Year 1883

Owen Nickerson Denny, counsel general at Shanghai (1880 - 1883)

1883 Langley San Francisco City Directory
Principal Chinese Business Firms

Frank Bee customs 1883 Official Register of US Govt

The Civil Rights Cases, 109 U.S. 3 (1883), were a group of five cases in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments did not empower Congress to outlaw racial discrimination by private individuals.

January 6, 1883 National Journal
Consul Bee denied influx of disreputable women from British Columbia into Washington Territory.

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 11948, 9 January 1883
San Francisco municipal leaders

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 16, Number 131, 23 January 1883
Explosion killed many Chinese workers.

Pacific Rural Press, Volume 25, Number 5, 3 February 1883
Chinese Silk Culture Association thanked Consul Bee for costumes used as a display.

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 11974, 4 February 1883
Retirement party given for Major General W H L Barnes
Read about General Barnes - UC Berkeley Regent

Los Angeles Herald, Volume 18, Number 142, 4 February 1883
Consul Bee discussed Chinese moving to the suburbs.
and
University Mound

Lawsuit for indemnification of damages done in Denver
New York Times (1857-1922). Mar 1, 1883. p. 2 (1 page) Note: Riots in Denver started on October 31, 1880.

Sing Lum was scheduled for execution.
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Mar 1, 1883. p. 2 (1 page)

Appendix to Governor Stoneman's message and March 11, 1883 pardon of Lo Bos Song

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 17, Number 18, 14 March 1883
Colonel Bee urges adoption of resolution to allow pardon for Chinese criminals who agree to go back to China.

Los Angeles Herald, Volume 19, Number 21, 14 March 1883
Colonel Bee urges adoption of resolution to allow pardon for Chinese criminals who agree to go back to China.

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12015, 17 March 1883
Karl Marx died.

Pacific Rural Press, Volume 25, Number 13, 31 March 1883
Sending Chinese prisoners back to China according to Consul Bee

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12037, 8 April 1883
Consul Bee suggested a solution for Sarah Burke, a white woman and Wong Suey Won, a Chinese man, who wanted to get married.

Read more about Sarah Burke

New York Times (1857-1922). Apr 23, 1883. p. 4 (1 page)
Colonel Be wrote letter to head of San Francisco's Department of Instruction to convince him that children of Chinese immigrants must be treated as citizens of USA.

Ex-Senator David Davis and his new wife met with Mr. and Mrs. Bee
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Apr 24, 1883. p. 3 (1 page)

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 17, Number 70, 14 May 1883
Mother of Consul Huang Zunxian died.

Los Angeles Herald, Volume 19, Number 81, 24 May 1883
Ex-Senator Davis wrote to Colonel Bee.

July 4, 1883 - the rail line from the Pacific port of Champerico, Guatemala was opened to connect Champerico to the coffee plantation region of Retalhulea. The Champerico and Northern Railroad Transportation Company was a California corporation. J. H. Lyman, D. P. Fenner and J.B. Bunting received contract to build railroad on March 12, 1881.

July 12, 1883 letter to Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Journal

Smuggling of Chinsese
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Aug 7, 1883. p. 8 (1 page)

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12168, 8 August 1883
Consul Bee addressed the accuracy of reports about violations in admitting Chinese in Washington Territory.

Consul Bee said the accusations of smuggling of Chinese in Washington were actually a smokescreen for opium smuggling.
New York Times (1857-1922). Aug 9, 1883. p. 2 (1 page)

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12172, 12 August 1883
A warden in New Jersey cut off five prisoners' long hair.

August 18, 1883 San Francisco News Letter (bottom of page)
Chinatown and Knights Templar

The California pilgrimage of Boston Commandery Knights Templars, August 4-September 4, 1883 (1884)

San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Aug 29, 1883. p. 3 (1 page)
The War in Anam
Shipment of Arms Colonel Bee Changes His Opinion.
The City of Peking, which is now on the dry dock and will sail for China on Tuesday next, has already on board another large shipment of munitions of war for China, it having been brought up by the steamship Granada on her last trip from Panama. The manifest shows a consignment of 375 cases containing 1000 cartridges each, or 375,000 in all, and are consigned to C. Schmidt at Shanghai, and there are also 100 cases of firearms, consisting of rifles and revolvers. In addition she will take down 500 bales of heavy sheeting and docking for the same Government, to be used in making tents and clothing for soldiers. Many of the bales are marked to the same person to ammunition is consigned, and others to "C-Y. C-1."
It has been stated by telegrams from the East and by person here that there was no truth in previous statements of this kind, but they are facts, as the consignments have been seen by many people on the wharf, and until this paper first mentioned it every one of whom inquiry was made professed ignorance. One of the principal officers of the steamship company states that these shipments are for the Chinese Government, that their contract is to take the goods to Shanghai or Yokohama, where they are reshipped on Japanese vessels to ports in China to prevent trouble to the shippers or to the American Government.
In speaking to a CHRONICLE reporter in regard to the defeat of Anamite troops, by the French in Tonquin yesterday, Consul Bee was found to have changed his views completely since he was interviewed on Friday last. Instead of thinking, as then, that the French had a hopeless task before them, he said that in his mind there never had been a question of doubt as to the success of the expedition.
"I have never," he said, "expressed anything else, because the natives were not prepared to go to war with a civilized nation with all the appliances of war which the latter have, against which those of the Tonquin army are nothing. Where they can go with their gunboats resistance would be folly, but were it a war of the interior the case would be entirely different. It seems to me, from the dispatches, that instead of its having been a battle it was a slaughter. Doubt them? No, I think the dispatches must be correct, or as correct as they can be, being sent by the French, because the cost of service is so great that I doubt if anything but the truth would be telegraphed over."
"What is your opinion regarding the peace overtures?"
"I can't say as to that. I don't put much confidence in the dispatch I have seen in the papers. But the best joke of it is that it states that France will make Tonquin pay for the war. This country raised a mighty howl because Chile made Peru pay for the war; but the boot, you see, is on the other leg. He's like a man stealing of a span of horses and taking them up to Sacramento and asking the owner to pay the expense of transportation," and the Chinese Consul went into a spasm of honest indignation.
"Why does China not step in?"
"That's the conundrum. China moves slowly, but it is more than likely that she will. If she does, France has a long war before her."
"Are there no Chinese fighting against the French now?"
"There is a great deal said about it being so, but so far as I know there is not a Chinaman belonging to the regular army engaged in the war. China has not even engaged the services of any European officers at least not from this side of the water."
"What is the sentiment of the Chinese here regarding to conquest of Anam?"
"Oh, it has cast a depressing influence on all who keep themselves posted. It's a bad defeat, we know it."

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12190, 30 August 1883
Summary of Colonel Bee's interview in San Francisco Chronicle

Mariposa Gazette, Volume XXIX, Number 12, 8 September 1883
General Winn, founder of Mechanicals' State Council, died.

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 19, 13 September 1883
Mr. and Mrs. Bee arrived at Golden Eagle Hotel

Colonel Bee commented on possible revolution in China.
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Sep 22, 1883. p. 1 (1 page)

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12251, 30 October 1883
Merchants and habeas corpus
Chune and Chow case number 2562

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 62, 2 November 1883
Consul Bee expected 1000 Chinese to be on the next steamship to China.

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12263, 11 November 1883
Surveyor John M. Morton and Colonel Bee mentioned in this article.

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 72, 14 November 1883
Coroner's inquest

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 72, 14 November 1883
Consul Bee's meeting in Sacramento

Pong Ah Chu had lived in San Francisco and then went back to China. When Pong Ah Chu returned to San Francisco, he was ordered back to China because he did not have the proper paperwork. Pong Ah Chu contended that his prior residence made paperwork unnecessary.
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Nov 15, 1883. p. 3 (1 page)

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12267, 15 November 1883
Pong Ah Chee article

Pong Ah Chee's record number 2541

Morning Union, Volume 33, Number 5164, 16 November 1883
Consul Bee's reaction to riot

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 74, 16 November 1883
Burial of Lung Yet

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 75, 17 November 1883
Questions about validity of certificates

Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 18, Number 78, 21 November 1883
Colonel Bee aid Chinese to be allowed off the steamer Peking.
Case numbers 2567 and 2571

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12290, 8 December 1883
F.A. Bee visited Los Angeles, California

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12294, 12 December 1883
Passenger list passing Newhall (about 30 miles north of Los Angeles)

December 12, 1883
Owen Nickerson Denny received a letter from his colleagues in China to thank him for his work performance in Shanghai.
I included this letter because pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Bee were in the same collection as this letter.
Courtesy of Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections

Daily Alta California, Volume 35, Number 12303, 21 December 1883
A new feature was the recording of testimony.
Chun Ah Sin case number 2725

Mr. and Mrs. Bee returned from the East coast of USA.
San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File). San Francisco, Calif.: Dec 18, 1883. p. 2 (1 page)

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