Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-02-09
PIGEON ENGLISH.
Wong Lee, an Intelligent Denver Celestial,
Spins Yarns to "A Reporter.

Wong Lee is quite an intelligent
Chinaman, but not without some SUI
perstitions of his race. He speaks En-
glish indifferently, but manages to
make himself understood He can
also read English so as to understand
it passably well, and what lie can't
understand he gets some friend to in
terpret for him. Wong was much in
terested in the trial of tue Anarchists,
and was enthusiastically wild the day
of their execution. In conversation
with a Ncws reporter the other day,
Wong said:
"Vclly glad to see EN- swing Nell
can Highlander, Chicago"
do you mean the Anarchists
Yes; allie same bad like Chinaman
Highlander
DO the Highbinders use bombs?'
Long time ago, not now, Chinaman
make bombs long befo' Mclean man
make bombs. You know it? So one
time long ago Flenchman come to
China. Chinaman tell Flenchman 90
back. Flenchman not 60 back. China
man lite Flenchman letter say you no
go back Chinaman kill. Not cut him
off head but blow up. Flenchman
laugh, say Chinaman not fight, China
man woman. Flenchman go out ON
plain-6,00 Chinaman get him heap
bamboo stick big as leg. Fill him
with blow-up and bullicks. Stick him
in fuse, and belly him in ground.
Next day Chinaman say we now ready
TO fight. Come on. Flenchman come
on. Get him light on ground between
| Chinaman and Flenchman had been
night befo'. Big Cninaman captain
tell him go back, but he not go back.
| Bang! Boom! When wind blow him
smoke away, no mo- Flenchman, allie
gone"
When Wong told this story he was
as excited and wrought up as any
| to be in humor for telling stories he
was allowed to go on.
| ''Flenchman can't whip Chinaman,"
he said. "Chnaman might whip
Flenchman if he go to Flance, but
Chinaman don't want to 60 to Flance.
| Flenchman come to China once mo-.
| Chinaman hab his boss out on plain.
| Chinaman hab his boss tlained to
| come and feed him when he ling a
| bell. Feed him on one kind oh meal
and boss got nothing else, but come
fast when you ling bell Chinaman
| let 600 boss out on plain. Build him
big stable hold all boss. Make him
wide, do just SO boss lun in, den hang
big knives ova' do. Flenchman take
all 600 boss and put big captains on
him. Chinaman get on top stable and
ling bell. Flenchman can't hold him,
lun so fast to the stable to get him
meal. Hoss he 90 in stable. Big
knife cut off Flenchmans head. Head
he fall, one on dis side, one on dat
side. All Flenchmans dead. Big cap
tains Den Chinaman let lest Flench-
man 90 home. No want to kill him
all. Kill big captains.
"You know how Chinaman tell when
partner cheat?" asked Wong, changing
the subject.
mo, do not"
"Chinaman 60 in with partner,
maybe cousin. At end oh year both
must 90 to joss house and tell joss all
| about him. If Chinaman lie. big snake
come down flom tlee in joss house and
bite him and Chinaman die. Some
| time both Chinaman die. Both cheat
Some time Chinaman tink his partner
cheat and he say to partner get in boat
aud go acloss libber If Chinaman
cheat when lie get in middle of lbber,
big ting, 70 legs, bite him month"
Wong here had to 90 into panto.
mime to describe what he meant.
Turtle, suggested the reporter.
Yes, dats him, answered Wong.
"He snap Chinaman and Chnaman
die"
How is it when you cheat white
man?"
mo sin cheat Mclean man. Must
not tell Mclean man what anything
cost, can't sell him. No snake bite,
no ting snap. But you come down
my cousin Jim's house some time lie
tell you mo- stolies dan ] can. Jim
| speak and lite good Mclean"
Wong explained before taking his
departure, however, curious custom
| among the Chinese. He said that
when one contracted debt and did
not pay it his children and children's
| children to the fourth generation were
responsible for it, He said that some
times a hard hearted creditor would
exact his pound of flesh, and he had
| heard of the last of debt of 800 be-
ing paid 100 years after it was con.
| tracted. DenUer NeUs.