Evening star., 1909-08-29
HOME FOR lee PONG
Falls Church Family Adopts
Chinese Boy.
OTHERS WANTED HIM
But Probation Officer Decides in
Chapin's Favor.
WILL BE ONE OF THE FAMILY
GO to School With the Other Chill
dren and Eat at the Same Table.
His Life History.
WILL BE ONE OF THE FAMILY

baton Officer Zed H. Copp, Judge Cal
Ian and the other officials of the Juve-
nile Court. Lee has home, good
American home. 1t is in the country,
too and consequently a realization OF
his hearts desire. Lees uppermost
wish has been to go to the country.
Little Lee has been taken into the
family of Paul Chaplin of the Southern
railway, whose home is at Falls Church,
Va. Mr.. Chaplin has six-acre farm
with dogs and chickens and things cal
culated to enrapture Lee
Mr. Chaplin says he will treat Lee as
his own son, give him an education and
every other advantage He will become
the play-fel1ow Of the three Chaplin chill
dren
Mr. Chapin's sole idea, in asking for
the custody of Lee, was to give the little
fellow a home. He has lots of room
him. Lee will attend school in Falls
Church, with the other Chaplin children,
two girls, twelve and seven years, and
a boy, four years old. and will go to
Sunday school. Mr.. Chaplin signed papers
making him Lees guardian for a proba-
ton period of ninety days, and if things
continue along smoothly, he will assume
permanent guardianship until Lee is
eighteen years old.
Lee went to his new home Friday
fellow is delighted.
Many Wanted Him.
Probation Officer Copp decided to in
| trust Lee to Mr.. Chaplin, after he had
carefully canvassed the applicants. who
numbered approximately thirty five, all
| told. Those requesting the custody of
the lad wanted him for every conceivable
purpose. Several wished to have him as
| a mascot, others as a servant and still
more wanted him to do light work. Others
would take him to board, If some one
paid for his keep. Applications came
| from every section of the country, and
| from families in every walk of life.
Judge Callan formally approved of Mr..
Copp's selection of home for Lee yes
| terday, when. all the facts were laid be-
| fore him. He agreed with Mr.. Copp
| that it was preferable to send the lad to
the country.
from reading of the little fellow in The
Star, and until he called at the Juvenile
Court Friday he had never seen the lad.
Mr.. Chaplin has already given Lee permis-
sion to look after the several hundred
chickens on the place. He told the court
officers that Lee will be treated as one of
his own children and will eat at the table
with the rest of the family and be in no
way treated as servant.
His Name Different.
1t was discovered yesterday through a
complete family history that was taken
to the Juvenile Court by Lee Do Woy,
uncle of the boy, that Lees name is not
l. Lee Pong at all. but that 1t is Lee Kim
Pom. This history was written in Chi
nese, and the uncle translated that por-
ton relating to Lee. He said that Lee 8
mothers name was Lee Sing Tong and
that his father was Lee Sock Moon The
ma 90 iS the noilv
other name or names are what corre-
spond to the Christian name among the
English-speaking race. Consequently Chi
nese names are reversed, from the Ameri-
can viewpoint.
Little Lee has brother living in China
who is older. This brother is named Lee
Kim Ton. Lees people have for genera
tions lived in Long Jue La, town in
father came to San Francisco with his
wife before Lee was born and started in
business as a merchant at 721 Commission
street. The family visited home when
Lee was little more than a baby.
Four years ago hts mother became seri-
ousfy Ill and his father decided to sell
out and go home. A year later the
| mother died. Two years ago the father
| an extremely bright boy and he learned
| rapidly to read and write Chinese at
| the Long Jue La school.
! Returned to America.
| When Lee was left an orphan relatives
brought him to San Francisco again to
take care of him. They found they
could not support him, and his uncle,
Lee Do Woy (as he is known). brought
him to Washington to rear, nine months
| ago. The uncles family is in China, and
he had no women folks to turn the lad
over to, and he lived with the men
in Do Woy's store. Inattention and the
| lack of a womans care made him rest
less and a wanderer in the city.
| The uncle's correct name is Lee Tim
/ Moon, which was the name of his father
Lee Do Woy was the name of his mother
| In an interview given to a Star reporter
| yesterday Rev. Mr.. Copp expressed his
gratitude at the ready response the COM
munity made to the appeal for little
Lee. He said he regarded it as char
| acterfstfc of the spirit of the community
| the kind-hearted sympathy for and in
terest in the homeless lad.
| Judge Callan, who has been deeply in
| terested in the case, expressed his relief
| at the disposition that has been made of
| the homeless boy
| Now that Lee Pom is off his hands
Rev. Mr.. Copp will leave the city with
his family for his annual vacation today
| The present week will be spent at the
camp meeting at Great Falls, where he
will be one of the speakers. When the
camp meeting is over Mr.. Copp will
take his family for a trip through the
south