The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-31
YANG wei PIN
WAS MISTAKEN

The Imperial Chinese Consul Yang
Wei Pin is gone and the Bow Wongs
are happy. lie left at noon today on
the Jap8nes S. S. Nippon Maru. Sell
dom and probably never has any Chi
nese leaving Honolulu been accorded
such a farewell as the consul received.
In fact it seemed whole lot bigger
than it really was, thanks to an anus
ing coincidence which happened exact
ly at noon when The vessel was swing
ing away from the wharf
Yang Wei Pin went aboard the vessel
attended by Vice Consul Goo Kim and
the various attaches of the Chinese
consulate. The consul was decorated
with lei5 and appeared smiling and
gracious, as he bowed to his country
men who were standing some 30 feet
away or the wharf below. All of the
Chinese who attended the consul
aboard the steamship wore their
swell Chinese garments. Quite Il lit
tie levee was hell by the consul on the
promenade deck of the vessel. 1t was
after the alohas had been spoken and
the attaches and other prominent Chi
nese had gone ashore that the coin
cidence' took place.
1t lacked a minute to twelve, the
gangway had been lowered, the tug
had her line onto the bow of the steam
er; people were smiling and waving
farewells, and chief among them was
the consul. 1t was certainly big de-
monstration in his honor, and it was
but natural that ne should feel pleas
ed. Suddenly the clatter of laughter
and murmerings of conversations were
hushed for an enormous
Boom
Come rolling from behind the fence.
1t was a naval gun being fired, an in
slant later a second report was heard,
and then a third, and so on until thir-
teen guns had been discharged
That's for the consul" calculated
somebody on the wharf. THE naval
station is firing a salute in honor of
the consul. Isn't it a gracious thing
to do
The consul heard the report and he
too surmised it's purpose. He was the
recipient of recognition from the Navy
of the United States, and, from bowling
and smiling and waving his handker-
chief to his cOuutrymen and the 9TH
ers on the wharf, he wore ship in the
direction OF the Naval station and be-
gan bowling and smiling and waving
his handkerchief 1t was certainly
kind of Admiral Merry TO show him
this farewell compliment.
The Chinese on the wharf caught the
spirit of enthusiasm and burst into
prolonged cheers for their departing
consul and the thirteen guns. They
cheered loud and they cheered long and
then they cheered again. 1t must have
been a gratifying momnt to the con-
sui.
And so the Nippon swung out into
the stream, got under way and steam
ed from the harbOr, with Yang Wei
Pin enjoying his triumph as he gazed
back through that saluting gun smoke
and saw his Bow Wong enemies fading
dimly in the distance.
1t would have been too hard a jolt
to have informed the consul that the
thirteen guns had not been fired in his
honor, but in truth they were not In
fact Yang Wei Pins departure had no
more to do with the firing of those
guns at the Naval Station than Will
co had with the passing of the Fire
Claims bill
The guns were rot fired out of honor
to Yang Wei Pin, but out of compli-
ment to Admiral ]. II. Merry who re-
tired today fro mthe command of the
| local naval station, and turned ovel
the command to Captain w. II. Whit
| ing, the new commandant. This trans
! fer was accompanied with little Cere'
mony at the Naval Station. Admira
| Merry hauled down his flag at the Ma
val Station promptly at noon, and, be
| ing a flag officer, received salute o
| thirteen guns, while Captain Whiting
| -