The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-08-16
A MoppOlian Millionaire

A correspondent writing from Evans
ton, q. T., says: All Say is a specimen,
and q good one, of what a Chinaman can
accomplish in this country, where pru.
dence, ability and thrift are supple
mented by a fair education.
All Say is no mandarin Of three, or
even one button, in his native land. he
is self made, and has no reason to be
ashamed of his handiwork. When first
he gazed on the land of gold land Jim
KearneD from the decks of an emf
grant ship, All Say had as little worldly
wealth and knowledge of the ways and
wiles of the Mclean man. as any Of his
pauper compatriots. he began life in the
usual humble avocations which suppl
the wherewithal to keep the domestic
chopsticks going. He had 3 faculty of
shrewd observation, though, which soon
taught him that if he could apply his
really comprehensive intellect to the
solution of the questions in American
life, and deduce q correct result from
them in an American way, that his Chi
nese industry and economy would give
him a start in life which his natural
ability would successfully improve. All
Say made a Napoleonic stroke-he
Americanized himself instead of sur
rounding himself with q Chinese atmos-
phere in an American climate as is the
fashion of the greater number of his
conservative end, ergo, stupid country
men.
The opportunity came in the shape OF
the Union Pacific railroad. That COM
pauy had need to employ thousands of
| coolie laborers in it's construction. The
management felt that it would be of in.
finite advantage to both parties to have
in personal control of this large body
of men some one man who was of their
race, language and religion, and yet
who was sufficiently enlightened, edu-
Gated and liberal to act in concert with
the interests and other officers of the
road. Where was such q rare COM
bination to be found? I am
no firm believer in the
"mute, inglorious Milton theory" and
have noted that o place is always va
cant for practical genius to earn its
bread and meat. All Says light was
under no bushel. He was chosen as
superintendent at a yearly salary of
$4,000 per annum. His star is at its
zenith, and this American Chinaman
can safely draw his check for some
thing over $3.50, 900. He is not wholly
American in domestic life. His house,
a neat. substantial and unpretentious
place, is American enough outside, but
when one enters into the atrium he lit
orally encounters the Lares ct Pehates
of a thorough Chinaman.
Entering the door you are struck with
what, in my ignorance, l supposed was
a tolerable specimen of Chinese statuary
placed upon a kind of prie-dien, or
small altar, l hardly know which. This
was. however, the joss or domestic god
of the proprietor. The furniture was
by no means a disagreeable mixture OF
American and Chinese work, and was
simple, but elegant in material and
finish. Here All Say received US pleas
antly and in fair English, rising as he
did so from his desk, at which he had
been working with his secretary, an
ameIlCou. EOl Mdo, LILO "AAo, .
little distance off in a rocking chair,
singing a Chinese lallaby to one of her
children. 1t was a pretty picture OF
domestic enjoyment.
The walls we're covered with some
few Indifferent works in oil and q
number of genuine Chinese chefs
d'nuvers, and what was very singular, q
vast number of little stripes of tinted
paper, which I was informed served the
admiral purpose of being a journal of
notable events of each passing day.
The death OF a relative, a domestic or
public incident of more than usual i'm
portance, was written on one of these
scraps and placed chronologically on
the wall. making it n vast scrap book.
All Say, 10 person, is of medium stat.
ure, pleasant c~ountenance and one in.
dicatiYe of real native energy and force /:
he is of middle age and a deliberate
and unimpassioned talker. KANSAS City
! Times,