, 1905-05-27
HONG LEES
RECEPTION
THE PEOPLE OF LEADvllLE TURN
OUT AND GREET HIM
EN- MASSE.
After MASKING Him Into an IsosceIes
Triangle He is Dropped Over the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Up by the
Hot End of a Cowboys Whip, He
earns the Route to Denver.

In the early oays OF the Gem City
Hong Lee was a familiar character on
the streets When the Leadyille ex-
element was at its height, he betook
himself to that city and was summary
elected. Bill Nye told the story of his
woes as follows.
1T will be remembered that about
nine months ago Hong Lee resolved
to establish a branch laundry and
shirt-destroying establishment at
Leadville, with the main office and
general headquarters at Laramie. All
at once he came back, and seemed to
be satisfied at the old stand. So |
asked him his opinion of the future
of the carbonate camp.
Hong Lee had just tied his hair up
in a Grecian coil and secured it in a
mass of shining braids, as | came in,
and was giving some orders as to the
days work. One employe was just
completing his devotions to a cross
eyed god in one corner, and another
was squirting water out of his mouth
like an oriental street sprinkler oyer
the spotless front of a white shirt.
Hong Lee asked me TO sit down on
the ironing table and make myself at
home. | asked him how trade was,
and a few other unimportant questions
and then asked him what he thought
of Leadville. l cannOt give the con-
versation in the exact language in
which it was given, as l am not up in
pigeon English. He said he went over
TO Leadville, thinking hat at $4.25
per dozen he could work up a good
business and wear a brocaded over,
shirt with slashed sleeves and Pekin
trimmings. Trade was a little dull
here and he had mor Cinnamon than
he could use, so he had concluded to
establish a branch outfit at Leadviile
and make some scads.
81 asked him why he did % remain
at the camp and go through the pro
gram.
He said that the general feeling in
Leadville was not friendly to the Chi
naman. The people did not meet hin
with a brass band, and the mayor die
not tender him the freedom of the city
On the contrary, they seemed colo
and distant toward him. By and by
they dubbed together and came to cal
on him. They were very attentive
then. Very much go. Some had shot
guns to fire salutes with, and others
had large clothes lines IN their hands
Hong Lee felt proud to be SO much
thought of, and was preparing an i'm
promptu speech on orange paper witt
a marking brush, when the chairman
came and told him that a few Ameri
can citizens had come, hoping to be O
use to him in learning the ways of the
city.
Then they took him out to the pub
lie square, where Hong Lee supposed
that he was to make his speech, ant
they proceeded to kick him into thu
most shapeless mass. They kicked
him into a globular form, and then fiat
tened him out, after which they knock
ed him into a rhomboid. This change
was followed by humping him into al
I%isosecles triangle. When he looked
more like a bundle of old clothes thai
a Chinaman, they took him with a pal
OF tongs, and threw him over the bat
Elements.
Hong Lee returned to conscious
ness, and murmured, Where am L? o.
words to that effect. A noble mule
skinner passed by, touching him W
with the hot erd of his mule whip, ant
showed him the route to Denver.
Hong Lee says now, be it ever 81
humble, there's no place like home"