Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-01
A Monaghan millionaire.
San Francisco CAL


In beautiful portion of Honolulu.
Hawaiian islands, embOwered in towering
palms and luxuriant ferns, lies hidden
from the vulgar view Of the pedestrian
the pretentotls residence of Mr. Along
Mr. Along is solid merchant. with a
stouc-front store On ChinatoWn's chief
business street, and is credited with the
possession o. II million or two &C luircd in
honest trade with his numerous country
men on Oahu and IFS ncighboring islands
He adhcrcs to the characteristic Mongol.
ian Announcements, although minglng
with the most important ard wealthy of
Hawaiis merchants, and disdaining to in
terfcrc in the varied changes in attire
which Honolulu fashion dictates to his
family.
Mr.. Along has five daughters, ranging
in age from about II years 10 ). The
mother and the daughters maintain rigid
adherence to the rules Of fashion, and ap-
pear in the dress of white ladies and girls.
When occasion dema DIS, the lady and her
elder daughters are clad in as elegant raj
uent as the wealthest la ~ on the islands,
and the demand, it may lie explained, is
rot by any means inlrequentlv made, as
the family is received cordially into the
best society in Honolulu
The family has its private carriages
driven by white men, and a 81 sc observer
of the merry quiniette in their afternoon
drive could not tell that they We're not the
offspring of some wealthy Caucasian. The
children are all receiving tuition. and the
eldest daughter, a modest and not unattrac
tive young lady. has advanced so rapidly
as to be considered well educated. The
Along family is a curiosity in its way to
the unprepared visitor from san Francisco
and, although there are many wealthy Chi
namen in Honolulu and on the other
islands, it remains the sole ms ance of Chi
nese progression in many respects.
The British Museum's reading- Room.
lSan Francisco c. rourlr.
Curious for some facts and figures as to
the working and general history of the
reading room, | entered into converse
ton, the other day. with the superin
tendcnt, who most courteously put me in
possession Of a good deal of information
From such records as can be kept It would
appear that the visitors to the room
average some $50 daily, of whom one,
perhaps, in every ten is a lady. ought,
perhaps, already to have stated that the
use of the reading room and library Is
not granted to the public unrestrainedly
To become reader it is necessary to ap.
ply for and obtain a ticket of admission
from the principal librarian This is
granted to any adult WHO can furnish a
written recommendation from any lou Sc,
holder of London or it, suburbs No
distinction is made between applicants,
and tho veriest taIterdema ion may have
his name inscribed upon the books aft er
that Of the proudest aristocrat provided
he be qualified in the ma rcr described
Possessing perhaps the most unique
collection of any public library in the
word Of rare, obsolete AMI obscure works,
it is not surprising that foreigners should
be attracted from all corners of the globe
by the facilities it affords for the compila
ton of abstruse and learned works; but il
is, nevertheless. startling to learn that a
many as 30 per cent of the readers are, as
rule, foreigners. These come. | am in.
formed, mainly from Germany and Amer
| lea