The Return of Chinese Merchants to Tacoma
Years after the 1885 expulsion, a cautious attempt is made to re-establish a Chinese merchant presence in the city.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Rooms have been rented in the Bostwick block, at the corner of Ninth and C streets in Tacoma, for the use of Chinese merchants. It is anticipated that Twin Wo, of Portland, will occupy the space at a future date, though the lease was handled through agents. This represents the first move toward re-establishing a Chinese mercantile presence in Tacoma in connection with the Northern Pacific Oriental steamship lines.
“This is the first decisive move toward locating Chinese merchants here in connection with the Northern Pacific Oriental steamship lines.”
This report serves as a haunting reminder of the 1885 Tacoma expulsion, where the Chinese population was forcibly driven from the city. The fact that the return of merchants is treated as a delicate 'decisive move' underscores the enduring scars of that act of mass violence.
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