The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-02
AMERICANS IN SIAM.
In Many Ways They Have Zone Much
to Contribute to Her Prosperity.

Tn MANY wavs THEW Have Done Much
to Contr;n,,+a 70 Her Prosperity.
Mr.. Isaac Townsend Smith, the present
Consul General for Siam IN new 1ofK'
has been connected for over lolIy years
| with the Siamese Government as financial
agent, Consul. and Consul General and
is therefore well qualified to speak Oh the
little kingdom whose quarrel WIN france
may have such Acknowledgements. Mr..
Smith was asked to- tell tne readers Oh
the New York Times sometnlng Oh what
Americans have done in the past IN
Siam.
awe have contributed to educate her
Princes and people in many ways" SAID
he. "Americans introduced pruning and
other useful arts. as well as medical treat
ment. among them, and have done much
| in other ways to stimulate ana strength
en- their national life and cnarac0er. II Is
no wonder, therefore, tnaI we regaro
with the deepest concern this unjust war
| that has been sprung upon oneln 81 uueA-
pectedly by the French. .-4o.ou4.a -.
"Americans have been interested III
| Siam for many years-1n tne oiueli 'inies
by considerable direct commerce with
| Bangkok, and latterly by missionaries
and educators dwelling among tne peo-
pie. The kings of Siam-potn the M Ia5e
king, father Of the present, and his Ma,
iesty now on the throne-have allowed
| foreigners to reside in Siam, treating
them in a liberal spirit. To Americans
thew have been friendly in marked
degree They have been pleased with
their residence in the country ana nave
appreciated what they have done among
them.
aIn 1885 the first printing press was
set UP in Siam by DR.. d. B. Bradley, an
| American. In 1886 the first printing IN
| Siamese letters was done by G: Robinson,
| an American, with type cast IN Bengal.
| The first known successful operatlon IN
surgery in the amputation OF an arm
was performed by DR.. Bradley on a priest
About this time the smallpox was IN
| usually widespread and malignant
| throughout the country. 1t had been an
annual scourge. The American mission
aries introduced vaccine and arrested it,
| The king sent a body of the royal Mem
| ical Faculty of ten or twelve to learn
| the treatment until able to practice 1t
| successfully.
in 1851 three ladies OF the American "a
mission, Mrs. Samuel l. Smith, Mrs. D.
| B. Bradley, and Mrs. House, upon the IN
vitation Of the king, visited the palace
for period of three years and taught
| the family of his Majesty science and
useful branches of knowledge.
| SIN 1855 the first steamboat built IN
| Siam was constructed by Phra Nal wal,
| Siamese, after plans and models mace
! in this country and sent out by myself,
| with engines and machinery made at
| the Novelty Iron Works, in N. Z. city.
| The engine and machinery were set up
| under the superintendent of ]. II. Chand-
| Ter, an American, a practical machlnist
| connected with the American Baptist
Mission. The boat was yacht Tor ms
beam engine and was called the Siam
Steam-force Royal Seat On the 10th
| of November, 1855, the King took an
excursion in it.
Jacinto arrived at the bar at the mouth
of the river with the Hon. Townsend
| Harris, American Plenipotentiary. he
barges, the Royal Seat bearing the Min
i lister, and on the 9th of April, 1857, the
| treaty with the United States was signed.
"The first steam rice mill in Siam
was set up by an American. In 1855
the first steam war vessel built in Siam
was from drawings and models, with
steam engines and machinery built here,
and sent out by myself, from this city.
This vessel was built by Phra Mai Wal
in Bangkok, was 800 tons, carried a crew
of 1870 men, and was called the Enemy
Chaser.
aMr,I.H. Chandler, an American who
had been some time in the Government
service, was appointed about this time
tutor to his Majesty, then in his minor.
| itv The first house boat was designed
and built by Michael Quincy, an Ameri-
can connected with the rice mill. DR..
| McFarlan, an American, has for many
years been at the head of the Government
of College, and DR.. Hays, also an Amer mel
lean, is in charge of their hospital. The
present mansion occupied as a residence
by the American Minister was a gift by
the King to the United States Govern
ment.
"By this interesting record it will be
seen that Americans have a right to be
concerned in what may befall the king
dom of Siam, and cannot stand by with
indifference and see her capital bonn,
barded, her beautiful and most pictur
esque palaces destroyed, and her people
killed by so-called Christian nation
| without protest and shudder at its
awful cruelty and barbarity."