The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-15
JOE TONG JUST
HAPPENED AL0 NC
DIDN'T KNOW OF MARRIAGE.
SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT Me-
GRO HAD TAKEN OUT LICENSE.

Celestial Came in on Excursion from
McRae, Where He Conducts
Washee ShOp-AII Chinatown Was
AgOg at Prospect of Alliance,
and Friends Entered Vehement
PrOtests-Joe Replied That 1t Was
All News to Him, and DisavOwed
Any Such Intention.
There will be no Chinese honeymoon
so far as Joe Tong is concerned.
There was no wedding of the Chinee
and the negro as was scheduled for last
night
Joe Tong, the almond-eyed who had
been selected as the groom, kicked out
of the traces. In fact he declared he
had not been consulted by the bride to-
have-been, and that she purchased
the license without his knowledge or
consent.
When the Morning News announced
that the Ordinary has issued a license
for the marriage of Joe and Josephine
Lewis, a dusky damsel the Savannah
Celestials were up in arms. Not for a
minute would they think of such a
thing and they swore by the Joss, and
other things they hold sacred, that it
| could not be. They would take Joe in
charge and tell him a few things.
Joe Appeared Surprised.
Joe is now proprietor of a washee
shop at McRae and he came from
| that neck of the woods yesterday.
But it was not to wed Josephine
Lewis, he assured his brother Chinh
when they descended upon him. There
was nothing further from his mind,
he declared, according to the China
men who were talking for publication,
Joe assured them he regretted the en-
tire affair and said the woman had
| purchased the license without his per-
mission.
When Joe blew into Savannah and
the first Chink who recognized the
son of the Flowery Kingdom fastened
| to congratulate him on his approach
ing nuptials, he was surprised.
'Nuptials, Gehenna," said Joe. or
that was what it meant in English,
| a language over which Joe has little
control. f~
The friend broke the news gently
to the astonished Chinaman that a
former helpmate of his in the restau-
rant business in Savannah, and in
| Atlanta, had bought the license and
| published the bans. So all that was
needed of Joe was to respond favor
| ably to the query, Honey, will yo'
be my MANI" and he would be tied
for life.
Heard Storm of Protests.
When the news of Joe's threatened
union with a negro woman was pub
| lished in the Morning News there was
a mighty stir in Chinatown. Joe has
| two cousins here, one in the restau-
rant business on Drayton street, and
another on Broughton street, who con-
| ducts a laundry emporium. They re-
| spond to the names of 10 My and Quon
| Sing, or by the easier applications of
John.
| All day long Joe was exhorted by
| his brethren to turn down such an al
| lance, even if he had ever considered
| it, a condition which Tong declares
never existed except in the magma
ton of the dusky Josephine.
| In a private conversation with his
| friends Joe stated that the woman had
worked for him here and in Atlanta,
but since he went to McRae a few
weeks ago to open a laundry he had
cut the acquaintance of his ebony as
sistant.
Claims He Was Inundated.
Speaking further to the same point,
! Tong intimated that the woman had
| endeavored to intimidate him into mar
riage, a proposition which he had po-
litely but firmly declined. He said he
had understood that Josephine had
husband and several children and that
the thought of matrimony could not,
| therefore, have entered his head.
The Chinese here were indignant
over the proposed marriage and de-
clared that such an alliance would be
| a misalliance of the worst type, and
one which no self-respecting Chinaman
| could consider.
Tong came up on the excursion train
from McRae in the morning and re-
| turned at night to his home. still un-
attached. Josephine could not be To-
Gated by representative of the Morn
| ing News.