The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-11
Ow, do tell me, Captain" re-
y marked Miss Atherton OF Lew

IN marked Miss AthertOn Of Lew
- ell, Mass, to the venerable
Dan Collins, commanding the Canton
river steamer "Kiu Kiang"son her night
trip to- Hong Kong, aren't all those
little puffs of smoke that we see aris-
ing from the sampans and river junks
coming from the boatmen smoking their
evening opium pipes? I'm so interested
to know"--of course she was, for the
fact was she was travelling as the cor
respondent of one of Bostons most
popular papers, though she had never
publicly announced it to the rest Of the
passengers.
mo. madam. not at all" replied the.
gruff old sea dog. that's a very popu-
lar idea with globe-trotters, but it's all
a mistake. I'm glad You asked me. for
e you hadn't, you might have gone
home and written it down in your book
on the Far East. just as a lot of the
rest Of EN- do who only stay out here
three weeks and then know it all. Most
fools, they say. Will believe anything
you tell them, but the globe-trotting
fool is the worst Of all, for he doesn't
even need to be told. He'll just put
down anything he sees for gospel truth.
he will. And the fellows who draw the
pictures are just about as far off as
the ones who write the books, judging
from what I saw the last time I was
home-every one Of them makes the
Chinaman's cue grow out Of the middle
OF the top Of his head, when no China
man ever born had his cue grow any
where else but out of the back OF his
Il 4ok
you don't believe met No, madam, as
was a-saying, those little curling col
umns Of smoke are from cooking their
evening rice, and not from smoking
opium at all. Opium doesn't make any
smoke, does it, Mr.. Wang ?"Z-address-
ing a dignihed Chinese gentleman
seated near them at the table. VERY
little, If any" answered the native pas
senger CVvho was none other than the
famous Wang Foo or Prince Of Chinese
Detectives, travelling in the European
saloon). What little is visible probably
arises from the smoking wick OF the
little bean-oil lamp the habitues use.
the drug itself is volatilized and gives
forth its strong characteristic odor
as they inhale it, but certainly not
smoke in any such quantity as you see
it now arising from the river boats.
Captnin Collins is quite right, madame,
as he generally is on these Far Eastern
qua ,tions-you see, he is quite an old
resident now and understands US very
we'll" accompanying this last Celestial
compliment with a most gracious smile
and bow which went straight TO the
heart of the old New Bedford skipper.
Mss Anterior was more than pleased
and surprised at Wang Zoos exp1ana-
~, lsd 81
his English mastery and his scholarly
vocabulary with its flawless accent).
which not only surpassed anything she
had ever yet heard from a Chinaman.
but-to tell the plain and honest truth
most everything she had heard from
her fellow-countrymen in the East, not
excepting n few American consuls! She
could hardly wait for dinner to be over
before she rushed up to Captain Collins.
just lighting his cheroot on his way to
the bridge, and begged him to intro
duce this remarkable parsonage to her.
why, Captain" she said. It never
really dreamed there was a Chinaman
living who could speak English hike
thatI"
well, there amt very many Of
them, can tell you that, man. And
what's more, he knows exactly what
he's talking about, too, which is more
than you can say Of lot OF these that
are educated abroad and just come back
here and chatter off a lot OF big words
like parrots. Now, If you really want
to know anything about China and the
Chinese mean the truth. not the
globe trotter stuff they pick up from
the hoteI-boys and the rlck-shaw coolies
and put In the magazines and the books
he's the very best man in all this
empire for you to get acquainted with"
Wang Foo was duly presented to
Miss Atherton and her party and it is
no exaggeration to say that in less
than an hour they had really learned
more about the Middle Kingdom and
its people and customs than the miser-
able so-called guides" had been able to
give them in a week. And now, ladies
and gentlemen" he said, as they were
about to leave the deck where he had
been pointing out objects OF interest,
eff you really want to see opium smok-
ing, and don't mind q little incon-
venience, we have the golden oppor-
tunity right her and now. The native
passengers have all finished their eve
ing rice and after their customary
siesta, they are beginning to light their
pipes and pass to the land of pleasant
dreams as they say. and If you will
follow me. shall be very glad tor escort
you to the upper deck and explain the
system to you. They are smoking in
the open air there and you will ind
the atmosphere much less oppressive
than in the crowded native saloon"
Delighted to have the opportunity,
they all gladly followed Wang Foo up
the starboard companion-way and.
with the Captains permission, passed
through the iron grating which on all
river steamers still shuts of the native
passengers from the Europeans. (They
noticed the Manila quartermaster stand
ing there on guard, fully armed, and
the significant boiling water hose right
at hand, ready for instant use in case
OF any rnutinous or piratical outbreak.
for these old-fashioned precautions stin
have to be taken as long as robbers and
pirates conceal themselves among the
passengers.) What a sight there met