Post by nzbc on Apr 3, 2016 14:48:06 GMT 12
The Chinese Camp was a regularly Said out township occupied by Chinese only. Tea, coffee, spice, silks, sweetmeats and ginger were the merchants’ stocks. Facing the Beaumont road was Sam Chew Luin's hotel, Chow Tie’s batcher’s shop, and nearby Croo Quoo’s fruit shop and Sin Kum Hop’a„store. The Chinese had their own joss-house there. Born gamblers, the Chinese are always fair. They were frequently before the Court at Lawrence, charged with playing fan-tan and pak-a~poo, but it seemed impossible to stop them. They simply pttid the line and wont on. Sam Chow Lada was a Freemason, and in full regalia was a very imposing figure. When the railway from Dunedin was opened every train brought many Chinese. They wore cane flattened hats (like a helmet), three coats padded, cotton trousers, no socks, and cloth clogs with thick soles. They had their luggage in large cane baskets, which they slung on to a bamboo rod and went at a trot, in single file to the Chinese Camp. They were everywhere that they could dad an abandoned claim, and for many a day did well, where a European had given it up as a ‘duffer.’ Wotherstoues Flat and Waitahuna were their favourite hunting grounds. They built large huts, of sods with thatched roofs, capable of accommodating a great number, us near their claim as possible. Rev. A. Don was a missionary on the field to the Chinese, and also acted as Chinese interpreter in the Law Courts. The Chinese shaved their heads, leaving a small circle on the crown, on which the hair had grown long. This they plaited into a pigtail and to make it longer tied and twisted with coloured silk cord, and then twisted it into a small circle covering the crown. The Orientals were proud of this adornment, ami ho who threatened to cut off the pigtail did bo at the risk of the head which was on his shoulders Mt Benger Mail , 22 May 1929, Page 2 paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=MTBM19290522.2.9&srpos=16&e=-------100--1----0balclutha+chinese+fruit+shop--