Treasure hunting through the past
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Sorting through old paperwork that belonged to Mom along with more old paperwork that came into my possession when Steve and I acquired the buildings that once housed my familys Chinese Pagoda and Imperial Dynasty restaurants, I found a couple of new treasures. New to me at least.
I pulled out of the bankers box two different but equally beat up file folders. I opened the thicker folder and pulled out the contents. It contained a large mailing envelope addressed to Uncle Richard with a War Department return address. Inside I found a small bundle of cards and letters. Noting that the return address on several of them was The Secretary of State, Washington, I knew I was looking at something special.
These were personal letters from General George C. Marshall to Uncle Richard, as well as some cards from Mrs. Marshall. Uncle Richard often said, I will be forever and always be grateful for the privilege and honor to serve Secretary of State and Mrs. Marshall. They are truly two great and magnificent persons. I will set these treasures aside for a display when the Taoist Temple Museum reopens.
I have written about Dr. Sun Yat-sen, leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party, in previous columns. Known as the father of modern China, he led the overthrow of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty, and served as the first provisional president of the Republic of China (19111912) and later as de facto ruler (19231925). During the course of the revolution, Dr. Sun Yat-sen formed deep and long-lasting bonds with Chinese in the United States.
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Bits and pieces, onions and cheese | Hanford Gourmet
Arianne Wing
In the early times of the revolution, Dr. Sun Yat-sen traveled to the United States, visiting Chinese communities, soliciting and procuring support and funds. American Chinese contributed significantly to Dr. Sun Yat-sens democratic revolution. Indeed he was quoted as saying, Overseas Chinese are the mother of the revolution.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited California four times. My family lore says that in 1910 Dr. Sun Yat-sen was in California planning to head southward from San Francisco to continue his campaign. He was, however, forced to leave in haste when a rival Chinese faction came close to tracking him down. Arriving in Hanford, Dr. Sun Yat-sen hoped to meet with supporters while hiding out for a few days. Great- grandfather, more than happy to maintain his political activism, housed Dr. Sun Yat-sen in a loft above his China Alley noodle house for three nights and four days.
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A photo of Dr. Sun Yat-sen with Y.T. Sue and Harry Lee in China Alley
Contributed
Several years ago, while researching China Alley days of yore, Steve and I found an article written in The Hanford Journal on Feb. 13, 1912, that read: It is true that not only has Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of his country China visited Hanford several times during recent years as a representative of the Chinese Masonic order, but that he visited this city and addressed a large gathering of Chinese soliciting funds to support the revolution within the past six months, while touring California.
We presented a copy of this article to Sonia Ng, Bay Area scholar, historian, and Chinese language consultant, and our dear friend. She agreed that this was a very important document. For me, The Hanford Journals article validated our family lore.
I now have further support for validation. In the second folder I found a copy of a photograph of Dr. Sun Yat-sen shaking hands with China Alley herbalist, Y.T. Sue. Another Alley herbalist, Harry Lee, stands next to Y.T. Sue, and there is also a fourth, unidentified man. I had never seen this photocopy before, nor have I seen the original photograph. I hope it is in one of these boxes. In any case, this treasure certainly belongs in the Taoist Temple Museum too.
Beyond the banker boxes and files of days past, I also find treasures thumbing through cookbooks or perusing recipe websites. This recipe from cookbook author and New York Times writer, Melissa Clark, certainly qualifies. This vegetarian chili bean casserole, perfect for the season, is a nice warming dish with a well-seasoned and complex sauce. I doubled the cornmeal mixture, as some of her readers commented that didnt make enough for a distinct layer. I also added corn and black olives. I will keep up with my dual treasure hunts and keep you posted. Enjoy this delightful dish and the fruits of all my hunts!
Recipes
Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 4:00 pm