The Virginia Enterprise

NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE.

Dissolution of the Famous Chinese Six Companies of California.

The latest talk in Chinatown at the present time is concerning the split in the powerful "Six Companies," which, until a few days ago, had for its membership every Chinaman in the United States who thinks anything of his native country. Now four of the companies which were in the organization have stepped down and out, and hereafter there will be two Chinese organizations. Chinatown in this city has been billed with copies of a proclamation announcing the secession of four of the companies from the Six Companies.

The proclamation appeals to all adherents of the seceders to stand together and boycott the other companies. The local Chinamen are said to be divided. Some will stand by the old organization and others will unite with the new.

The story comes from San Francisco that the disruption is due to a recent murder in the Chinese quarter of that city. Chinaman Tong Wei was murdered and the police arrested Moc Tai for the crime. The prisoner, it is alleged, was not the murderer. The Chinese merchants got together and members of the company to which Moc Tai belonged said he was innocent and urged that the witnesses to this fact be sent to the trial. For some reason the merchants did not take any steps to save Moc Tai. Things became so interesting that the Ming Yung, Shue Hing, Hop Wah and Kong Chow companies withdrew from the Six Companies and organized what is now known as the See Yup company.

The See Yup company will spend money and time and bring much powerful pressure to bear in the hope of freezing out the remaining two companies.

The Six Companies is likely to remain in power for a long time and to have a great following. When the floods occurred in China last year the Six Companies responded nobly to the appeals for assistance. In return the Emperor of China sent to the Six Companies a sign which bore with it a wish tantamount to a command that the organization should last 10,000 years. Many of the coolies fear that if they attempt to break up the Six Companies some great evil will befall them. The sign hangs in the quarters of the Six Companies. No one will remove it for fear that he will be stricken while doing it. The new organization hopes to get possession of the old quarters and its members will then announce that they are the Six Companies.—Seattle Times.