Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-02-11
AGENT FOR CHINESE.
Headquarters for All Chinese IN Up
per Carolina Said to be Greenville.

cstials in Greenville have already set
tied every account that they. owed.
during 1920, which ended for them, on
February 7th, which was yesterday.
This may not be the Jaw of: Confucips,
but it is the law of the Chinese in
America. and it. lis .obeyed absolutely,
according to Edgar Lewis, who be-
sides being the Lewis Printing COM
pany's. president, is business manager
for. all the Chinese in upper South,
Carolina -
The Chinese themselves won't tell
anything at all about it, and Mr.. Lew
is says that the only reason he knows
for the custom Is that they don't want
to start the new year owing anything.
Greenville is the headquarters for all
the Chinese in upper South Carolina,
said Mr.. Lewis.
For number of years past Mr..
Lewis has been the business manager
of the Chinese Ill this section, and in
addition to handling all the financial
affairs of the members of the race, he
occupies the position Of legal adviser
and general factotum. Not a single
Chinaman in Greenville ever pays
bill without Mr.. Lewis stating that the
bill is correct. No contracts are made
except through Mr., Lewis. All Chi
.namen who wish to move to the city
first communicate with him. and if he
can make the necessary arrangements,
they may come, but they do not come
until Mr.. Lewis has approved the
project. -
Are Thrifty. .
Mr.. Lewis in telling of his expert
ence with the men Of the Celestial
Empire or Republic who Have been in
Greenville says that they are all fine
'ellows-those little men who hand
you your clean collars and shirts from
behind a counter. Honest. loyal, In
lustlious citizen. every one ot''them
declares Mr.. Lewis. And they are q
thrifty lot, too, he went on to say, tell
ing Of how he had discovered year or
two ago that Sam Lee, who was sent
to New York for transportation back
% China because he had lost his mind,
had more than $4,000 in cash in var
'ous Greenville banks.
Sam Lee was q sort of leader among.
Ills fellow countr!men here, continued
the business manager of the colony.
ind was the nephew of one Of the
! wealthiest and most influential Chin
,se in America. His uncle is mil
'ionaire banker of New York said Mr.
Lewis, and at the time Of Sam Lees
illness he came to Greenville to looK
lcter Sam, finally taking him back 10
New York, from which port he was
returned to China. where he has con-
siderable property. Sam Lees broth
al,, Wing Leo, came to Greenville and
took over Sans laundry business on
East Coffee street. and is running it
low. Henry Lum runs the laundry on
West Washington street. while there
is another one across the river on
Main street All of them are doing
hne, said Mr.. Lewis, and all are saw
ing money.
Live Well.
The general idea among the people
IF this country that the Chinese do
| not eat much, and that they live in
squalid quarters is erroneous, said Mr..
Lewis. In Greenville are apartments
If five and six and seven rooms, beau
.ifully and tastefully furnished, which
ire occupied by Chinese. Contrary TO
oouu!ar opinion they not only live in
comfortable quarters, but they eat the
finest things that can be bought, he
said, adding that he has. seen a num-
Der Of large diamond. back terrapin'
shipped here especially for the con-
sumption by members of the Chinese
olony. Their food is we'll prepared
md plentiful, although :hey rarely eat
more than one meal day. he said
They provide themselves with every
comfort and luxury which they desire,
md If their tastes are simple they
nevertheless live much better IMAM the
average American with a business Of
The same size and kind.
When friends from other cities visit
them they entertain royalty, and spare
no pains or expense to make their
countrymen have good time. said the
mentor. In case any Of their friends
or Chinaman regardless of whether or
not he happens to be friend, gets IN
trouble of any kind, he is given gener-
Gus assistance.
The Chinese of South Carolina are
Ill Cantonese, and none Of them ne-
long to the Tongs. Some time ago
Mr.. Lewis received from Ii Hung
Chang, president Of the Chinese Re-
public a little gold lion, standing upon
a. pedestal and bearing an inscription
in Chinese. Mr.. Lewis said he did
not know the meaning of the inscr:p-
ton, but that he had been told by
Chinese here and fn'New York that II
was n symbol very much like frater-
nal emblem, and would obtain money
or aid for him from Chinese anywhere