Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
Visit of Rev. DR. Clark to a Chinese
Millionaire
Who DOES NOT LIKE FOOT BINDING
Cordial and Hospitable With His
Big Family About Him.
REAL GOOD CUP OF TEA

Rev DR.. F. f. Clark president of the
United Society Of Christian Endeavot who
has just returned to this country from an
extended trip to Japan and China. sent to
some friends here a letter describing visit
made by him while in Foochow to the
home Of 4 Chinese millionaire in that city.
in part DR.. Clark said:
Nowhere in the world does one find
greater extremes of life than in China
The common people live huddled and herd
cd together. a dozen in a room, while a
rich man will occupy whole village with
his family alone. 1t my fortune
through the introduction of my missionary
friend. Rev. Lyman r. Peet. to call on one
of the richest men in China, a merchant
prince of Foochow.
The house of Mr.. Loen. for such is his
Eame, presents a forbidding black wall to
the street, but once within, all is open
handed generosity. We sent in our cards
huge affairs, with our Chinese names
sheet of thin red paper, AT least six inches
lCng by three in width. In the Foochow
language. by the way. my name is Ga
spoken in the highest tone can COM
n1and-way up in high C. Soon our host ap-
peared, smiling and affable, but speechless
so lar as l was concerned, until Mr.. Peet.
as interpreter, came to the rescue of both.
But MIR. Loen'S smiling face and gracious
air spoke the universal language of hos
pitaiity; and when he clasped his hands to-
gether and shook them vigorously at US, in
leu of the handshake of western lands, we
ielt quite at home. First. he took us into
his reception room. where everything was
solid and substantial to a degree; but at the
same time. if the truth must be told dirty
and squalid, according to American notions.
tSlnce Mr.. Loen will never see this account
of his home. and could not read it if he did
see it, l can tell the whole truth without
danger of hurting his feeiings).
In the center of the room was a heavy
mahogany table. with a marble top. On
two sides were smaller tables, with a chair
on each side of them. allowing two people
10 sit at each table and drink tea together
for tea is an inevitable concomitant of
every event In China. You cannot enter or
leave Chinese house, you can scarcely rise
up or sit down without cup of tea. But
do not suppose that it Is the indig.ss ible
mixture of milk and sugar AMI tea leaves
which passes by that name in the Unitc.l
States-the disguised tannin, that throws 60
many stomachs out of gear. Such Il mix
ture would cause any genuine Chinaman
to turn up his nose. The amber liquid
which he drinks is made by pouring boiling
water over delicate fresh, unadulterated tea
leaves. and then pouring it off SO quickly
that 1t gets the fragrance without the poi
son of the aromatic herb.
Well. Mr.. Loen ordered a tiny cup of
tea for us without delay, and after that
was disposed of showed US over his estab-
lishment. Next to the reception room was
his bed room. which was largely occupied
with a huge bed beside which the four
poster of our grandmother's would have
looked insignificant. deliberately carved and
inlaid with ivory, the bed is little room
in Itself. Outside the bed proper is an ante
room. big enough to hold a small table and
chair. but all Enclosed within the bedstead.
Then you come to the couch. wide enough
to hold four people, but hard as a board
and the pillows are simply pieces of wood
slightly followed in the middle. If two or
DeDplp they glfen 70
feet. In the north a fire would be built
under the bed in winter. but in Foochow the
mild climate makes this unnecessary. Be
side his bed We're his books Chinese clas-
sizes in several large volumes. suggesting
the thought that Mr.. Loen INDUCED in the
habit of reading himself off to sleep: surely
the Chinese classics are prosy enough to act
soDOrific.
In cupboard protected by glass doors
were several cracked and disreputable Chi
ma bowls. very precious in their owners
eyes for they were 200 years old and went
back to the Ming dynasty. Not unlike other
connoisseurs in china was Mr.. Loen after
all: for the older and uglier, the more
precious seems to be the rule the world
over In another room were Mr. Loen's
ancestral tablets. black slabs of wood
about two feet high, on which were en-
graved the names of some of his ancestors
with quotations from the classics to keep
the names company Before these tablets.
on certain occasions, Mr.. Loen burns incense
and worships their names Into other rooms
he took us. but they were mainly repettiOns
or the first with slight variations. All were
large. all We're substantially furnished: all
from an occidental point of view We're dirty
and comfortleSS.
In one part of his Establishment Mr.. I,oen
had an extensive rockery, where our pic
lures were taken together. In another was
a grove of small bamboos. In still another
was fsh pond. in which gold fish and sill
yer flsh laZily swan to the surface to ac-
cept crumbs from our hands But all were
inciosed by the walls of his house Going To
the roof of one of his houses we were able
TO survey the whole establishment. From
tfls colgn OF vantage We counted no less
than thirty-five roofs belonging to the
household establishment of this one mil
honaire- and all inclosed within the family
compound
But Mr.. Loen needs a large house for he
has eight wives. eight sons and six daugh-
tiers and several of the sons are married
and live with their wives and children un-
der the parental roof.
Mr.. Loen is not by any means an I'M
progressive heather. He has at least adj
yanced SO far as to be leader in the anti
foct-binding movement, which is making
such gratifying Roadway in southern China
He showed me large volume containing
the names of leading Foochow families who
had Joined the Binding Associa-
uon. OF which he was president. In this
book were inscribed the names of his Young
er sons, who had agreed not TO marry wo-
men with small feet. and his daughters.
who agreed not to bind their feet Tho
Older sons were already married to women
with small feet before the reform was sup-
gested. so they We're not eligible for mem
bership.
When we came away, the whole family
followed us to the outer door. where the
sedan chairs We're awaiting US and with
many bows and shaking of their own hands
Ddde US adieu For our part. we went on
our way pleasantly impressed with the un-
assuming cordially and modest hospitality
of one of Chna's milionaires
From the Milwau1ee Sentinel