The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-11-28
HUNDREDS mourn
|. Chinese MERCHANT
Large Crowds Attend Christian
Funeral Of Wong Kwai At
Fort Street Church

ters,,a dozen grandchildren and several
hundred persons Of all nationalities,
Wong Kwai, venerable Chinese mer.
| chant who died at his home, 1908 Fort
street, Friday, was buried yesterday At
the Makiki cemetery, after simple but
mpressiNe-eersusOnis his home and
at the Fort stEett CoRgroga tional
Church.
He was given Christian burial, /"
will be one of the phrases that will
epitomizc the long and useful life Of
Wong Kwai; and if the fact that sew.
eral thousand persons crowded Fort
and Beretania Streets yesterday to
watch the merchant - body, escorted
by the long cortege, pass 10 It's final
resting place is any criterion, the we'll
known Chinese merchant must have
made hundreds of stauneh friends dur.
ing his sixty.one years of business ca,
reer in Honolulu. p,
| The elaborate casket was placed be-
fore the altar and literally covered
with flowers. There were no decera.
| tons in the church. In few minutes
the sacred ediRce was crowded with
relatives. and friends Of the deceased,
most Of them Chinese, hut many Of
other nationalities.
Services in Chinese
After the funeral services had bee
conducted by the Rev. Yuen Dow Poy,
the Rev. Wong Tsui Ting preached a
long but apparently interesting serm on
| on the life and character Of the be,
loved merchant. All the services were
conducted in Chinese. Following tn"
sermon. the upper part of the caskrt
was opened and several hundred per.
Sons trooped by to view the body.
While the choir sang n Christian
hymn appropriate for the dead the
heavy casket was borne from the
'hurch and placed In the waiting
he church chimes, the beating of muf.
1ed drums and the playing Of tho dirge
rom saul" by the Hawaiian Band,
the funeral procession moved down
3eretania Street, followed by members
Vt the Chinese Masons on foot and
more than fifty vehicles
Masonic Ceremonies Held
At the cemetery the symbolic cere.
monies of the Masonic order and the
yimple ceremonies of 1.-THE Christian
,hureh were all conducted in Chinese.
where the late merchant prince was
owered to final rest in the bosom OF
Nother earth
Wong Kwai, who was seventy.eight
at his death, spent sixty.one years Of
his life in Hawaii During that more
han three.score years his life in the
Stands has been active and at times
spectacular. For more than half n
century he has been identified with
many Of the big movements of Hawaii
and during the reign of King Kala
Enua was instrumental in developing
much of the rice lands of Oahu and
Kanai, bringing many Chinese from his
native land for that purpose
Success Comes Early
COmiuG to Hawaii when he was sew
enteen, Wong Kwai soon BECAME On'
of the partners Of the Chu Lam Com
pnny. He immediately identified him
! self with the civic affairs of Honolulu
and was one Of the early members OF
the volunteer fire department. From
1900 10 1900 he was Chinese vice-cOn
nj. Young Wan Ping being the consul
He took an active part in the Chimes
United Societies and was president o.
, the organization for a number Of years
He helped to promote the Chinese hos
rital and at his own expense startet
I he Anglo-C Chinese school. He wa
also committeeman at Mills School.
). II was onlv shortly before his dealt
+. hat Wong Kwai became Christian
but long before that time he donated
', $1,000 to establish the church on For
Q Street where he afterwards worshippct
T. and from where he was buried yester
lay with the rites and consultations %
the Christian church.
, The deceased leaves widow, tw
, ldauDhtprs. four sons and twelve Grand
8 children His sons are Wong Lai,
6 professor in China; Wong TIN ! ooh
{ Wong Tin Chuck and Wong Tin Chez
p prominent in business. His daughter
, are Mrs. Hee and Wong Kan Tai.