CHINCHILLA 



1356 



CHINOOK 



bird beetle, and the use of chinch bugs which 

 have become infected with contagious diseases. 

 Bulletins on methods of extermination will be 

 sent on request by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and by various state and 

 provincial agricultural experiment stations. 



CHINCHILLA, a squirrel-like animal of 

 South America, one species of which is greatly 

 valued for its beautiful pearly-gray fur. It 

 is about fifteen inches long, with large ears, 

 and tail about one-half the length of head and 



CHINCHILLA 

 body. Chinchillas live in colonies in the moun- 

 tains of most parts of South America, make 

 numerous and very deep burrows and feed on 

 roots and tough vegetable growths. The little 

 animal is of a gentle, sportive nature, and very 

 cleanly; when tamed it makes an interesting 

 house pet. Chinchilla fur is used for muffs, 

 coats and linings. 



CHINESE EXCLUSION. Soon after gold 

 was discovered in California in 1848 Chinese 

 laborers began to come into the territory. 

 Their number was small, and for many years 

 there was no opposition to them, but about 

 1878 the immigration of Chinese to the Pacific 

 states increased so rapidly that the citizens of 

 those states became alarmed and appealed to 

 Congress to enact a law restricting their immi- 

 gration into the United States. In 1880 a 

 treaty was ratified with China giving the 

 United States the right to restrict or suspend 

 Chinese immigration. In 1882 an act shutting 

 them out for ten years and prohibiting the 

 naturalization of Chinese was passed. In 1892 

 the Geary Act was passed. This continued the 

 exclusion for another ten years, and compelled 

 all Chinese in the United States to procure 

 certificates of residence. In 1902 the law was 

 continued and made still more comprehensive. 



Objection to Chinese immigrants is largely 

 confined to the Pacific states. The residents of 

 those states claim that their method of living 

 and the low wage for which they will work 

 are demoralizing to American workmen, and 

 that the sole purpose of the Chinaman is to 



save money for a few years and then return 

 to his native land. In 1910 there were 710,500 

 Chinese in the United States. 



CHINESE- JAPANESE WAR. In 1894 a 

 rebellion broke out in Korea (see CHOSEN) 

 which was at that time strongly under the in- 

 fluence of the Chinese government. Japan also 

 had large interests in Korea, which it had 

 gained through negotiations with China. China 

 sent troops to Korea to quell the disturbance, 

 and Japan sent troops to protect its interests. 

 When the rebellion was put down, the nations 

 could not agree upon the withdrawal of their 

 troops and this dispute led to war, which began 

 in July, 1894, and was ended by the Treaty 

 of Shimonoseki, April 17, 1895. The army and 

 navy of Japan were far superior to those of 

 China. Several important Chinese cities were 

 captured, and the Chinese navy was destroyed. 

 China ceded the island of Formosa (which see) 

 and Liaotung peninsula to Japan and agreed to 

 pay a war indemnity of about $150,000,000. 

 The European powers, however, interfered and 

 compelled Japan to cede Liaotung back to 

 China. This war opened the way for the 

 Great Powers to secure important trade con- 

 cessions in China, and gave Japan such a pre- 

 ponderating influence in Korea that in 1911 

 the country was formally annexed to Japan. 



CHINOOK', a name given by the early set- 

 tlers to a warm, dry wind which blows down 

 the slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the 

 winter and early spring. It prevails at inter- 

 vals in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Wash- 

 ington and in some of the western parts of 

 Canada. The Chinook is always a descending 

 wind, and for that reason is dry, having lost 

 its moisture on the mountain tops. In coming 

 down the mountains the pressure, due to the 

 lowering altitude, squeezes out the moisture 

 and raises the temperature at the rate of 1 F. 

 for every 183 feet. Hence, in coming down 

 from an altitude of 5,550 feet the wind would 

 be 30 warmer at the bottom than at the top. 

 This warm, dry wind spreads out over a large 

 surface and absorbs or melts the snow and thus 

 makes cattle grazing possible all winter in these 

 regions. A similar wind called the John pre- 

 vails in Switzerland. 



The wet chinook, a moist, warm wind blow- 

 ing southwesterly on the Pacific coast of Ore- 

 gon and Washington, is often confused with 

 the dry chinook; but it is entirely different. 

 It was supposed to come from the country of 

 the Chinook Indians, at the mouth of the 

 Columbia River, hence the name. 



