Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, January 20, 1901, Page 6, Image 16

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    THE ILLUSTRATED REE
.Tnnunry 120, 1001.
The Andrew Carnegie
Of Eastern Asia
;
(Copyrighted, IWd, by Frank O. Carpenter.)
MACAO, Doe. 0, 1000. (Special Corre
spondence of Tho IIco.) Mr. Lan Wing
Hong In tlio Andrew Curncglo of eastern
A Kla. !lo Ih tho richest itillllcinalro of this
mrl of tho empire. Ilo has fortunes In
Mocks, fortunes In laml ami a forlunu In
Ills country homo. It was at li Ih coun
try place at Kwan Tung tliat 1 visited him.
It Ih a walled city, rather than a single
dwelling', and ho owns It all.
Imagine a farm of a thousand or ho ncros,
surroumled liy a blue brick wall ns high
as a two-story house and ho thick that you
could drlvo two big farm wagons around on
LAN WIN(i II()N(!.
top of It sldu by slilu without touching
Lot tho space within bo divided Into wide
streets, along which are built hundreds or
houses, fuclng gardens und lawns. Let tho
gules Into It bo guurdod by soldiers and let
there bo forty policemen In uniform to keep
the homo city In order, and you have a
bare outline of tho dwelling place of this
celestial lord, who lives hero with his
servants about hliu.
Tho greater part of tho Inhabitants, out
side of the servants, are his relatives. There
aro about 700 rooms in tho bettor class
houseu und these are occupied by his near
est of kin. There aro servants everywhere
und his retinue Includes all kinds of me
chanics and artisans. He has hundreds
of Held lunula, who eultlvato his estates
outside the wall, ami It takes a largo corps
of men and women to keep his dwelling In
order.
My visit to tho Asiatic Uroesus wua In
company with Dr. Jaymo dos Santos. Dr.
Santos Is a well known citizen of Macao
and u friend of tho millionaire. Our rldo
lo his home was In Jlnrlkshas, two men to
each riksha, one pulling In tho shafts and
tho other pushing behind.
Leaving Macuo, wo passed over tho nar
row neck of land which Joins tho Portu
gueso territory to China, and then rodo for
miles upon tho mainland. Tho whole way
was spotted with poverty. Tho crops were
everywhere luxuriant, but tho people
seemed terribly poor. They woro dressed
In blue cotton and all were barefooted.
There were many beggars and near tho
graveyards wo mot mourners In sackcloth,
who had coolies to hold up their arms us
they moved ulong, seemingly prostrutcd
with grlot.
Tho Holds wero full of tollorB. Hero a
man, bare to tho waist, trotted from plain
to plant, watering them with lUiuld manure,
there uuothor plowed tho Hold with u water
buffalo, and further on blg-hatted women,
with tholr pantalets rolled up to tholr
thighs, bent double us they waded through
tho liquid mud and set out the rlco crop,
plant by plant. Our Jlnrlkshas crowded
hollow-eyed burden bearers to tho sides of
tho road. Wo went by gangs of coolies car
rying buckets of slop for manure, by deud
eyod old hags loaded with buBketB of farm
produce, and by llttlo girls borno down by
baskets fastened to poles on their shoulders.
It Boomed nB though tho poor Iioubob of tho
empire had been emptied out on this road
to tho homo of tho rich, ami tho contrast of
tho poverty present and tho wealth to como
wiis most striking.
In tin- Mlllloitiilru'a l'alaoc.
This poverty continued to tho very gates
of tho inllllonalro'B palatial city. It ended
as wo passed through them, severely scru
tinized by tho guards at tho entrance.
Tho city !b mode up of many uno-story
houseB, all roofed with heavy black tiles.
Some of tho buildings cover acres, for a
man hero may have a homo of a hundred
rooniB and nil on tho ground tloor. Tho
rooms wero built around courts which run
this way and that. They aro connected by
long uIsIcb under covered paBsagowuys,
soino of which wind about like tho mazes
of HoBaniond'B bower.
Tho buildings are of Chinese architecture.
1 dospalr of giving you conceivable pic
tures of them, Tho roofs are curved at tho
corners, Uko a ram'B horn. The outer walls
aro of blue brick, tho Inner of wood won
derfully carved, being In many cases a frot
work of black ebony set with glass of all
tho colors of tho rainbow In oriental splen
dor. Going through n wldo court wo woro
admitted to tho private buildings of tho
millionaire's home. Wo crossed a court
and entered a gallery, upon one side of
which was a garden. Tho gallery was open
at tho sides. It was roofed with heavy
tllcH upheld by granlto posts, and It was
at least COO feet long. There wero scats
hero and thero In It, ench Heat a beautiful
pleco of white quartz Bet upon wooden
legs. At tho ends wero walls of mirrors,
In which wo could see our own reflections
no wo walked through.
As wo entered tho millionaire proprietor
camo forward. Ilo was Introduced to mo as
tho Hon. Lan Wing Hong and as I bowed
ho shook his own hands at mo und bent
low In welcome. Wo chatted together as
wo walked from room to room and I was
Hlrunk with his Intelligence and culture
Ho looked like an aristocrat. His dress, a
light blue silk gown, reached from his
neck to his feet. His head wan bare and
close Hhaven except at tho crown, whence a
long, black queue hung down his back.
Wo llrst went Into tho library and smok
ing room, a beautiful apartment hung with
scrolls of line writings from tho Chinese
classics. It was furnished with lacquered
chairs and tables and tho walls wero In
laid with colored mnrble. Then we entered
tho parlors mid reception room mid then
wont on Into tho private temple, whom
tho millionaire worships his ancestors.
lie next showed mo tils opium sanctum, a
llttlo room with walls of stained glass
and wonderful carvings, Just big enough
for an odIuiii couch for two. Thero was a
ulass lamn with matches beside It ami tho
Pines looked ns though they had been fro
ouentlv used. Mr. Lan Wing Hong nsked
mo If I would "hit tho plr-o with him" nnd
upon my refusing ho said that I must at
lenst take a cup of his tea.
Tea at Tn ciily-Kuur DoHhi-m a I'oiiuil.
Of courso I cousentcu, especially as Lan
Wing Hong Intimated that ho had lea on
hand which was a drink for the gads. He
mentioned tho namo of tho tea. It Is one
which Is noted throughout South China. II
comes from a district which produces but a
few pounds a year, the whole ciop being
bought by rich Chinese. It Is so costly thai
only tho highest of tho mandarins and tho
richest of the merchants can afford It. It Is
CROWD AT THE NORTH KUONT OF Will TIC HOt'SE, WASHINGTON WATCHINC! THE
YEAR'S RECEPTION.
ARRIVAL OF NOTAHLKS AT NEW
and his father. Ho spoke of hU troubles
and asked mo to tell LI Hung Chang that
his district was greatly troubled by pirates
nnd that ho thought soldiers should be sent
to capture tho robbers.
Illcli Mt-ri'liiintN.
Lan Wing Hong's money was made In
trade. This Is tho enso with many of the
f 'h uese millionaires. Tho Chinese aro
among tho best business men of tho world.
They nro far abler than any others of tho
Asiatics. They can glvo tho Japaneso odds
nnd beat them. In nearly ovcry country of
the l'aclflc you find millionaire Chinese Tho
most of tho business of Stngaporo Is dono by
them, They have stores, plantations and
factories in Java. They havo gobbled up
funcrul procession Just after his death cost
$.",000 ami he has not yet started on his
way to the grave. His body still rests In
his collln In one of his Shanghai houses
nnd It will probably remain thero for a
year. Ills funeral procession was from one
of his houses to another. Tho house In
which ho died was hung with white satin,
for white Is hqro tho color of mourning.
Upon the walls wero banners of satin with
Chlng Chang's namo and titles embroidered
upon them In gold. Tho house was lighted
with lanterns of white satin and his collln
was a great casket covered with white.
Tho body was left for some lime In tho
house whore ho died. It was laid In tho
collln nnd rested In state In ono of tho
A FEW RELATIVES OF Till MILLIONAIRE HON Qt IN CHIN A RICH MAN Id L.M r.C'l HI) TO SI I'l ORT ALL OF HIS
POOR KIN.
novor exported and oven In China tho prlco
of It Is $21 a pound.
I wish I could glvo you a taste of thai
tea. A whiff of Its aroma would refresh
you like a glas.i of champagne. It was
brought Into the library In a little round
teapot of silver and was served by tho
mllllonnlro himself In cups of tho llnest
porcelain, each cup not bigger than nn egg
shell. Tho tea, ns It trickled forth from
tho pot, was of a straw color. 1 noticed
that tho mllllonnlro In pouring it went
over tho cups twlco, only half lllllng them
at tho start and then going back to the
llrst cup and coming around again. As
tho tea tamo forth Lnn Wing Hong sniffed
It with n delighted expression. Its nroma
touched him Just ns that of a lino wine
does tho professional gastronome. Ho
drank It In the approved Chinese fashion
and wo followed suit; wo sucked tho liquor
Into our mouths with considerable- noise,
gurgling, ns It wero, our delight.
Wo chatted nwhllo nnd took a socond
cup or this liquid gold nnd then Lnn
Wing Hong strolled with us through his
gardens. These nro full of conceits which
would bo striking features In nny million
aire estate along tho Hudson or In Gcorgo
Vnnderbllt'B big farm In North Carolina.
Tho gardons nro of large extent. They
aro filled with troplcnl Mowers and trees,
tho latter cut Into all sorts of fantnstlc
shapes. Wo strolled through walks shaded
with feothery bamboos, wound our way In
and out among tho roots of enormous ban
ynn trees nnd stopped long before tome
pines, ench several hundred years old nnd
not more than a foot high. Wo sat In
grottoes of rockwork lntorsot with mirrors,
loafed nbout In Chlneso summer houses nnd
admired tho great atono tnblrs which had
been built up under tho trees. During the
walk Lan Wing Hong told us how his for
tune had been tuado In trade by himself
the retail business of the Philippine Islands.
They own half of Slam, they nro among
tho rich men of Ilurmah nnd you find them
doing well In every Asiatic port.
Hong Kong has Its Chinese millionaires
and Shanghai has scores of almond-eyed
celostlnls with Incomes ranging from $5,000
up to ten of thousands of dollars a year.
I was told In Shanghai that thero wero
Chlneso In tho foreign section who wero
worth moro thnn 10,000,000 tnols, or moro
than $7,500,000, nnd that they had made It
all themselves.
Tho Coinpndoro of our consulate Is far
richer than any United States consul gen
eral who has over como to Shanghai. His
Income Is now threo times the salary of
Consul General Goodnow nnd still ho stnrtod
life as n clerk and mado his money In trndo.
Toko for Instance Chlng Chang, who dlod
In Shanghai tho other dny, leaving property
valued nt $3,000,000 In gold. Ho began
llfo ns n boatman In tho city of Nlngpo,
working nt tho start for 10 cents a day.
Ho saved his money and began speculating.
Ills llrst success was at tho time of the
Tnl Plug rebellion. Tho soldiers looted tho
cuptured towns then as they nro doing now
nud they brought tholr loot to Nlngpo and
Shanghai for sale. Chlng Chang Invested
In such property. Ho bought nnd sold It,
making more and more, until at last he had
enough to como to Shanghai, whore ho
opened a shop as storekeeper nnd conductor-
As ho grow richer ho established
transportation lines and became a general
trader. For several years ho was tho agent
of tho Standard Oil company. Ho mado
money out of oil, and In fact everything ho
touched seemed to turn to gold, so that
when ho died bo was worth millions. Start
ing at 10 cents n day he left an Income of
moro thnn $3,000 a week.
Moro than $50,000 will bo spent upon
Chine Chane beforo he is burled. His
lnrgest rooms. Reside It his oldest son
slept every night and about It tho family
walled In the daytime. All the sons were
dressed In sackcloth, tho gurb of mourning.
They spent their days In going to their
father's favorite room to wall und onco
every hour they camo In a body and walled
around tho collln.
During the sumo tlmo thero was a great
wako In tho house. Tho rooms nud hallways
wero flllcd with tables und tho feasting
went ou for a week. There wero flvo
Chlneso bands In different parts of the
great structure. These tilled the houso with
mourning music and behind tho curtains
near them came an accompaniment of wall
ing from tho women of tho family and sonit
hired mourning howlers.
Tho funeral was a grand one. Tho collln
was carried through the streets of Shanghai
to tho other house, at which tlmo the
procession was so great that it took threo
hours fur It to pass a given point. Chlng
Chang's women, wives nnd relntlves, all
dressed In white, rodo In chairs behind the
collln. There wero llfty men In white on
horseback, ten Chinese bands and an army
of servants carrying various things. It
was, Indeed, much like a trades procession
in tho United Stntes or the Mardl Gras
show at Now Orleans.
A Canton .Millionaire.
Some of the richest men of China livo at
Canton. Tho city Is full of nabobs. It has
scores of capitalists and ninny rich mer
chants. It hns families which havo beon
rich foi generations, corresponding some
what to the Astors and Vanderbllts of Now
York. Ono of tho nioBt famous of these Is
tho Hou Qua family, founded by a mllllon
nlro who was a sort of a George Peabody
or W. W. Corcoran tn his philanthropy.
This Hou Qua was ono of tho richest man
of Canton nt tho tlmo that city was threat
ened with bombardment by tho English.
Tho English men-of-war wero in front of
It and their commanders had sent word
thnt unless tho Chinese would pay" them
$G,000,000 within forty-eight hours they
would rcduco tho city to ruins. Tho money
was raised by Hou Qua, who started a
subscription with $1,000,000 out of his own
pocket, to which ho afterward added nn
extra $100,000. In giving this money he
Itemized It as follows:
"I glvo $800,000 as a thank offering for
tho business prosperity I have had. I give
$200,000 ns a monument to the affection
which I bear my wifo nnd $100,000 as thunks
for tho fidelity and filial ploty of my Bon."
When Hou Qua died ho was worth about
$50,000,000. He had vast estates, streets
of houses nnd many factories and stores.
Ills gardens aro still among tho sights of
Canton, and his nnmo among the Chlneso
Is synonymous with business honor.
I venturo Hou Qun's wealth when he
died was about equal to the amount loft
by Jay Gould. Ho was in power tho Jay
Gould of south Chlnn, although his char
actor was of a higher grado than that of
tho hero of Rlack Friday. His son might
bo called tho George Gould of Canton. I
mot tho son dining ono of my visits to
thnt city. Ho Is about CO years of age,
although ho looks much younger. He Is
(Continued on Seventh Pago.)
The First
New Century Waist
Price $5.00
($7.50 would bo none too much.)
Mado of flno taffeta silk, hemstitched nnd
tiny tucks, with center plait, cuffs and top
sleeve finished n 80,i stitching. Wo havo
them In black, whlto and all dcslrnb'.o
street and evening shades.
Want One?
Tell us tho slzo and length of sleovo In
sldo seam, stnto color, or. If possible, en
close small sample of ribbon showing
shade wanted, with money order for $3.00.
If not In stock will havo waist made to or
der and ship within a week Sizes larger
than 41 cost $1.00 extra Money, less ex
press charges, refunded If not satisfactory.
liter Clonks now selling at one-half
orlglnnl price.
Price $5.00
Sold only by
O. K. Scolleld Clonk & Suit Co.
OK
5C0FIELQ
CLOAK &. SUIT CO.
1510 Douglas Street, Omaha.
Exclusive Dealers in Ladles' Furs nnd
Heady-to-Wear Garments.