The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-05-17
Some Thoughts from Lecture of
Ng Poem Chow.

AiheS 10 ask questions said IF you
could go only one time Mamma, which
one on that program would you hear?"
Carefully the list OF attractions was
looked over and the answer was "I'd
near Ng Poon Chew. the Chinaman,
lecture Turning handspring down
the walk he laughingly asked, what
you want to hear Chince for?" So
when Monday afternoon came l called
the lad, told him to catch out and hitch
up and he might go with me to hear
'Dr. Chew. Just before we reached
Laurens bright idea struck him and
he said, Il tell YOU what-give me 10
cents and I'll go In the moving picture
show for cents and get me nickel's
worth Of candy" mo, my boy" was
the reply, you will go in no picture
show this afternoon. If you hear that
lecture you'll learn a whole lot more
and something that you will never for
get" He insisted otherwise, but I'll
add here that no one in that large au-
dience enjoyed that lecture more, nor
VIII remember 1t better, than that
same farmer lad 1t was on Monday
afternoon and we arrived early for the
children to hear Miss Dunning, the
child entertainer. l might state here
that in this respect l was like the
chautauqua, carried new crew. ev-
cry day!
When the hour came for the lecture
there was a splendid audience to greet
the man from the Far East He was
introduced by DR.. Bsarbee as "a states
man, diplomat, the owner Of the first
Chinese newspaper published in Amer
lea and high-toned Christian gentle
man." AS he stepped out into view he
was greeted with applause. Many Of
my readers may be like a dear old
aunt with whom I tried to share what
saw and heard at the chautauqua.
And her first question about Dr.. Chew
was Honey, how did he look and how
was he dressed?
He was a low stocky built man with
all the physical appearance Of the
people Of the Orient, small hands and
feet, and of apparently so odd years
of age. Hair close cut like Americans
and Of course. was dressed like an
American. He was smart, he was wit
ty 0 think it is said Of him that he is
Chinese Mark Twain, and he knew
how to nattcr, for he began his speech
thus: 1T always gives me great pleas
urc to address an audience Of Ameri-
cans. have In the last 13 years ad-
dressed assemblies Of various nation
alitics. | have addressed assemblies
of Koreans, | have spoken to audienc-
es Of Japanese, to Chinese, to English
and to Americans and Of all these give
me the American audience. You are
SO bright, you are so responsive-so
symllathctic andr-here lhe stepped
his little self back and waved his lit
tie hands in an engaging gesture and
while bowling he gave us the last ad-
jective sugar coated "and you are so
handsome!" Cloud hand clapping, led
by Maj. Watts with the little boy a
close seconO.
He begged that We would be lcnicnt
in our language. He realized that he
could not speak English like a native,
he told Of incidents Of his learning
our language and for one year he
spoke only in words Of one syllable.
After this introduction he began the
body OF his speech.
II come from race that was old in
civilization when Abraham started
across the plains Of Chaldea at the
behest Of his God. a race that had a
civilization before the foundation was
laid on the Seven Hills for the Eternal
City. race that was old before the
first brick was laid on the Pyramids
one OF the worlds seven wonders"
Was it not Napoleon who said to his
soldiers as they stood In the shadow
Of the Pyramids Centuries look down
upon you! So therefore when Chinese
refer to historic things 1t IS not some
hour such as the discovery Of America
or the landing of the Pilgrims. He
gave us such a neat little thrust right
along this line Of thought and laugh
every time l think Of 1t. III wish you
all" he said would remember this
we did not always wear the queu."
(that long plat on the top Of Chince
head we remember so well in Correll's
Geography "but by an edict In 1647