The morning call., 1893-03-31
WHITING TO WED.
Facts About His Intended's
Family.
WEALTH OF HER FATHER
Along Went to Meet His Chinese Wife,
but Provided for His Hawaiian
Wife and Children.

The announced engagement OF Comman-
der William 81. Whiting of the United
States ship Alliance TO Miss Eta Along OF
Honolulu has created quite stir in both
civilian aud navy circles on this coast where
the commander Is we'll known. and many
people refuse to believe that one of our
nations defenders had any idea of bringing
a Chinese bride home with him from his
next trip to the Islands.
But private letters have settled the fact
definitely, as the engagement has been pub
licly announced in Honolulu social circles.
and, although it was q nine days wonder
even in that land of cOsmopolitanism, it has
at last been accepted as the Inevitable.
Navy men are almost worshiped in Hon
olUlu. This Is not singular, for there is a
great scarcity of eligible men there and a
great abundance of eligible girls. There
fore, when a warship, either English,
French or American, be sighted off Dia-
mOnd head there is an immediate furry in
the hearts of the daughters of Hawaii. So,
when it was announced that Commander
Whiting was to marry girl half Chinese,
quarter Portuguese and quarter native,
naturally the uprOar waS|great.
The Afongs (who. by the wav, dong ago
dropped the usual Chinese ''Ah" and spelled
their name Along, althoug they have long
been visited by the navy men, who are
generally on the outlook for good dinner,
have nevertheless not the high social stand
ing in Honolulu that they wished. and still
wish for. .
They give splendid dinner parties, to
which only navy men are invited, and as
there are still five unmarried girls in the fam
lily ii is uusally unnecessary TO invite any
other ladies. These dinners have been more
numerous since the departure, some years
ago. of the parent Along to his Chinese wife
at Hong-kUng.
The old gentleman was not particularly
partial 10 the gallant differs of our navy.
but the rest Of the family do not share his
prejudices.
Afong's wealth has been greatly over
estimated. even by his own business col
leagues. There Is no doubt that five or six
years ago. when Hawaii was the sugar
planters paradise, he made and kept a
large amount Of money, estimated al from
two TO four millions.
But when the Mckinley bill went into
effect and cut the profits of the sugar
bar0ns down 10 nominal sum Along still
held on to his sugar stock, and also kept
several of the larger Chinese firms afioat by
lOaning them money. The stocks steadily
decreased in value, and the Chinese in Hon
olulu lost money on their rire plantations
on account of two bad years. and the once
colossal fortune of Along was greatly re-
ducPd.
When he saw that things were getting
worse Instead of better he sold out all his
interests in the Islands for still snug sum,
and departed for the FloweTy Kingdom.
Before going. however, he settled on his
wife the sum of $4,000 in cash. To each
OF his two married daughters he gave
draw on him for $40, 900, as marriage por-
tion of each daughter. provided she should
marry TO suit her mother.
The youngest child of the family, who
was boy, WAS the favorite of both father
and mother When Along went to China
1t was his firm intention 10 take this boy
with him. But his wife and children so
pleaded with him to leaye.him, and, what
probably had more effect, threatened 10
make him trouble on account of his second
marriage. that he at last consented to leave
him in Honolulu.
Eta Along, the one whom the COM
mander is going to bring TO this country, is
The youngest girl in the family. She is Just
past II, Is what Ouida would call petite,
svelte figure" and has decidedly Chinese
cast of countenanee. This is particularly
noticeable in her eyes, that have the true
Celestial slant.
She is below the medium height, and even
walks with a slight rnlliug movement pc
culiar TO the Chinese. Her native blood
shows plainly in her face, as it does in all
who have the slightest drop OF it in their
veins. She is the prettiest girl in the fam-
lily and The brightest.
The Along home is the most beautiful of
all the beautiful homes in Honolulu.
The especial feature OF the place Is an
immense banyan tree, brought from China
by Along twenty-five years ago, and planted
In his yard before he even built his house
1t Is now at least seventy-five feet tall, and
shades the ground in a great circle OF $50
feet in diameter. Ii is one of the stock
shows OF the city, and all tourists are at
once driven 10 see II, almost before they are
taken to the far-famed Waikiki.
Afong's two married daughters live in
Honolulu. One of them. the eldest, is mar
rled TO a prominent half-whte attorney, J.
A. Magoon. and the other to a former letter
carrier OF this city, Frank b. McStocker,
who now has charge of the wine and liquor
DEPARTMENT OF the Cnstom- house n.