Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-16
MARRIED A MONGOL.
A Former Los Angeles Girl
a Chinaman's Wife.
She Likes Him Better Than
She Would a White Man.
Her Husband Was a Cook and Now
Keeps a Store.
Gertrude Mathews' Peculiar Expert
ence-She Says She Is Happy
and Perfectly Sane.
Her story.

"No, 1 am not at all dissatisfied. l
love my Chinese husband more than
any white man ever saw"
So said pretty and refined looking
girl in dingy little room at 9OS% Du-
pont street last night, says Mondays
San Francisco Examiner. She is not
over twenty years of age, of slender,
wealth OF golden hair, that bears the
stamp of education and intelligence.
Her demeanor is modest and unassum-
ing. No one would take the slight girl,
in her neat-ftting dress of black, to be
the bride of Chinaman, but such Ger.
trude Mathews ie, and seemingly is well
satisfied with her life in two little rear
rooms in the heart of Chinatown, with
no associate but Chinese.
Lee Po, her husband, keeps shoe
store in the front part of the narrow
building, and is extremely fond of his
Caucasian wife. In fact ne is jealous of
her and will allow no Chinese to speak
to her except upon matters pertaining
to the business of the place.
Mrs. Lee, as she is called in China
town, was born in New York and gradu-
ated from the Ursuline Convent in that
state in 1888, with high honore. Around
her neck, depending from q slender
chain, she wears gold Maltese cross
medal, delicateiy engraved, which shows
that she stood at the head of her class
The girl looks out of place in the
small, close rooms, with no companions
but Chinese, but, as she says, she man
ages to keep busy and is content with
her lot.
New York. She is the daughter of
wealthy parents, was reared in the lap
of luxury and bad every wish gratified
until the death of her mother, when the
cruelty Of step father caused her to
forsake home, friends and all. To add
to her misery it is said that her be-
trothed; prominent society man, mar
ried one of her intimate acquaintances,
and she decided to go as far away as she
could, where none of her relatives could
find her or ever hear from her again.
So far she has succeeded.
With but little more in her purse than
would pay her transportation the girl
came to California. First she went to
Los Angeles, where she found posi-
ton as governess in a family, with
whom she lived several mouths. Being
well up in the languages and an accomp.
lished musician she had no difficulty in
retaining her position, but the depart.
ure of her friends for China and other
foreign countries caused her to look else
where.
She accompanied them as far as this
city, and in short time her services
were engaged by family in Ross valley,
Marin county.
In the same house Lee Po was en-
ployed as cook.
More than one suitor sought Miss
Mathews's hand in marriage while in
this state, but to their opportunities she
turned deaf ear. She said she had
loved once, and that it had resulted in
broken heart.
In the Ross valley household Miss
Mathews was often thrown into the
company of the cook, who is prepossess-
ing and well educated for Chinaman.
She took quite a fancy to him. The
feeling was reciprocated and gradually
ripened into love on both sides.
AS fitting finale they were married
by contract a few months ago, when
Lee Pc bought an interest in the store
at $685. Dupont street.
To occupy her time Mrs. Lee has a
class OF Cinnamon to whom she teach es
English five nights of the week and in
the daytime attends to household duties
and operates a telegraph instrument.
Her only female companion is half
breed Chinese woman living on Stock
ton street.
To her she has taught the rudiments
of telegraphy and line has been
stretched between the two places.
"Some people seem to think l am
crazy" said the girl, continuing her
conversation yesterday, "but consider
that | am as sane as anybody. | don't
think am strange at ALL" she added,
with merry laugh that deepened the
dimples in her cheeks and served to
display set of perfect teeth.
II get along much better with my
husband than if he were white man.
He is kindness itself, let's me have my
own way in everything and treats me
generously. What little work | do is
because 1 wish to be useful.
teach the Cinnamon because it is in
teresting to me and it is an easy way to
make money. My association with
them does not extend outside the house.
eff took notion into my head to
marry Chinaman do not see why it
should concern the people at large. Do
you 2" The question was duplicated
by the big blue eyes, and was 80 unan-
swerable that the reporter concluded
the interview.