Inside the Kingdom

INSIDE THE KINGDOM August 2, 2017 the Chronicle Section B – 20 Pages Exhibit on Greensboro families China connections by Joseph Gresser GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Historical Society usually divides its attention between stories about the farmers and artisans who built the town and the folks who came from away to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of Caspian Lake. This summer’s exhibit at the society’s headquarters in the old Greensboro Library Building next to Willey’s Store examines a more distant object through the lens of four families that eventually called Greensboro home. “Old China Hands” looks at how those four families engaged with a distant land and gives a picture of some of that country’s most difficult years as seen through the eyes of the folks with Greensboro connections. The exhibit is dominated by a set of four long panels, each devoted to the story of one of those families, complete with photographs showing family members and places in China that were important to them. Artifacts, including Chinese clothing, trophies from sporting competitions held by Europeans in China, and other family keepsakes line the walls of the room. But perhaps the most interesting part of the exhibit is a timeline that A collection of items gathered by four Greensboro families during their time in China surrounds freestanding matches historical events in the U.S. and China panels chronicling their history there. The show, called Old China Hands, can be viewed at the Greensboro with incidents in the lives of family members. Historical Society through the end of the summer. Photos by Joseph Gresser Americans have a long history of engagement with China, long by our standards, brief in comparison with a society that existed thousands went back to the U.S. for college, and returned One part of the story begins in 1888, when of years before Europeans came to North America. to China to work for Standard Oil of New York, Presbyterian missionary William Beesom Before the Revolution, Americans were known then as SOCONY, but eventually as Hamilton arrived in Tsingtao, China, and began required to buy tea imported by British Mobil Oil. teaching at a theological college there. He merchants. In 1784, soon after the U.S. gained The company’s kerosene business had been remained at that post for 24 years until his its independence, an American ship laden with hard hit by electrification in the U.S., but had death in 1912. silver and ginseng docked in Guangzhou, the the idea of distributing lamps in China and His daughter Marie-Louise Hamilton went only Chinese port open to foreign trade, and selling fuel there. Mr. Corbett died in Shanghai to Wellesley College in the U.S. before returning exchanged its cargo for tea. home to China in 1916 to continue her father’s Over the next few decades, the trade work. There, she met Norwood Francis Allman, continued as American clipper ships brought then a student interpreter hired by the U.S. ginseng and furs to China and returned with tea State Department and sent off to learn a and other goods. China, though, blocked access He was blacklisted “difficult language.” to markets, much to the chagrin of European and then, when war Mr. Allman had a series of postings around merchants. the country before becoming U.S. Consul in They fought two wars, known as the Opium came in 1941, Shanghai where he sat on tribunals that judged Wars, to force China to allow traders free access foreign citizens according to the laws of their to the country, and especially to permit the sale imprisoned by the own countries. of opium imported by the British from India and In 1940 Mr. Allman took over as publisher of by American merchants from Turkey. Japanese. He and his an independent newspaper in China, In 1860, the second Opium War ended with immediately falling afoul of the Japanese, who a treaty that, for the first time, allowed family were separated, had invaded parts of China and were in control Europeans to travel freely throughout China, but reunited in of Shanghai. and opened ten more ports for foreign trade. He was blacklisted and then, when war The Greensboro connection began once Singapore after the came in 1941, imprisoned by the Japanese. He China was opened to foreign travelers and and his family were separated, but reunited in American missionaries sailed to bring Japanese released Singapore after the Japanese released them in Christianity to its people. 1942. One of them was Hunter Corbett, them in 1942. After the war, Mr. Allman returned to grandfather of Peter Irwin, a prominent China, until he was forced out by the Chinese Greensboro resident until his death in 2006. Revolution in 1949. Back in New York, Mr. Mr. Corbett graduated from Princeton Allman spent years pursuing what his family Seminary in 1863 and sailed to China with his in 1935, but his sister Mary and her husband, and friends thought were hopeless claims for first wife. Pierson Irwin, bought property in Greensboro, reparation for property taken from foreigners. She died ten years later, leaving Mr. Corbett establishing the family’s connection to the town. He was proved right when President Nixon with four young children. He married again in Peter Irwin was their son. signed an agreement with the Chinese that 1875, but after the couple had five children The remaining three families took different provided for a measure of restitution. together, he was again left a widower in 1888. paths to China, but eventually all became According to the family chronology in the In 1889, Mr. Corbett married Harriet connected through their ties to what was first exhibit, Mr. Allman did some “vague” newspaper Sutherland, who nursed his second wife during called American Asiatic Underwriters, an work after the war, which they interpret as her final illness. insurance company that is better known by its meaning he was involved with U.S. intelligence Jack Corbett, one of three children born of modern name American International Group, or services. his father’s final marriage, studied in China, AIG. (Continued on page 7B.) IN THIS WEEKLY SECTION, YOU’LL FIND: BIRTHS l WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS l OBITUARIES l KINGDOM CALENDAR l CLASSIFIED ADS l RESTAURANTS & ENTERTAINMENT l REAL ESTATE & AUCTIONS l YOURS FROM THE PERIMETER l RUMINATIONS l AND MORE! Page 2B the Chronicle, August 2, 2017 Ruminations Scout’s legacy by Elizabeth Trail We’re still waiting for tomatoes this summer, but the greens are happy with the cool weather. I would imagine that people aren’t having any trouble with having their spinach bolt. That expression always makes me think of the spinach plants carefully extricating their roots from the soil and running off into the night. But it really just means that the spinach puts up flower stalks. That makes it turn bitter, the end of the spring spinach season. Spinach loves cool weather. In a cold frame, baby leaves can push up from last year’s roots while the snow is still on the ground. Out in the garden, it’s a happy surprise if spinach winters over. But spinach seeds can be planted early for a spring crop. And a late summer planting that germinates as the weather turns cool will yield pickings of spinach well into the fall. Swiss chard doesn’t mind hot weather. In my garden, chard usually takes over about the time the spinach starts to get iffy, and runs until fall. Once the chard gets going, it’s hard to stop. And chard just loves the sheep compost down around Scout when he was about 16 years old, acting as a heated mobile couch for our blind cat, Fish. my barn. Photo by Elizabeth Trail The sheep are gone now, but the gift that remains from many years of built-up hay and When he needed to be clipped, he’d stretch you can wilt them down and add more until they droppings will be with us for many years. luxuriously between the children and let them cut all fit. The whole point of having sheep was to learn his wool off with scissors. Transfer the greens and onion mixture to a to herd with my dogs. It was one of those I still have a bit of his wool. It’s not long colander. Press with a wooden spoon to squeeze projects that, typical me, started out as a simple enough to spin, but someday I’ll needle-felt a out as much liquid as possible. This is essential idea and got out of control. little brown sheep for our Christmas tree. to avoid a soggy quiche. I had corgis, but the best trainers only took Scout was seldom penned in his later years, Put spinach mixture and cheese into a nine- border collies. So I bought a border collie puppy when he had enough arthritis to be trusted to inch crust. Place crust on a cookie sheet on the to get to the trainer I wanted. And because the stay close to the house. He even let our blind cat lower rack of the oven. puppy was months away from being useful, that ride around on his back while he grazed. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half- trainer gave me one of her spare adult collies to I think of Scout when I go down to the and-half, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 take lessons on. vegetable garden and see how, years later, the teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture into crust. And then, so I could practice at home, she plants thrive on the compost that he and his Bake until center of quiche is just set, 55 to brought me ten sheep.

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