Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-05-24
Knocked Out Chink
Lieut.. Governor


great grandchildren that | hinged a
lieutenant governor of Canton prov
ince, in China, over the head with
club" concluded W. g. Priestley after
vividly interesting narrative of his
experiences during an extended trip
through China and Japan in a search
for new fireworks features. 1t seems
that Mr. Prlestly, who is the repre-
sentative of the Hit Fireworks Com
pany, who will stage the $1,000 fire
works here during the Hyiu Hehe,
was staging series of displays in
Canton, China The Contonese want
ed to see the fireworks Of the "for-
eign DEVILS" but did not think it nee
essary to pay. Mr.. Priestly watched
them tear down his fences the first
night while the Canton police stood
around and politely asked them Tin
Chinese, Of course) to "kindly refrain
from pushing" The second night he
got permission from the governor to
use the soldiers, who all come from
the north of China, speak different
language and hate the Cantonese like
poison. With group Of American
marine sfrom a gunboat in the harbor
as assistants, Mr.. Priestly set about
teaching the soldiers how to keep out
the million Chinese who were howl
ing without the fence and refusing to
pay. Whenever hole would appear
in the fence, two soldiers would sta
tion themselves alongside, and as
soon as Chinaman's head appeared
would crack 1t with a club. Mr..
Prietsly says the fence was covered
with blood by the end of the evening,
but they kept out the mob and had
a barrel of fun in the bargain.
The lieutenant governor part came
in when, hearing commotion over
at the gate, Mr.. Priestly fastened to
see what the trouble was and found
an imposing looking Chinaman in re-
gal robes insisting that he be admit
ted without a pass or ticket.
Priestly had given the governor Of
the province to understand that pass
es would be furnished all the govern
ment attaches to any number, and
hence refused to allow the man to
enter, not knowing who he was.
Finally the Chinaman sought to push
his way in and received the Priestly
club over his royal knob. The next
morning the fireworks man was
hauled up before the American consul
on a charge of beaning lieutenant
governor, but got out of the scrape
when the circumstances were ex-
planned. He says the chinks finally
found out that they would have to pay
to see the show and came through all
right thereafter.
Mr.. Priestly was in Canton when
China broke off peace relations with
Germany and saw some German ships
blown up. He was also in Manila
when American relations were brok-
en-. He says that 2,250 Chinese, great
strapping men from the north of
China. came over on the same boat
he did and that he believes 10000
are being sent to Europe to work be-
hind the lines. He says the northern
Chinese are a totally different type
from those seen here and are great,
broad-shouldered men, most of them
six-footers.
Mr.. Priestly and Mr.. Frohbach
signed up the contract for the big dis
play which is to be staged here on
the afternoons and evenings of July
and 5. The display will be nearly
all patriotic and will include the SINK
ing of a battleship as one OF the main
set pieces. Many new features Will
he seen. The Ashland display is the
only big fireworks display in Oregon
on July 4.