The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-11-19
IN FAR OFF CHINA
Death at Tientsin Of a Ma
tive of Honolulu.
VIM. French. Son of an Early mer-
chant-Sister EIere-Had Been in
Orient Many Years.
tPeking Times. October 80


Poor old French is dead" Such was
the greeting OF a friend when l entered
the club today at noon. You knew
him very we'll" said my friend. VIII!
you write a few lines about him?'
am not at home in print, but l did
want to call on old French yesterday,
when l heard that ne was in the hospi-
tai. | didn't. and now he is gone.
You knew aim very weil?' Yes,
anu! 1t is very many years since l hrst
made his acquaintance. II | remember
Alright he was in charge OF the Slgnal
Station, his house being in the South
Fort at that time. Often did l visit
him there, and as often was | enter
tanned by him. for he was very enter
tanning in his way. 'Fa Hsein-shenS.
everybody in Taku knew 'Fa Hseln-
sheng." Present day residents IN T1en-
tsin knew him better as "old French.
He was one OF the old landmarks at
Taku. and when one used to ride down
| from here in the old days hearty wei
come awaited him from old French.
For many years ne was boat officer.
going off at night and day to the
steamers as they came in and went
Tout How often have | heard. How
| are YOU French" when his boat had
come safely alongside. 1t wasn't al
ways safe, and l believe French had
more than one narrow escape, and
often got wet through, and the water Is
mot warm in the fall of the year at
ITaku, 1t did my heart good to see him
climb the ladder and feel the grip or
Ibis hand when was homeward bound,
he did not usually say much, but TO
me he has always appeared as the last
link binding me to Tientsin. Return
ling as | have on several occasions,
French's face seemed to me like the
first glimpse of home: how I used to
watch for his coming off; he had a
good memory for faces, and | was
never disappointed; his welcome back
was as CHEEKY as his kind send-off.
Many resident here will remember
him at our Race Meetings: he missed
flew, if any: he took keen interest in
them and was never happier than
when he was running his sweeps
Who will forget his Wheel of Fortune
at the Spring Meeting? l remember
when his application came before the
stewards: there was some doubt as TO
what he intended introducing; how
f,rr w nlh
What a harmless thing it proved TO
lbe,
Some residents will remember the
visit of King Kalakaua to Tientsin;
never before had king been here, and
| was one of the favored few who were
introduced to and even shook hands
with His Majesty, Well. l was an old
friend of Pats Captain Patterson
and he had brought him up from
Shanghai. Quite a fiutter of excite
, went through the camp when 1t was
discovered that the king knew old
French but such was the case, they
had been boys together, at the same
school in French's native place, Homo
Iluiu. IL my HiSLiolS SCI NSS hiS Ga -
French applied for a day or two on
duty, got permission from his commits
sioner, and was very happy showing
the king. his late schoolfellOw, about
This experience made no difference tC
our friend; he remained the same gooC
, fellow. but he was often chaffed abou
the kings visit. Poor old French,
Tientsin. October Il, 1898.