Ah King – Post Card from China

Ah King, organizer of the Chinese Village, sent this post card, dated 9 Jan 1909, to W. M. Rice, Special Agent of the Treasury Department in Seattle.

Ah King left for China in December 1908 to purchase curios and scout for actors and laborers for the Chinese Village. He returned in June 1909. See Ah King’s 1908 Trip to China for more information

Post Card from Ah King (Courtesy of Dan Kerlee)

Back: Ah King’s post card to W M. Rice, Seattle, Washington
(Photo courtesy of D. Kerlee, http://www.aype.com)

Front: The Victoria Peak Tram, Hong Kong. (Photo courtesy of D. Kerlee, http://www.aype.com)

Sources: Cinarc.org (See Cinarc.org for more background and details.)

Chinese Pastors in Seattle to See Fair

July 3, 1909

“The Pacific Coast Chinese Baptist Ministerial Association closed its annual meeting in Portland on Thursday and some of the members arrived in Seattle yesterday on a visit to the A-Y-P fair, among them Rev. Law Chuck, pastor of the First Chinese Baptist church of San Francisco. He has only been two years in America but he is already one of the most prominent Christian workers among is countrymen on the Pacific coast. Rev. Chin Sing Goi, pastor of the First Chinese Presbyterian church of Portland, and Rev. Wong, pastor of the First Chinese Baptist church of Seattle, who is just here from the Orient to take charge of the local work among the Chinese Baptists of this city, are also in the party.”

Source: The Seattle Post Intelligencer, July 3, 1909, p.126.

Chinese Fireworks, Pay Streak, July 4, 1909

Today’s Programme at the Exposition

Chinese fireworks at foot of Pay Streak, 9:30 p.m.

Chinese Fireworks on the 4th of July 1909

Other events for the day: Ohio Knights of Pythias, National Woman’s Suffrage Association meeting, Japanese fireworks, Norwegian Evangelical Society concert, Seattle Symphony Orchestra concert, Innes orchestral band concert, Kregars in slack wire exhibition, Donnelly sisters in contortions, flights by Strobel airship.

Yesterday’s attendance: 40,583; total to date, 753,584; daily average, 22,835

Source: The Seattle Post Intelligencer, July 4, 1909, p. 132

Kee Sing visits from Vancouver, BC

Kee Sing, Merchant from Vancouver, BC

Kee Sing, a silk merchant from Vancouver, B.C., applied in July 1909 to visit the AYPE in Seattle.

Kee Sing was born on 16 May 1871. He was in business in Victoria, BC from 1891 to 1900 before moving to Vancouver. His business and home were located at 617 Westminster Avenue.

His attorney, David C. Lew, wrote a letter to Mr. P. L. Prentis, Inspector in Charge, in Vancouver, advising him that Kee Sing would be visiting the Exposition

Source: Kee Sing 1909, NARA, RG 85, Case RS2319.

Yip Sang of Vancouver, B.C.

Yip Sang, mother, wife and 3 children

Yip Sang (Yip Chun Tien), head of the Chinese Nationalist League in Vancouver, brought his family to see the A-Y-P. Sang was one of the leading businessmen in Vancouver. He came to San Francisco from China in 1864 and worked seventeen years as dishwasher, cook, cigar maker before settling in Vancouver’s Chinatown. He became a leading businessman. After his first wife’s death, he remarried three times and had 19 sons and 4 daughters

Source: Yip Sang and family, NARA RG85, RS2396, RS2391-RS2394

Hsu Ping Chen – Business Card

Business Card for Hsu Ping Chen, Consul General of China at San Francisco

He visited AYPE with his wife and son.

Hsu Ping Chen Business Card

Hsu Ping Chen Card - Chinese

Sources: Hsu Ping-Cheng [sic] file, 1909, NARA-Seattle, RG 85, Case RS2381;

Hsu Ping-Chen, Consul General of China at San Francisco

Hsu Ping Chen Family

When Hsu Ping-Chen, Consul General of China at San Francisco, and his family visited, local Chinese merchants took them on a long automobile tour of the city followed by a visit of the A-Y-P grounds. His family had held public office for many generations. His wife was a prominent member of the Chinese Women’s Free-Foot Association, which was campaigning against foot-binding. Their son attends school at Berkeley, California. They dined at Yung Hung Restaurant on Washington Street. Goon Dip and other prominent Chinese made speeches. He left the next day for official duties in Victoria and will visit the Fair grounds again on his return trip to San Francisco.

Sources: Hsu Ping-Cheng [sic] file, 1909, NARA-Seattle, RG 85, Case RS2381; Oregonian, July 25, 1909 p 9, accessed from Newsbank.com; Seattle Times, August 6, 1909, p3

Ah King’s 1908 Chinese Exclusion Act file

Ah King NARA RG85 Case RS2231

Before Ah King left the U. S. for China, as a matter of routine, he was interrogated by the U. S. immigration authorities. He did not need an interpreter since he spoke fluent English.
This is what they found:

• He was 47 years old
• He was a merchant and manager of the Ken Chung Lung Company, a wholesale and retail business selling Chinese groceries and dry goods at 217 Washington Street in Seattle.
• There were forty members in his firm.
• The annual amount of business transacted was $40,000 to $50,000.
• He had been in Seattle more than ten years.
• He and his wife, Wong She, had three children.
• His children were: Ah Get, age 22; Ah Ging, a daughter, age 15; and Ah Foon age 12.
• The children were all born in Har Ping village, Sun Ning District.

Two witnesses testified in Ah King’s favor—C. I. Lynch, Post Office Superintendent of Delivery in Seattle, and Daniel Landon, an attorney. They confirmed that Ah King was a bona fide merchant and Landon also said that Ah King was probably the most prominent Chinese merchant in the city.

Source: Ah King file, 1908, RG 85, NARA-Seattle, Box 57, Case RS2231

Portland Students Perform on China Day, September 13, 1909

Four Chinese from Portland, Miss Moy Ling, pianist, and William Lai, Harry Ding and Thomas Hom took part in the musical exercises on China Day. The opinion was that they honored their teacher, Mrs. Marie S. Wingham and the city of Portland. A critic wrote: “William Lai is a tenor of more than ordinary ability, and when he sang “Then You’ll Remember me,” the applause was nearly deafening. The piano solo of Miss Moy Ling, a Portland High School girl, was well received. The skill with which these Chinese musicians interpreted the Western music was a surprise to the assemblage in the Auditorium.”

Source: Oregonian, Sept 19, 1909, p3; accessed from Newsbank.com

Lee Chee – Pay Streak Strong Man

Lee Chee, Tin Yung Qui Troupe

“Celestial Strong Man Attracts Attention”
Lee Chee (Suey Jen) worked in a joss house and received $60 a month. He also worked heavy iron spears and weights in Tin Yung Qui Troupe. He had amazing endurance which enabled him to perform eight to twelve times daily.

Source: Seattle Times, Oct 3, 1909, p12