Letter from A. W. Loomis to Henry, March 13, 1889

Letter from A. W. Loomis to Henry, March 13, 1889

Pamphlets; Witnesses; Census; Foreign workers; Sex workers; Adoption; Abuse of rights; Chinese Americans

Loomis writes to Henry rebuking his claims of abuse of the Chinese immigrant population. He claims that while the acts have reduced the rates of immigration, the average Chinese wage has risen. He relates that his own employees are paid well and are always helped should they ask. Steamship fares have been fixed to allow for cheaper passage. He denies all claims of slavery among the Chinese, stating that while sometimes women are sold to brothels, most children are adopted rather than sold for debt and that the system of concubines is rather Abrahamic. He advises Henry to more carefully weigh his statements in the future.

Loomis, A. W.

Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection

Unpublished

1889-03-13

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_901

1213 Leavenworth St.
San Francisco Mar 13/89
Rev. H. V. Noyes
Dear Brother
Yes, of Mar 6th came yes-
terday. I have been looking over pamph-
lets selecting such as I think will answer
most of the question which you propose.
In the pamphlet by Col. Bee, the
Consul, the Testimony was given [u] under
oath[/].
The testimony of S, Wells William
no person of ordinary intelligence
would presume to deny knowing the
character of the man + his apparent
ties for getting at the truth of what
he writes or speaks about
Col. Bee gives you transcripts
from the Custom House Records +
if he falsifies the means are at
hand by which to expose any
false or perverted statements

1st The Reports of "Mission Press" are 2
few here. I send you my latest, which is
1874, also List of Books of same date
Brother ^Kerr [Note: "Kerr" written in pencil] has a list of 1886, he does
not like to share it, but I think will
do so if you promise to return it soon
2 About census, Custom House Recordings
-increase or decrease, + present No of
Chinese in the country see Col. Bees
pamphlet.
The decrease since the restriction
acts has been very decided, great, +
apparent, + in consequence wages of the
Chinese have everyWhere advanced
3 Present Chinese population in San
Francisco is about 20,000 + they oc-
cupy twelve blocks, but not all are
here, but have shops, factories, wash
houses, gardening in every part of the
city. When I say they occupy twelve
blocks I do not mean that they occupy
these to the exclusion of other

3
people. In the centre of Chinatown
there are few besides Chinese, as
you go out beyond the Centre
the population is more mixed
Col. Bee puts the Chinese popula
tion in the state at 65,000, that is
a long way from being one sixth of the
whole population
your second (3rd) about wages, see
pamphlets. We have an ordinary
servant + have to pay $5 per week +
Board, a little fellow 16 years old
Farm hands get from 25 to 35 per month
+ board, + many who have been long on
the farm [--go--] can get almost anything they
ask, they are so valuable
We have neighbors who pay their
Chinese house servants 30-35-+40. per
month
4th Wages paid in China. When I was
in China three dollars per month +
Board was the usual price for good

farm hands, at steady work, those not
so good res 2 1/2 + board.
5th Usual amt of passage money. When
I first came to San Francisco Chinese
came by sailing vessels + there was [illegible]
amongst the ships, + passage varied
considerably, sometimes $25 sometimes $35.
Often steamers were put on all Chinese
came by them because of greater certainty
+ shortness of the voyage, + 50.$
per [?fare?] is the lowest rate generally 54.
For sick + indigent, old + worse out
Chinamen the [u]return[/u] ticket has been
made $35 by [u]special favor[/u]
There have been times when transient
vessels have come this way, + a while
when the Chinese attempted to put
on a competing line when the rates
went down, but only for that [u]particu
lar trip[/u]

5
6th for the Six Companies see Col.
Bee's statement. I will endorse it
As to Chinese here being slaves I
don't believe it. There is a system of
buying and selling women for the brothels, +
girls to be kept for that purpose
I have never herd of men or boys being
sold for debt or for any other purpose
Men receive their own wages + do what they
please with their money, + to their praise
be it said that for the most part they
send it home to their parents or families
- that is, what is not spent here for needed
support.
many have borrowed money to get here
many mortgaged their property,+ many
had parents or relatives who endorsed
for them, to pay that borrowed
money is the first object of the Chinese
stranger here
We know that the habits +
customs of the Chinese have all along

6
been very much like what was common
in Abraham's time, the system of
concubinage is similar, but I during
all my time is China did not meet with
any buying + selling of people like our
old Southern slavery.
Many adopted boys to bring up as
their sons, others took poor children
in times of famine, giving the parents
something for their support, + many
poor + orphan children found house
with those in better condition, + worked
for their support, but I am quite
sure that when they come to man-
hood they went out to shift for their-
selves. I never heard of the
sale of slaves When in China. non
amongst the Chinese here,
but, as I said, they do thus trade in
the girls.
I have not see the book you speak
of. If the Statements are so wild as

7
from [--your--] the specimens you give
they seem to be, it must fall of its
own weight. When a person
attempts special pleading for the
accomplishment of some particular
purpose he should not talk so
[u]wildly[/u], better begin more moder-
ately.
I have become quite ac-
customed to these misrepresentations
+ falsehoods, + suppression of the
truth, but I must say that I have
never yet encountered anything
so brightfully extravagent as
these statements which you
have quoted
With Kindest regards
Yrs fraternally
A W Loomis



莱文沃思街 1213 号
旧金山 2089 年 3 月 13 日
牧师 H. V. Noyes
亲爱的兄弟
是的，昨天是 3 月 6 日。我一直在看小册子，选择我认为会回答的
您提出的大部分问题。
在比上校的小册子中，
领事，证词是根据
誓言。
S，威尔斯·威廉的证词
没有普通智力的人
会假定否认知道
这个人的性格和他的外表
了解真相的联系
他写作或谈论
蜜蜂上校给你成绩单
从海关记录和
如果他伪造手段
暴露任何东西的手
虚假或歪曲的陈述

1st《使命报》的报道是2
这里很少。我给你发我最新的，这是
1874 年，也是同日书籍清单
克尔兄弟 [注：用铅笔写的“克尔”] 有一个 1886 年的清单，他有
不喜欢分享，但我觉得会
如果您承诺尽快退货，请这样做
2 关于人口普查、海关记录
-增加或减少，并呈现No of
在国内的中国人见蜜蜂上校
小册子。
自限制以来的减少
行为已经非常决定，伟大，并且
明显的，因此工资
中国人无处不在
3 目前在 San 的华人人口
弗朗西斯科大约有 20,000 人，他们占据了 12 个街区，但并非所有街区都是
在这里，但有商店，工厂，洗
房屋，园艺的每个部分
城市。当我说他们占据十二
块我不是说他们占据
这些排除其他

3
人们。在唐人街的中心
除了中国人，很少有，因为
你走出了中心
人口更加混杂
蜜蜂上校将该州的华人人口定为 65,000，即
距离成为六分之一还有很长的路要走
全体人口
关于工资的第二次（第 3 次），请参阅
小册子。我们有一个普通的
仆人，每周必须支付 5 美元，并且
板，一个16岁的小家伙
农场工人每月从 25 人增加到 35 人
和董事会，以及许多长期坚持的人
农场几乎可以得到任何东西
问，它们很有价值
我们有邻居付钱
中国家庭佣人 30-35-和 40. 每
月
第四次在中国支付工资。当我是
在中国每月三美元和
董事会是通常的好价格

农场工人，在稳定的工作中，那些不
很好的 res 2 1/2 和董事会。
5th 通常的通行费。什么时候
我第一次来旧金山华人
由帆船来，有[无法辨认]
在船只之间，通道各不相同
相当大，有时25美元有时35美元。
通常所有中国人都穿上蒸笼
他们来是因为更大的确定性
和航程短，和 50.$
票价是最低的，一般是54元。
对于生病和贫困，老弱病残
中国人的回程票已经
因特别恩惠赚了 35 美元
曾经有过短暂的
船只已经来了，还有一段时间
当中国人试图把
当费率在竞争线上
下降了，但仅限于那次特定的旅行

5
第六连六连见上校
蜜蜂的声明。我会赞同它
至于这里的中国人是奴隶，我
不要相信。有一个系统
为妓院买卖妇女，以及
为此目的而保留的女孩
我从来没有一群男人或男孩
为债务或任何其他目的而出售
男人拿自己的工资，做他们想做的事
请用他们的钱，并赞美他们
可以说，在大多数情况下，他们
寄回家给他们的父母或家人
- 也就是说，没有在这里花费的东西
支持。
许多人借钱来到这里
许多人抵押了他们的财产，还有许多人
有父母或亲戚认可
对他们来说，支付借来的钱
钱是中国人的第一对象
这里的陌生人
我们知道习惯和
中国人的风俗一直以来

6
非常像常见的
在亚伯拉罕时代，系统
纳妾是相似的，但我在
我所有的时间都是中国没有遇到
像我们这样的人的任何买卖
古老的南方奴隶制。
许多被收养的男孩长大
他们的儿子，其他人带着可怜的孩子
饥荒时，给父母
他们的支持，还有很多
穷人和孤儿找到了房子
与那些状况较好的人一起工作
感谢他们的支持，但我很
可以肯定的是，当他们成年时，他们会出去为自己换班。我从没听说过
贩卖奴隶 在中国时。非
在这里的华人中，
但是，正如我所说，他们确实因此进行了交易
那些姑娘们。
我没看过你说的书
的。如果语句如此狂野

7
从你提供的样本中
他们似乎是，它一定是它的
自己的重量。当一个人
试图特别恳求
完成一些特定的
目的他不应该这样说
疯狂地，最好从温和的开始。
我已经习惯了这些虚假陈述
和谎言，并压制
事实，但我必须说我有
从未遇到过任何事情
如此耀眼的奢侈
你的这些陈述
已引用给予最亲切的问候
兄弟般的你
A W 卢米斯

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