St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-05
A st. Paul Chinaman Who
Wants to Return to Bust
ness Here.
Detained in New York He
Shows Up His Official
Credentials.
Commissioners Mason Cuts on
the Heads of Biepman'S
GaugerS.
South st. PauliteS Organize a
Board Of Trade to Boom
the Town.

A dispatch was received by the GLOBE
last evening from New York announc-
ing the arrest and detention in that city
of Ham Mon Hong. who claims to be
former resident of st. Paul and nat
uraliZed citizen Of the United States.
Hong has recently returned from a visit
to Canton, his native city, and upon be-
ing landed in New York was arrested
and detained under the new law pro-
hibiting the return Of Chinese who have
left America for China, unless the ap-
plicant for readmiSSion be a diplomatic
official or merchant The law holds
that a iaundryman is not merchant,
and therefore not eligible for readmlS-
sion. When brought into court yester-
day and ordered to show cause why ne
should not be adiudged inadmissible
under the provisions of the law, Hong
produced autograph letters, written by
Mavor Smith, Chief of Police Clark,
Judge Cory, Clerk Ahern, Attorney
Egan and Horace Dunno, late mayor $
secretary. The epiStlpS are one and all
couched in laudatoTy terms descriptive
of the virtues of this particular China
man, and in sentiment pronounce Hong q
Jolly good fellow all round. Inquiries
of the gentlemen named above as 10 the
genuineneSs of the documents produced
by Hong for the establishment OF MS
identity proved that they were written
by the men whose signatures they pear,
and the writers take occasion at ChlS
time to indOrSe the sentiments inscribed
two years ago at HOngS request fof
five or six wears, and until about eight
cen months since. Ham Mon Hong con-
Quoted a laundry and Chinese store
ON Wabasha street, opposite the
old court house. He differed from
the other celeStials OF the locality in
that he had abandoned early in his Ca
reer under the stars and stripes the
blouse and baggy breecheS OF his nome
town, and donned the dress OF the colln-
try of his adoption. The only remain
ing mark of his extraction, aside from
the cast of feature peculiar to the race,
was his queue. and this Hong refused to
discard, Though in Difference to the Gus
tom of his adopted country he wore IL
tucked carefully away beneath natty
Derby hat. Hong was well known
character in st. Paul, and, from the I'M
usual intelligence he gave evidence or
possessing, a fav0rite with all VINO
knew him. At his special request ne
was introduced to Mayor Smith ana the
other officials previously referred TO-
and subsequently, paid regular VISITS 10
the Offices of each in turn. On CniheSe
feast days, Hong never tailed TO be on
hand with presents for each or ms
august friends in accordance with the
custom prevailing iii CHINA. lie
was particular admirer of Horace
Dunno, whom he pronounced an eX-
crllent counselor and great man. In
connection with his residence here it
may be mentioned that Hong was at
one time engaged to marry a girl who
arrived from Hamburg in 1887. and To
whom he paid vigorous attention from
the time of her arrival until she Was
spirited away by relatives to defeat the
marriage, 4retchen'S Chinese lover
paid $500 for her wedding trOusseau,
and the day was set for the wedding.
Shortly prior to the date announced for
the occurrence Of the interesting event.
however. the girl disappeared, and only
bobbed up again in La Crosse after
Hong. disguised with the faitheSSness
of his tickle fancee, had sold out his
business and sailed for China. Hong is
anxious to return to st. raul and re-
enter business, claiming that MS busl-
ness here was that OF mercnant, ana
that the letter of the law of exclusion
does not include him for that reason.
All the gentlemen from whom Hong has
letters, anu many others III st. Paul
remember him perfectly we'll as most
intelligent exponent of things Chinese,
speaking English remarkably we'll and
given to talking in an interesting vein
of China and her people. 1t is thought
that the fact of his having been engaged
in the laundry business here will result
in his being adjudged Ineligible for re-
admission to the states.