The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-06-04
LEARNED CHINESE
TONGUE AND WAYS
That Was Why Two Young San
Francisco Boys Made a
Big Success.
INSPIRATION IN DOCK YARDS
Determined 10 Conquer the Markets
Of the Orient, Rosencrantz and
keegan Accomplished Their
Aim In a Dozen Years.
BY OSBORN MARSHALL.

bI OSbOHN MARSHALL.
Copyright. Mcclure Newspaper syndi-
It was In the nature of a genuine
romarce-was Hilliard Rosencrantz's
friendship for Joseph Keegan. They
found each other when they were
schoolboys in San Francisco, and in
spite of difference in race and tradi-
ton they both knew from the start
that they were kindred spirits. Eigh-
teen years ago they used to wander
down to the docks Of the port of the
Golden Gate and as they watched the
incoming steamers rich with their
oriental cargoes or laden with ba-
nanas from Tahiti. they would drink
in the spirit of adventure and achieve
ment that was waited in with each
breath OF sea air.
"The very bilge water of those Pa
cific liners" says Mr.. Keegan, used
our boyish imaginations."
II was in these rambles in the dock
yards OF San Francisco that Hilliard
Rosencrantz and Joseph Keegan first
decided to learn to speak Chinese
They had already determined to make
money; they had also determined to
make It In some form OF merchandise
ing. But down there on the docks,
with their lungs expanded to the fresh
Pacific breezes, they decided with one
accord that they would never stoop to
the pettifogging, small dickering and
marrow scheming that they felt would
be necessary to win success without
cent of capital I'm their native land.
They would go out to the unconquered
a big. magnificent style. They would,
therefore, they decided, learn to
speak Cantonese, the dialect of Chi
nese trade.
OF course in those days about the
only Americans who learned Chinese
were missionaries, and they didn't
usually attempt to learn it till they
reached China The men who traded
with Chinese merchants usually en-
ployed native interpreters, and so
there was little precedent for young
Rosencrantz and Keegan in their new
ambition.
Learned Chinese In Chinatown.
There is one good way to learn
to talk Chinese" Rosencrantz, when
their minds we're made up to study
the language, told his friend, "and
that is to get someone In Chinatown
to teach u.s."
So whenever the two young men
had a few hours to spend and a lit
tie ready money in their pockets they
would make an excursion to China
town where, under the tutelage of
venerable old Chinaman, they took
their first lessons in Chinese.
Needless to say, Chinese Is not an
easy language, although now that Mr..
Rosencrantz has been master OF the
language for SO many years he Is I'M
able to see why It should be consid-
cred unusually difficult. But the boys
were persistent. When they became
a little proficient in the language they
took advantage OF every Chinaman
they met to practice their newly-ac-
uuired method of expression. One
Chinese laundryman almost dropped
HIS flatiron with establishment one
day when the fresh-faced young Amer
dcans began briskly to address him in
his mother tongue.
At best this was an uncertain and
slow method. and when the Univer-
sity OF California announced an ex-
tension course in the Cantonese dia-
Iect the two asplrants to fiuency In
the Celestial language we're delighted.
They joined the class and worked
like Trojans at mastering the puz-
zles OF their task. other men in the
course were taking 1t as hobby or
as a side issue. To Keegan and Rosen-
crantz Il was the most important bust
mess in life. And between lessons at
the university they haunted China
town in search OF natives with whom
to converse.
In the spring OF 1899 at the end Of
the term, RosencrantZ stood head man
I'm his class, and in recognition of his
achievement the resident Chinese
consul of San Francisco. the august
and honorable Ho Vow. conferred e
special commentator upon him.
Not only had Keegan and Rosen-
crantz learned to speak Chinese; they
had learned in their intercourse with
the inhabitants of Chinatown some
thing quite as important In their fu.
ture work as the language. They had
become familiar with the peculiar
temperament - unfathomable unless
you understand it-of the Oriental.
conquerins the Oriental Markets.
Then for a few months the two
men served their apprenticeship in
San Francisco. buying cheap junk
and selling 1t In Chinatown, thereby
increasing their knowledge OF the
Mays OF the Chinese mind and also
acfumulating a little capital.
Their ultimate obJect-that OF con-
queflng the markets of the Orient
was Sver before their minds, and be-
fore Icing they we're ready to make
beginning. With their hard-earned
a VT ga Ahav IaId in q cunnIv 0f abaan