The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-02-24

Chinese VETERAN
WANTS To VOTE
Served in the Civil War on
a Naval Vessel.
Disqualified as a Citizen, He
Appeals to President
Taft.

The only Chinese veteran oil une CIN
Il War is living in New York city
His name is william A. Hang, and hs
is a tall, .brown-skinned, bright7eyet
old man who sells cigars at 500 Pear
street says a correspondent And yor
are hearinng about him simply becaus
his adopted country has nefused TO LEI
him serve 1t in peace as he once sery'
ed IL in war. He has been disauali'
ed as a citizen and he has appealed
to President Taft FOR redress, says
the Louisville Times.
| saw Mr. Hang in his little SHOP. A
first glance one might not take him
for an Orintal, With his short aueue-
less white hair. pointed white beard
and European clothes. Also he speak
fine English. Yet he was. born and
brought up in Hong Kong. This is
bhe story he told me.
My people all lived in Hong Kong
hut my father had his business in Car
ION. 1t was what over there is called
the ship-China business. My father
sold provisions to the merchant ships
that put in at the port This was
about 1850.
One of the captains whom my
father knew best was an American
named Capt. cushion. When / was
only a boy of sixteen my father said
to this captain: You take my son
over to America and give him an
education. / pay you the money. Then
my father told me that i was to 90
with the captain. My mother didn't
even know about. 1T. My passage
was paid on Capt. Cushions merchan'
ship and he brought me into New
York in the year 1860.
Then for two years | studied in a
private school in Brooklyn, whene he
put me. In the spring of 1862 he cam
to see me one day at the school. or
course | knew THE war was going on
in the country. He talked to me about
it, and then he asked me if didn't
want to go into the navy. / was
eighteen and l knew the ocean.
was tired of going to school. i said
yes, thousand times.
For a few weeks | served on a
training ship in the Bnoohlyn yards
Then with many Others | was taken
off and sent to the South. They could
not give much time to training in
those days.
l served ON many ships and with
many Captains. There was a Capt
Stewart, remember, and the ships
Penguin and Albatross But dit is 50
hong ago that / cannot remember
many names. / was in Mobile Bay
and with Farragut's fleet most uf the
zine. | was never wounded, though
l had the fever. l cannot rsmember
being frightened. You see / did not
get into any close, hand-to-hand fight
ing, such as the soldiers on land knew
suppose | hJlped kill good many
men, for was one of the powder boy
and carried the powder with which tn
big guns were charged. Only | nevcr
knew whom / killed. 1t was almost
like Watching a war Through a tele-
scope.
"But'-the bent shoulders straight
ened proudly served Through to the
end and got my honorable discharge
with the others in Boston, and about
$50 in money. The pay for glnners
boys in those days wasn't very much,
you SEE.
Then for two years / went b sea
on merchant ships. On one of these
voyages | meet my wife, in Savannah,
and after we were marricd she didn't
want me TO go TO sea any more. so
came back to New York for | re-
membered that Capt. Cushion had
some more of my money. didn't
know just where he was, but found
him finally in Snug Hanbor, down on
Staten Island. He had lost his money
and mine. boo, dunlng the war, but
when he saw that / wanted to settle
down in America he said he'd do all
he could 10 help me
80 first had a tea store rkar his
home. Then 4 setmp a grocery store In
another town a few miles away. And
finally twnty eight years ago,b came
to New York and opened my cigar
store. At that time | went 10 the old
City Hall with my honorable discharge
from the navy and | made out some
other papegs as they told me.
Since then I've voted for every Re
publican President only dn 1908. when
4 tried TO vote for Taft. they told me
my papers had not been obtained le-
sally and they wouldn't let me vote.
do not understand. and | don't
know what 10 do. so have wrltten
n. a..aI