Ethnic Groups
From birchyHistory
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==Chinese== | ==Chinese== | ||
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| + | :''Chinese immigrants came over in large numbers to work on the railroads, and when that work dried up, they spread around the northwest and in the larger cities, including New York City. They found that they could compete successfully in domestic services, women being traditionally paid less than men, and Chinese laundries popped up everywhere. Some began working for mines, others harvested crops. Because they would work so much cheaper, the fledgling Labor movement reacted violently. The threat of taking jobs, of driving down wages, the natural tendency to look down on people whose culture was different and the associated proliferation of opium dens, and the surge in crime caused whenever a group is downtrodden and forced to survive on next to nothing, combined to create a hostile attitude and movement wherever Chinese settled. Newspapers of the period are filled with articles that exposed Americans to the Chinese culture (in simplistic and often wrong terms), as WASPs cast their attention to their new neighbors. Many missionary programs were active in China, as well, and some of them suffered similar conditions in China as did the Chinese in America. The Chinese emperor was somewhat sympathetic and readily decapitated the guilty parties and reimbursed the Americans, but he expected the US to reciprocate. While our justice systems worked differently, the US government did make restitution payments in some cases.'' | ||
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Jun 1884 [[Fires|Fire]] damages Gee Lee laundry on Main street. | Jun 1884 [[Fires|Fire]] damages Gee Lee laundry on Main street. | ||
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| + | 12 Jul 1884 Sam Can, a Chinaman who was so successful in the laundry business here, is at Livingston but will return here soon. | ||
2 Jan 1885 | 2 Jan 1885 | ||
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Large population of Chinese in Helena. A Flathead indian attacks one, who is rescued by white men. The Indians are chased out by a mob of Chinese. | Large population of Chinese in Helena. A Flathead indian attacks one, who is rescued by white men. The Indians are chased out by a mob of Chinese. | ||
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| + | 20 Jul 1885 | ||
| + | Probate court, Judge Staehle. [[Frank Parker]] and [[William Brearly]] charged with impersonating an officer. Brearly was at the wash house of [[Charley Chung]] and purchased $1 worth of opium, then threatened to arrest him. Chung paid him $5 to release him. The story got out and [[Ed Creely]] "Frenchy" arrested both defendants. Parker was found not guilty but Brearly was fined $50 plus court costs. | ||
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| − | White miners in Rock Creek, WY massacre over 50 Chinese miners. In Seattle, WA local Indians, who lost jobs picking hops to Chinese workers, attack them, killing two and wounding four. | + | 2 Sep 1885 White miners in Rock Creek, WY massacre over 50 (28 actually) Chinese miners. In Seattle, WA local Indians, who lost jobs picking hops to Chinese workers, attack them, killing two and wounding four. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Springs_massacre] |
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| + | 25 Feb 1886 District court, spring term, 5th day: Judge [[Charles R. Pollard]]. | ||
| + | US vs. Ah Ki, grand larceny, accused of robbing another Chinese person at knife point at [[Fort Keogh]] of a few dollars. Jury heard the case and wre discharged for the day. | ||
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| − | 28 Jul 1887 | + | 28 Jul 1887 While attempting to ford Tongue river yesterday at the government crossing, a 2 horse livery rig, in which were two Chanamen, was washed downstream by the current...They jumped out of the carriage when it neared the shore on the town side and standing in water up to their necks held the horses' heads above the water until help arrived. The tugs (part that attaches to the wagon) were unfastened and the horses towed along the cut bank until a lowering in the bank allowed of their climbing up out of the water. A dozen willing hands snaked the carriage out of the rushing current and the Chinamen took care of themselves. One of the "celestials", a Bozeman merchant (possibly Hop Gee?) claims to have lost his pocketbook containing over $200 in the struggle. They would have made the ford if they had aimed right, diagonally upstream, but they allowed the horses to drift down and into deeper water on the east side against the cut bank. |
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| + | 14 Dec 1887 [[Fires|Fire]] breaks out at 6 am in [[Charlie Can]]'s wash house opposite the office of the [[Yellowstone Journal]] on Main street. The Chinese residents were all asleep and the source was thought to be from a stove in the annex. The wind was strong from the west so the frame building six feet to the west, owned by Anderson, was unharmed. Sparks threatened the roofs of buildings across the street, but men used hoses attached to the steam pump to protect them from the roof of the YJ. The laundry was a complete loss, but its value was small, being quite old. Owned by [[Major Logan]], erected in 1879, it was the public [[school]] in 1882 and has been rented to variety of businesses. The workers saved as much laundry as they could. | ||
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