The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-03
written for h sunday Journal
THE WRATH OF JOSS
Hx LOUIS MEsLYN JONES.

8tGldIp III a ROSAtAOiA AL OiC ~ tlG
theaters Of Chinatown very shortly
after his arrival in San Francisco. His
reputation as an accomplished perform
er on the kela Chinese violin) had pre-
coded him to America, and he expert
enced little difficulty in drawing up a
contract with the manager of the prin-
cipal Chinatown play house, in which it
was agreed that the musician should
receive much better wages than those
paid to the other members of the
orchestra.
For it must be known that All Sam
Chong, besides being an expert in the
musical art of the flowery land, was
also the possessor Of one of the shrewd-
est heads for business that ever sported
n queue. 1t is generally acknowledged
that musicians, as a rule. are not good
business men. All Sam Chong. how
ever, was an exception to this rule. He
was all business. Music was a bust
ness with him and nos a profession.
But for that matter, music mus be a
business with every Chinese musician.
as those ,unfortunates , who have sat
through an evening at a Chinatown
theater will readily agree. If there lives
a celectial musician who regards his vo-
cation as an art let him be lauded and
a~pplauded as the most imaginative
genius the world has ever known. His
music is certainly a lost art to all of
us white-faced, barbarians who have
heard the unearthly shrieks of his keia,
the diabolical clangs of his cymbals.
the uncanny tumpy-tum-tums of his
snake skin drum and the general BRAIN
racking crash of inharmonious noises
arising from all of his to-
gether. %clodding the atmosphere with
an unbearable purgatory of sound.
Now. All Sam Chong was too much
OF a business man to remain content
with the wages he received in compen-
sation FOR his labor as a keIa player.
He delighted in making money ION the
side.' as the expression is.
Before he had beer a year in San
Francisco he had accumulated enough
capital to i~naugurate a money-lending
business Of his own. His customers be-
longed chiefly to the lower class of his
c~ountrymen. to whom he made small
loans and received large interest, al
ways demanding of his patrons some
valuable article to be held as security
for the money loaned. Although he had
no regular office for carrying on his
business nor possessed the usual sign
of IN three golden balls. still All Sam
Chong was one of the most successful
pawnbrokers in Chinatown. He was
not a popular man. On the contrary.
ne had gained for himself a reputation
Hs a, disagreeable fellow and something
or a cheat in business transactions.
But even those who disliked him most
were compelled to admit that he had
at least one redeeming trait in his
otherwise deficient character. This was
his devotion to his family, which con-
sisted Of a wife and baby boy. The son
ana heir, whose name was Lee Wing.
had first seen the light of day on board
the good ship which brought his parents
TO America. AT the time of which we
write he had reached the best part of
babyhood-the happy age of three
years.
All Sam Chong thought a great deal
OF mis- wife. who was his Junior by at
least ten years; and he thought even
more or the baby, who was very fond
OF MS papa in return. In fact, there
existed between father and son such
mutual admiration and affection as is
seldom seen between the Chinaman and
his offspring. They quite worshiped
each other. So when All Sam Chong's
wife, accompanied by her brother. a
wealthy Chinatown merchant. went
down to Los Angeles to visit their sick
sister and left the baby boy in sole
charge of his papa the musician became
AZ once the proudest individual in
Chinatown, and certainly the most i'm
portant person about the t-heater-more
Wing himself. that admirable little
Pekfng comedian who scored the great
est success ever made by a Chinese
actor in America.
On the morning following the de-
parture of his wife for southern Cali
fornia All Sam Chong dressed little
Lee Wing in his best suit of clothes.
consisting of a little blue gown falling
to his knees, tiny yellow pantaloons
reaching his ankles, a pair of those
pretty red slippers worn by nearly all
chinese children, and last, but by no
means least In the estimation of its
proud owner. a close-itting green silk
cap topped on with a single little
scarlet feather.
All! but he vas a lucky Chinee bow.
that little Lee Wing. His holiday cos
tune was the env Of all his little
friends, who stared after him with ILL
concealed jealousy as he toddled along
the street with his baby fist in the hand
or his papa, who walked proudly at his
SIDE. In the absence of his wife All
Sam Chong accepted right gladly the
opportunity to amuse their baby boy
until her return. Lee Wing was ap-
parently delighted with the arrange
ment, and although he could not as vet
speak his native tongue with any de-
gree of fiuency (small blame to him If
he never mastered IT'D. he gave vent to
his appreciation of the situation in the
cutest baby prattle ever heard.
Little Lee Wing was permitted to ac-
company his father tina morning on
the latter's customary business trim
about Chinatown. After making varions
small loans and collecting several little
sums of money. All Sam Chong. hold
ing his son by the hand, led the way to
the market place and came to a halt
In front of a fish stand, behind which
stood old Chow Using, the fish dealer.
who was one OF the Oldest men in China
town.
The face Of All Sam Chong imme-
dfately assumed its business expression
as he drew from his pocket a paper
marked with Chinese writing. Holding
the document before the eyes Of the
old fish dealer, tie pawnbroker mu-
stefan informed hiEa IN the native tongue
That the payment of a certain loan was
due that day. Chow Using appeared
surprised and indignant as he read the
document. When he had finished he
turned upon his countryman in an
angry manner and declared that he did
not owe the money lender so large a
sum as the contract called for nor would
hA