The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-09-01
A TIMELY JOKE.
ex Charles 8. Howard.
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By Charles 3. Howard
I had spend four lonely days In
Hongkong. awaiting the arrival OF
the steamer for Manila; and Hong
kong in August is charming place
to be away from. Every foreigner
who could manage 1t had fed to tne
hills or to Japan. and had sweltered
on, the veranda of the deserted Eng
lish Club or wandered disconsolately
about the streets, until / was almost
dizzy with the indescribable, peculiar
-ly Chinese atmosphere.
I had been advised not to go out
side the limits of British jurisdiction
as the Chinese exclusion act had just
been rigidly enforced in the United
States, and Americans were not popu-
lar in the Celestial Empire for the
time being.
Consequently, although l was the
only saloon passenger, was glad
enough to find myself ensconced in
bamboo chair on the deck OF the
British mail steamer Turquoise as
she steamed out from under the shad-
ows Of the grim, frowning mountains
which border the passage into Hong
kong Bay. She was to call at Annoy,
tea port on Formosa Strait. before
heading south for Manila.
The captains dog, Pat, a small vel
low animal of no particular breed,
but Of sociable disposition, came
and sat beside me, and together we
watched the noisy crowd of China
men, Malays and Filipinos in the
steerage.
We dropped anchor in the pretty
little harbor of Annoy soon after sun
rise one morning, and the American
vice-consul, stout and jovial gen.
tleman, most beautifully arrayed In
creamy silk, came off In his eight
cared cutter and Joined the captain
and me at early coffee. He remarked
that he had not seen fellow country
man for six weeks. and insisted on
my going ashore with him for tiffin
and q look at the town.
So we were rowed ashore by the
consular crew Of Japanese, rugged out
in white sailor suits, accompanied by
Pat, whom the captain asked me to
take for a run on land.
Hell follow at your heels all
right" said the skipper, as he held
the kicking Pat over the rail by the
scruff Of his neck and nonchalantly
dropped him into the boat. "And If
you should lose him I'll try to bear
up. Remember, we sail at six sharp,
and when you hear two whistles you
want to come aboard chop-chop."
The various consulates and dwell
ings of the few foreign residents
stood in picturesque group across
the harbor from the town itself. for
hygientc and other obvious reasons;
and after stroll among the ancient
temples and joss-houses scattered
here and there and call at the club,
we sat down to tiffin in the cool, vine
covered bungalow which served as
the United States vice-consulate. We
we're served by Japanese house boys,
and famed by huge. noiselessly
swaying punka.
After a short siesta my host pro-
posed a visit to the city proper
TITS your best chance to see typ
ically Chinese town." said he.
There's not white man in it, and
only one who speaks word of Eng
lish-old Tan Quin See, the compra-
DOR"
The cutter soon landed us at a
flight of worn, moss-grown steps in
the harbor sea-wall, and we began to
wend tortuous way through streets
narrower than Boston back alleys,
and not nearly so straight or well
paved. They were crowded with the
lowest class of Chinese, half-naked
and grimy. who made way for us with
sullen ugly scowls. Cabling and NUT
tering among themselves at the in
trusion Of the foreign DEVILS"
Pat, the captain had predicted, was
close at my heels, adroitly lodging
among a myriad of bare feet. In a
few minutes the vice-consul stopped
at doorway. H4
INV . al &uAu 0cc ouOpy hC
said. "He's a valuable friend Of
mine, and he'd be greatly hurt If we
didn't stop for cup of tea"
He entered dark little hole, which
seemed to be combination of gro
Gerry. wine-shop and museum. and led
the way into room in the rear. Here
we were most effusively greeted by a
dried-up little old man, who shook
hands in European fashion and pat
tied at me In pidgin-English.
The old comprador seated US in
wonderfully carved ebony chairs at q
wonderfully carved and inlaid table.
and proceeded to make tea in true
Chinese fashion-pouring boiling wa
ter on a pinch Of leaves in each han
dleless cup. and serving II without
milk or sugar. t
After our fifth cup the vice-consui
a.