The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-12-25
Wan Lee, the Pagan.
from Bret Harte's Sketch in Scribner for Sep
temDer.

purely mechanical part of the business
Here he developed surprising quick
ness and adaptability; winning even the
favor and good will of the printers ant
foreman, who at first looked upon his
introduction into the secrets of theil
trade as fraught with the gravest polit,
ical significance. He learned to set type
readily and neatly, his wonderful skill
in manipulation aiding him in the more
mechanical act, and his ignorance of the
language cOnfning him simply to the
mechanical etfort-cOnfrming the print.
er's axiom that the printer who consid-
ers Or follows the ideas of his copy makes
a poor cOmpositOr. He would setup de-
liberately long diatribes against himself
composed by his fellow printers, and
hung on his hook as copy, and even such
short sentences as Wan Lee is the dev-
lis own imp "Wan Lee is a MOngO-
lian rascal" and bring the proof to me
with happiness bcaming from every
tooth and satisfaction shining in his
huckleberry eyes.
1t was not long, however, before he
learned to retaliate on his mischievOus
prosecutors. | remember one instance
in which his reprisal came very near in
VOlviDg me in serious misunderstand-
ing. Our fOreman'sname was Webster
and Wan Lee presently learned to know
and recognize the individual and com
bined letters of his name. 1t was during
a political campaign, and the eloquent
and fiery Col. StarbOttle, Of Siskyou, had
delivered an effective speech, which was
reported especially for the "Northern
STAR In a very sublime pcrOratiOn
Colonel StarbOttle had said: "In the
language of the gOd-like Webster, re-
peat and here followed the quotation,
which | have forgotten. Now, it chanced
that Wan Lee, looking over the galley,
after it had been revised, saw the name
of his chief prosecutor, and, of course,
imagined the. quotation his: After the
form was locked up, Wan Lee took ad-
the quotation, and substitute thin piece
of lead, of the same size of the type, en-
graved with Chinese characters, making
a sentence which, Ihad reason to believe,
was an utter and abject confession of
the incapacity and inOffensiveness Of the
Webster family generally, and exceed
ingly eulOgistic of Wan Lee himself,
personally.
The next mornings paper contained
Col. StarbOttle's speech in full, in which
itappeared that the god-Gke" Webster
had on one occasion uttered his thoughts
in excellent but perfectly enigmatical
Chinese. The rage of Col. StarbOttle
knew no bounds. | have vivid recol-
lection of that admirable man walking
into my Office and demanding a retrac-
tiOn of the statement.
But, my dear sir" asked, " are you
willing to deny, over your own sigma
ture, that Webster ever uttered such a
sentence? Dare yon deny that, with
Mr.. Webster's well known attainments,
a knowledge of the Chinese might not
have been among the number? Are you
willing to submit translation suitable
to the capacity of our readers, and deny,
upon your honor as a gentleman, that
the late Mr.. Webster ever uttered such
a sentiment? If you are, sir, am will
ing to publish your denial"
The Colonel was not, and left highly
Webster, the foreman, took it more
coolly. Happily, he was unaware that
for two days after Cinnamon from the
laundTies, from the gulches, from the
kitchens, looked in the front Office door
with faces beaming with sardonic de-
light; that 300 extra copies of the "Star "
were ordered for the wash houses on the
river. He only knew that during the
day Wan Lee occasionally went off into
spasms, and that he was
obliged to kick him into consciousness
again. A week after the occurrence
called Wan Lee into my Office.
"Wan," | said gravely, " should like
you to give me, for my own personal
a translation of that Chinese
sentence which my gifted countryman,
the late god-like Webster, uttered upon
a public occasion" Wan Leelooked at
me intently, and then the slightest pos
sible twinkle crept into his black eyes.
Then he replied, with equal gravity:
"Mishtel Webstel-he say: China
boy makee me belly much foOlee. China
boy makee me heap Sick" Which
have reason to think was true.
WAN LEE AS PAPER-CARRIER.
His next performance, | grieve to say,
was not attended with equal success.
One of our regular paper-carriers fell
sick, and, at a pinch, Wan Lee was Or
dered to fill his place. To prevent mis-
takes he was shown over the route the
previous evening, and supplied at about
daylight with the usual number of sub
scribers' copies. He returned after an
hour, in good spirits and without the
papers. He had delivered them, all, he
said.
Unfortunately for Wan Lee, at about
eight o'clock indignant subscribers be-
gan to arrive at the office. They had re-
ceived their copies; but how? In the
form of hard pressed cannon balls, de-
livered by a single shot and mere tour
de force through the glass of bedroom
windows. They had received them full
in the face, like base ball, if they hap
peneQ to be up and stirring; they had
received them in quarter sheets, tucked
in at separate windows; they had found
them in the chimney, pinned against the
door, shot through attic windows, deliv-
cred in long slips through convenient
stuffed into ventilators, and
the same can with the morn
ing's milk. One subscriber, who waited
for some time at the Office door, to have
a personal interview with Wan Lee
(then comfortably locked in my bed
room), told me, with tears of rage in his
eyes, that he had been awakened at five
o'clock by most hideOus yelling below
his windows; that on rising, in great
agitation, he was startled by the sudden
of the Northern STAR"
rolled hard and bent into the form of a
boomerang or East Indian club, that
sailed into the window, described num-
Der of fiendish circles in the room,
knocked over the light, slapped the ba-
by's face, Took him (the snbscriber)
''in the jaw" and then returned out of
the window, and dropped helplessly in
the area. During the rest of the day
wads and strips of soiled paper, purpoft-
ing to be copies of The Northern Star"
of that mornings issue, were brought in
to the office. An admirable
editorial on "The Resources of Hum
boldt County," which had constructed
the evening before, and which I had
reason to believe, might have changed
the whole balance of trade during the