The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-31
STORIES ABOUT MIR. WI.
Chinese Minister'S Experience at
Chesapeake Bay.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
Now that China has decided TO replace
WI Tfngfang with Sir LANG Chen Tung,
those who at various times nave lived on
terms of greater or less intimacy with the
distinguished Oriental diplomat are hes
itating no longer to relate anecdotes Of
the minister that up until now they nave
kept to themselves, and as a result sew
eral good stories are now going the rounds.
One of the best is related by Detective
Boyd. of the District police department:
"On the outbreak of the Boxer trouble
he said Il was detailed for duty at the
Chinese legation TO watch and guard the
person of Minister WI from possible harm
at the hands of cranks and others who
bore no good will for China or the Chinese.
AS a matter OF course. this was a very wise
move, for. at that time, the feeling against
the Chinese was running pretty high on &C
count of the Boxer massacres. and it be-
hooved me to keep my eyes and ears open
to prevent trouble.
II remained in the household and at
tached TO the person of Minister WI from
the time of the Boxer outbreak until aft
er the siege of Picking, and, am free to
confess, L had the time of my life. Some
thing ridiculous and amusing seemed 10
occur every hour, and 1 had quite as much
to do TO keep a straight countenance as l
did to watch and protect my charge. The
most amusing thing that occurred during
my sojourn with China's representative
was, however, the time Minister WI went
to Chesapeake Beach to take a plunge in
the briny. For some time before this hap
pened he had been talking about a trip to
the sea coast. and had mentioned the mat
ter TO me, asking my advice as to the best
place. 1 replied, telling him that Chesa-
peake Beach was the nearest and one of
the best.
so, one fine morning we departed for
the beach-Minister WI, his nephew, Mr..
WI, a young man about eighteen or twen-
~ years of age; Mr.. Nun Grew, his pri-
vate secretary. and myself. Reaching the
beach, all three made preparations for an
immediate plunge in the salt water, leaving
their clothes, valuables and money in my
hands for safe keeping. To look at Minis
ter WI in his gorgeous and loose-htting
robes of state one would imagine that he
weighed close on TO 200 pounds, when, as a
matter of fact, his weight does not exceed
135. The spectacle that a lean and cadaver-
Gus old lady mak Of herself was not one
tenth part as ridiculous as the sight of
these three Orientals cavorting about in
the water.
while the three were having a glorious
llIIle OI IL III lit SAT- WdlcI, WHO SlOu1u
arrive but a trainlOad of toughs and hood
lums from Baltimore, and before L had time
to realize what was in progress, they had
all stripped off and were in the water with
the three Cinnamon. The toughs did not
know nor did they realize who the three
were. They took 1t for granted that they
were some yellow folks who had had the eff
frontery to go in bathing from a wharf
where none but whites were permitted.
wat youse dOin' in here?" exclaimed
a big, double-fsted bully as he seized the
INhTnazn h- tho hail Of hfn nnnly
and the slack of his bathing trunks and
soused him under the water.
Get out of here, youse yellow min
strels,' said another, as he took Secretary
Yew by the right foot and showed him
under water with enough force to ram the
bottom out of the ocean.
Had / not acted as soon as / did, / half
believe these toughs would have drowned
all three, for as fast as their heads came
above water some hOOdlum was on hand
to push them under again. All three were
no use; they could not utter a word before
some one had hold of them and sousing
as l could to the man in charge of the
bathing pavilion. and told him that unless
he put a stop to the dOingS of the gang of
hoodlums at once both he and they would
be liable TO get themselves into serious
trouble for laying violent hands on the
Chinese minister. He fastened down and
put an end to Mr.. Wu's torment just as
he and the other two were trying to get
secutors.
when Minister WI and the others
reached heir bathing apartments neither
of the three had a word of complaint TO
offer, although I'll bet anything it was the
toughest handling they ever received. Later
Mr.. WI gave the proprietor some timely
future, advice that / thought was very
pertinent indeed. When he finished dress
ing he did a thing that made me feel
ever happened to me in my life. Talk about
feeling like 80 cents, L felt like a depre-
ciated Mexican centavo.
"AS he finished dressing / handed his
money over to him, whichc any European OF
American would have simply taken with
thanks. and restored 10 his pocket or wher.
ever the objects in question belonged about
his person. Not so with Minister WI. He
was reared under a different civilization
from ours. and on receiving the money and
jewels from my hands he very deliberately
put on his specs and proceeded in a mum
| bling, hum-drum voice TO count over every
cent that he had left in my hands 10 see
that / had not pilfered any part of ii while
he was in the water.
Leaving the wharf we had an excellent
dinner. which, with the bath and drubbing
the minister received at the hands of the
toughs. started his blood in circulation and
placed him in excellent humor with himself
and everything around him. In those DAYS
Chesapeake Junction was running wide
open, as they say. with gambling and dane.
ing going full blast. While we were on Oul
way back to the city the minister said that
he had often heard of Chesapeake Junction
and expressed a desire to visit the plac,
and view with his own eyes the iniQuitie.
I concerning which he had heard so many
reports | tried 10 dissuade him, knowins
that the feeling in this country against tn,
Chinese was anything but pleasant. Blu
nothing that i could say would change his
resolution. and of We got when the trafr
rolled into the Junction depot.
Il fully expected 10 have TO whiD some
one or get whipped myself. but. fortunate
". most of those gaming and operating
gaming establishments know me and
guessed that the people whom l had In
I charge were persons OF prominence. whom
IL would not be safe 10 modest or insult
Several times as we passed through the
town of gambling booths and dance halls
/ heard the word Chink uttered. but. aside
from that. We had no trouble. and made the
rounds of the joints In safety.
first / used To take my meals at the
minister's and managed 10 stow away a
good deal OF Chinese cookery. but one day
/ they placed something before me thai
looked like a bird with four legs. and this
so turned me against their culinary ideals
that ! never ate there afterward. In fact
] couldn't eat anything all that day. do
not know what the dish was. other thar
II mad an un-DrOnOunCeable Chinese name
{ nUf / have nlVynNrg GrrGraaflI Th.V t. -