The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-05-20
LEARNED CHINESE
TONGUE AND WAYS
That Was Why Two Young San
Francisco Boys Made a
Big Success.
INSPIRATION IN DOCK YARDS
Determined to Conquer the Markets
Of the Orient, Rosenerantz and
Keegan Accomplished Their
Aim In a Dozen Years.
BY OSBORN MARSHALL


romance-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
to TEEN with romance enough to fire
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 merchandis-
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
narrow scheming that they felt would
be necessary to win success without a
cent of capital in their native land.
They would 30 out to the unconquered
markets of the East and do things in
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
we're 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 US"
So whenever the two young men
had few hours to spend and a lit
IT, ready money in their pockets they
would make an excursion to China
town where, under the tutelage of a
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 un-
able to see why 1t should be consid-
cred unusually difficult But the boys
were persistent. When they became
little proficient in the language they
took advantage of every Chinaman
they met to practice their newly-ac-
quired method of expression. One
Chinese laundryman almost dropped
his f1atiron with establishment one
day when the fresh-faced young Amer
leans 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.
lect the two aGpirants to fluency in
the Celestial language were delighted
They Joined the class and worked
like TrOians at mastering the puz.
Zles of their task. Other men in the
course were taking it as a hobby or
as side issue To Keegan and Rosen-
crantz it was the most important busi-
ness 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
in his class, and in recognition of his
achievement the resident Chinese
consul of San Francisco, the august
and honorable Ho Vow, conferred 2
special commendation 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
yol 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 it in Chinatown. thereby
increasing their knowledge of the
ways of the Chinese mind and also
accumulating a little capital.
Their Ultimate object-that of con-
quering the markets Of the Orient
was ever before their minds, and be-
fore long they we're ready to make q
beginning. With their hard-earned
savings they laid in a supply of cheap
jewelry, plated ware and trinkets,
such as they knew would be in de-
mand wherever Orientals were to be
found and as crowning stroke of
good luck, they secured the agency for
a large watch manufacturing concern.
Then they engaged passage on an
eastsailing vessel. packed their bags
and baggage, sent their wares into
the hole of the ship and for one fool
ish day o., the eve of their departure
thought they had done all that was
necessary.
They CHANGED TO meet a man who
had been in China and knew some.