How He Learned English.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 6, 11 August 1909, Page 37

How He Learned English.

“ Passengers who arrived in San Francisco the other day on the steamship Korea are telling with glee how Wong Kwong, a Chinese engineer, also a passenger, silenced a very pompous Britisher who boarded the liner at Yokohama.” said Frank Wallace, of San Francisco. “ Wong, who is only thirty-two years old,” continued Mr. Wallace, “ belongs to one of the best families in the Chinese Empire- He is an educated gentleman of considerable polish, and stands high in his profession. He has a brother attending Yale 1 niversity, and is himself a college man. He is now general manager of what is probably the most important engineering concern in China. “ The pompous Britisher was introduced to Wong, and from the first patronised the little Celestial in a most demon strative way. Wong openly resented th? Britisher’s attitude, but he did nothing in retaliation until one day in the smoking room, just after Wong had told a very good story. The silence that followed the laugh with which the yarn was greeted was broken by the Britisher. “ J say, me man,’ he said, ‘ you speak English very well for a Chinese.’ “‘Yes,’ replied Wong, ‘I have a great many Englishmen in my employ.’ ”