The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-16
THE STORY OF A COIN.
An American who Was offered ii
Lovely Chinese Girl in Marriage.
From the PhIladelphla Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Many Philadelphians-and many people
| elsewhere-were glad to hear that DR.. Ed
ward Bedloe led been made, by the power
of the President of these United States
American consul at Canton.
1t brings to mind the fact that he long
carried with him-and may still be pos
! sessed ola very remarkable coin, which
+ frequently invites question and which is
the subject of a peculiar tale. This is the
history as related by the newly-appointed
diplomat:
1T was ip Formosa that became the
possessor of this piece of pagan money
l took it as a fee for a remarkable surgi-
cal operation l once performed. The pa
tient offered one of his daughters as a
wife in requital for my services, but l set
tied for this piece of metal l quit a win
ner, too, although she was a daughter of
a royal house. Formosa, as you probably
know, is a large island lying off the coast
of China, and as result of the late war
is the property of Japan. Nominally, 1t
was at the time of my visit a Chinese pos
session, but the natives, who are uncon-
quered savage creatures, have an unbroken
custom of killing and cutting off the head
of any person wearing a queue. The
queue is known as the evidence of Chinese
mania equal to their queue collecting. On
account of this encouragement, the Chi
nese attempt no political rule of the peo-
pie. The FormosanS live on the Pacific
side of the island and the Hakkas, a tribe
or nation, who live on the mainland side
of the mountain range which divides For
mosa, act as go-betWeen in matters OF
trade and treaty between the Formosans
and their queue-wearing enemies. Thus
it happened that when visited Formosa
| had to leave my Chinese rettnue and en-
poy Hakka guides and bearers.
I'VE found the Formosan town all in
proper shape. The head man, chief, or
king of the camp-whateVer you care to
cali him-dd me the honor to advance a
short distance from his camphor-log IT,
ger skin upholstered throne to meet me.
In Formosa / was Hi Quong Foy Kee,
of The Commissioner of the Starry Flag.
Americon representatives are in good re-
pute in the east. Our nation has never
showed that desire to acquire territory
that has characterized the English, the
Dutch, the French, the Germans, or, in
brief, any Of the European nations. There
fore the HI Quong Foy Kee is a person
to be honored by kings. That is why my
Formosan host came part of the way TO
meet me. 1t was hard trip, too for
he was as lame as a foundered horse and
was supported on either side by big, husky,
Chinamen-killing warriors. ! was limp
ing myself, for 1 had walked considerably
and il was rough trail. Why is the III
Quong Foy <ee lame? he asked of the in
terpreter. He has no devil in his legs and
his feet are small. l have a devil in my
foot 1 know why limp. He might have
had a whole encampment of devils If size
were an indication. His left foot was
swathed and baEdaged until il was bigger
than a barrel
THE interpreter explained all that was
necessary and added, on his own account
that my lameness did not last; that l was
a medicine man and a devil-queler by pro-
fession. Thereupon the king welcomed
me with mad joy and craved my services
in exercising his devil. / suggested a local
application CT warm water as precedent
condition in order that l might get down
to the flesh and not waste time in sur
face prospecting There wasn't pan in
the national treasury, but the whole tribe
turned out and prepared a hot bath They
put water in a trough and then cast in
heated stones until the water boiled. The
wrappings were taken off and the habita-
ton of the lame devil was set asoak
found what / suspected In travelling
around through the forests, the chief had
stepped on a thorn, which remained In the
wound and festered. l opened my surgical
case, and, getting a small probe and
tweezers presently held up the thorn to
his approving gaze. 'Ha, hap he laugh
ed. 1t is the little devil. sure
THE pain soon departed and he became
grateful.
&" Tell the Hi Quong Foy Kee' he SAID
to my interpreter, shall give him
princely reward. He shall marry my love.
~ daughter and rule with me-.
81 nearly dropped dead. was a plain
American citizen and craved no royal con-