FIRST EXPERIENCES IN AMERICA.
After a stormy voyage of one week, with the usual accompaniment of
seasickness, we landed at Yokohama, in the Country of the Rising Sun.
For Japan means “sun-origin.” The Japanese claim to be descendants of
the sun, instead of being an off-shoot of the Chinese race.
During the four days on shore we young Chinese saw many strange things;
the most remarkable being the steam-engine. We were told that those
iron rails running parallel for a long distance were the “fire-car
road.” I was wondering how a car could run on them, and driven by fire,
too, as I understood it, when a locomotive whizzed by, screeching and
ringing its bell. That was the first iron-horse we had ever seen,
and it made a profound impression on us. We made a number of other
remarkable and agreeable discoveries. We were delighted to learn that
the Japanese studied the same books as we and worshiped our Confucius,
and that we could converse with them in writing, pretty much as deaf
and dumb people do. We learned that the way they lived and dressed was
like that in vogue in the time of Confucius. Their mode of dressing the
hair and their custom of sitting on mats laid on the floor is identical
with ancient Chinese usage.
When our brief stay came to an end, we went aboard the steamer _City
of Peking_, which reached San Francisco in nineteen days. Our
journey across the Pacific was made in the halcyon weather. The ocean
was as gentle as a lamb for the most part, although at times it acted
in such a way as to suggest a raging lion.
San Francisco in 1873 was the paradise of the self-exiled Chinese. We
boys who came to study under the auspices of the Chinese government
and under the protection of the American eagle, were objects of some
attention from the press. Many of its representatives came to interview
us.
The city impressed my young imagination with its lofty buildings—their
solidity and elegance. The depot with its trains running in and out was
a great attraction. But the “modern conveniences” of gas and running
water and electric bells and elevators were what excited wonder and
stimulated investigation.
Nothing occurred on our Eastward journey to mar the enjoyment of our
first ride on the steam-cars—excepting a train robbery, a consequent
smash-up of the engine, and the murder of the engineer. We were quietly
looking out of the windows and gazing at the seemingly interminable
prairies when the train suddenly bounded backward, then rushed forward
a few feet, and, then meeting some resistance, started back again. Then
all was confusion and terror. Pistol-shots could be made out above the
cries of frightened passengers. Women shrieked and babies cried. Our
party, teachers and pupils, jumped from our seats in dismay and looked
out through the windows for more light on the subject. What we saw
was enough to make our hair stand on end. Two ruffianly men held a
revolver in each hand and seemed to be taking aim at us from the short
distance of forty feet or thereabouts. Our teachers told us to crouch
down for our lives. We obeyed with trembling and fear. Doubtless many
prayers were most fervently offered to the gods of China at the time.
Our teachers certainly prayed as they had never done before. One of
them was overheard calling upon all the gods of the Chinese Pantheon to
come and save him. In half an hour the agony and suspense were over. A
brakeman rushed through with a lamp in his hand. He told us that the
train had been robbed of its gold bricks, by five men, three of whom,
dressed like Indians, rifled the baggage car while the others held the
passengers at bay; that the engine was hopelessly wrecked, the engineer
killed; that the robbers had escaped on horseback with their booty;
and that men had been sent to the nearest telegraph station to “wire”
for another engine and a supply of workmen. One phase of American
civilization was thus indelibly fixed upon our minds.
We reached Springfield, Mass., in due time, where we were distributed
among some of the best families in New England. As liberal provision
having been made for our care by the Chinese government, there was
no difficulty in finding nice people to undertake our “bringing-up,”
although I now know that a philanthropic spirit must have inspired
all who assumed the responsibility of our training and education. We
were assigned two by two; and it was my good fortune to be put into
the hands of a most motherly lady in Springfield. She came after us
in a hack. As I was pointed out to her, she put her arms around me
and kissed me. This made the rest of the boys laugh, and perhaps I
got rather red in the face; however, I would say nothing to show my
embarrassment. But that was the first kiss I ever had had since my
infancy.
Our first appearance in an American household must have been a funny
occurrence to its members. We were dressed in our full Chinese costume,
consisting of cue, satin shoes, skull-cap, silk gown, loose jacket and
white linen blouse. We were both thirteen years of age, but smaller
than American boys at eleven.
Sunday came. After lunch, the lady and her son came up to our room to
tell us to get ready to go to Sabbath-school with them. We knew very
little English at the time. The simplest Anglo-Saxon words were still
but slightly known to us. We caught the word “school” only. We supposed
that at last our ordeal in an American school was at hand. We each
took a cloth-wrapper and began to tie up a pile of books with it, _à
la Chinoise_, when our guardians, returning, made us understand by
signs and otherwise that no books were needed.
Well, we four set out, passed Court Square, and walked up the steps of
the First Church.
“It is a church,” said my companion in Chinese.
We were confirmed in our suspicions on peeping in and seeing the people
rise to sing. “Church! church!” we muttered, and rushed from the
edifice with all the speed we could command. We did not stop till we
got into our room, while our American friends, surprised at this move
on our part and failing to overtake us, went back to the church.
We learned English by object-lessons. At table we were always told the
names of certain dishes, and then assured that if we could not remember
the name we were not to partake of that article of food. Taught by this
method, our progress was rapid and surprising.
Transcriber’s Notes:
The original accentuation, and spelling has been retained. Hyphenation
has been made consistent as far as possible.