New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-28
Milking Good in Shanghai


Mixing Good in Shanghai
TAKE the case, too, of that Dritter with the
flaming red hair. J. Benton Kirby. 1t was
lust lack Kirby when he was drifting; but, as
he himself hu1norously remarked when he was
last met up with, he figured that he u earned
the right to put on a few Tugs and so. IN China,
he became ! Benton Kirby
Kirby than whom no man on this globe ever
had redder hair. was first errand boy and then
salesman IN a Philadelphia Jewelry esta bllsh-
nent Having red HAIR, Kirby was tighter
He got into a fight with fellow salesman and
lost his lob He hadan uncle IN the restaurant
business in san Francisco, and so he went there.
CT always did play pretty foxy in getting
close TO some place where there was chance
for me to eat" he said, III telling about that
part OF his experience His uncle put hIIr TO
work as cashier of the San Francisco restaurant
He got along finely at this until one night an
ugly customer refused to pay for his food and
drink Kirby soundly threshed the ugly Gus
toner. This seemed TO him the only and the
proper thing to do. But he arrested, and
his uncle was Mortified over his arrest. SO ms
uncle fired him from the cashiers job.
a was never intended for a hashery any
how. | was born for the jewelry business
said Kirby to himself. and IN truth he did know
a great deal about that business, the part OF
it concerning gems, particularly. He found
San Francisco ieweer willing to trust HIM TO
sell diamonds in San Francisco on memo
randum" He made good at this at once
Then he heard about the big sugar boom down
in Hawaii With all their sugar derived money
they'd be wanting diamonds down IN Homo
lulu, Kirby reckOned. He induced his San
Francisco employer to let him go to Honolulu
with a couple of wallets stuffed with diamonds
The diamonds went like hot cakes, in way of
speaking, in Honolulu: for the price OF sugar
was on the bound at that time.
Kirby thus developed a taste tor sea travel.
With five or six thousand, earned III cOmmls-
sions in his pocket he went down the west
coast of South America, picking up tlne old
emeralds at great bargains from lnnocentS VINO
had the vagueSt notions as to the emeraldS
value These green gems Kirby sold in the
United States, reaping very large profits. Then
he heard of an opening in Shanghai, China, a
fine city with a very large colony of americans
and Europeans Jack Kirby went to Shanghai
bought into a struggling jewelry adjustment
there, and quickly made it the leading jewelry
establishment of Shanghai Then he became
/ Benton Kirby. because ne explained
nearly all the white folks living here wear
split names, and l didn't care to be out of the
fashion"
J. Benton Kirby looked wistful one day.
when a Just arrived American tourist was call
ing him at his splendid Shanghai establish
ment.
There are just three United States things
that long for good deal out here. he said
to the tourist.
The tourist, naturally enough, imagined that
J. Benton Kirby was going to say he missed
the symphony concerts, the art exhibitions and
such like of his native land.
Just three things" repeated J. Benton
Kirby continuing to gaze ret1eCtively at the
parade of carriages past his esta bhshment.
well, what are those three things?" in
quired the American tourist.
A platter of American ham and eggs, a
rafting good American variety show and The
Police Gazette IN the barber shops" sOlemnly
replied J. Benton Kirby. Wherefrom il viii be
observed that in drifting and in doing things
J. Benton Kirby was sustained by sense Of
humor.
Drif:er with a Camera
THEN there was Joe Carlisle, the drifting
photographer Carlisle, born and raised IN
San Francisco, had little photograph and tin
type gallery on Market-st., that city. But he
became involved, somehow or other, In the
Dennis Kearney anti-Chinese sand lot riots
out there. He was arrested and sent up for
couple of months. That settled San Francisco
as far as ]. Carlisle was concerned He would
have no more Of it He, too, made Honolulu
his first jumping off place. He started pho
toTaph gallery there on Beretania-st. But he
discovered, to his disgust. that the Honolulu