables　on　a　sand　pile。　　They　waste　nothing。　　What　is　rubbish　to　a
Christian；　a　Chinaman　carefully　preserves　and　makes　useful　in　one　way　or
another。　　He　gathers　up　all　the　old　oyster　and　sardine　cans　that　white
people　throw　away；　and　procures　marketable　tin　and　solder　from　them　by
melting。　　He　gathers　up　old　bones　and　turns　them　into　manure。
In　California　he　gets　a　living　out　of　old　mining　claims　that　white　men
have　abandoned　as　exhausted　and　worthlessand　then　the　officers　come
down　on　him　once　a　month　with　an　exorbitant　swindle　to　which　the
legislature　has　given　the　broad；　general　name　of　〃foreign〃　mining　tax；
but　it　is　usually　inflicted　on　no　foreigners　but　Chinamen。　　This　swindle
has　in　some　cases　been　repeated　once　or　twice　on　the　same　victim　in　the
course　of　the　same　monthbut　the　public　treasury　was　no　additionally
enriched　by　it；　probably。

Chinamen　hold　their　dead　in　great　reverencethey　worship　their　departed
ancestors；　in　fact。　　Hence；　in　China；　a　man's　front　yard；　back　yard；　or
any　other　part　of　his　premises；　is　made　his　family　burying　ground；　in
order　that　he　may　visit　the　graves　at　any　and　all　times。　　Therefore　that
huge　empire　is　one　mighty　cemetery；　it　is　ridged　and　wringled　from　its
centre　to　its　circumference　with　gravesand　inasmuch　as　every　foot　of
ground　must　be　made　to　do　its　utmost；　in　China；　lest　the　swarming
population　suffer　for　food；　the　very　graves　are　cultivated　and　yield　a
harvest；　custom　holding　this　to　be　no　dishonor　to　the　dead。　　Since　the
departed　are　held　in　such　worshipful　reverence；　a　Chinaman　cannot　bear
that　any　indignity　be　offered　the　places　where　they　sleep。
Mr。　Burlingame　said　that　herein　lay　China's　bitter　opposition　to
railroads；　a　road　could　not　be　built　anywhere　in　the　empire　without
disturbing　the　graves　of　their　ancestors　or　friends。

A　Chinaman　hardly　believes　he　could　enjoy　the　hereafter　except　his　body
lay　in　his　beloved　China；　also；　he　desires　to　receive；　himself；　after
death；　that　worship　with　which　he　has　honored　his　dead　that　preceded　him。
Therefore；　if　he　visits　a　foreign　country；　he　makes　arrangements　to　have
his　bones　returned　to　China　in　case　he　dies；　if　he　hires　to　go　to　a
foreign　country　on　a　labor　contract；　there　is　always　a　stipulation　that
his　body　shall　be　taken　back　to　China　if　he　dies；　if　the　government　sells
a　gang　of　Coolies　to　a　foreigner　for　the　usual　five…year　term；　it　is
specified　in　the　contract　that　their　bodies　shall　be　restored　to　China　in
case　of　death。　　On　the　Pacific　coast　the　Chinamen　all　belong　to　one　or
another　of　several　great　companies　or　organizations；　and　these　companies
keep　track　of　their　members；　register　their　names；　and　ship　their　bodies
home　when　they　die。　　The　See　Yup　Company　is　held　to　be　the　largest　of
these。　　The　Ning　Yeong　Company　is　next；　and　numbers　eighteen　thousand
members　on　the　coast。　　Its　headquarters　are　at　San　Francisco；　where　it
has　a　costly　temple；　several　great　officers　（one　of　whom　keeps　regal
state　in　seclusion　and　cannot　be　approached　by　common　humanity）；　and　a
numerous　priesthood。　　In　it　I　was　shown　a　register　of　its　members；　with
the　dead　and　the　date　of　their　shipment　to　China　duly　marked。　　Every　ship
that　sails　from　San　Francisco　carries　away　a　heavy　freight　of　Chinese
corpsesor　did；　at　least；　until　the　legislature；　with　an　ingenious
refinement　of　Christian　cruelty；　forbade　the　shipments；　as　a　neat
underhanded　way　of　deterring　Chinese　immigration。　　The　bill　was　offered；
whether　it　passed　or　not。　　It　is　my　impression　that　it　passed。　　There　was
another　billit　became　a　lawcompelling　every　incoming　Chinaman　to　be
vaccinated　on　the　wharf　and　pay　a　duly　appointed　quack　（no　decent　doctor
would　defile　himself　with　such　legalized　robbery）　ten　dollars　for　it。
As　few　importers　of　Chinese　would　want　to　go　to　an　expense　like　that；　the
law…makers　thought　this　would　be　another　heavy　blow　to　Chinese
immigration。

What　the　Chinese　quarter　of　Virginia　was　likeor；　indeed；　what　the
Chinese　quarter　of　any　Pacific　coast　town　was　and　is　likemay　be
gathered　from　this　item　which　I　printed　in　the　Enterprise　while　reporting
for　that　paper：

　　　　　　CHINATOWN。Accompanied　by　a　fellow　reporter；　we　made　a　trip　through
　　　　　　our　Chinese　quarter　the　other　night。　　The　Chinese　have　built　their
　　　　　　portion　of　the　city　to　suit　themselves；　and　as　they　keep　neither
　　　　　　carriages　nor　wagons；　their　streets　are　not　wide　enough；　as　a
　　　　　　general　thing；　to　admit　of　the　passage　of　vehicles。　　At　ten　o'clock
　　　　　　at　night　the　Chinaman　may　be　seen　in　all　his　glory。　　In　every　little
　　　　　　cooped…up；　dingy　cavern　of　a　hut；　faint　with　the　odor　of　burning
　　　　　　Josh…lights　and　with　nothing　to　see　the　gloom　by　save　the　sickly；
　　　　　　guttering　tall