Grapes - Wah Jang Fruit Shop - Queen St Auckland

作者：chinesetimes发表时间：2005-11-3 19:57:00(七) 纽西兰孟尝君---黄尔昌的“和栈”十九世纪末叶和二十世纪初叶的老华侨都是坐轮船来纽，而且要二十五天的航程才能由香港到达屋仑市，轮船也不会很大，只不过是由五千吨至八千吨的货客轮而已。来往轮船最多的是太古洋行，该洋行属下有多艘轮船定期航行于太平洋各大城市。轮船抵达屋仑市后，必定要购买一个月的粮食，当时“和栈”（ＷＡＨ　ＪＡＮＧ）就是包办粮食落船的蔬果商号，为老华侨的共识。“和栈”开设于二十世纪初叶，约于一九一Ｏ年间，位于市中心皇后街三十一号，即现今的ＤＯＷＮ　ＴＯＷＮ大楼。该铺楼高两层，铺面长阔，由ＱＵＥＥＮ　ＳＴ.通过ＡＬＢＥＲＴ　ＳＴ.，两边街都有门口，楼下是蔬果、粮食批发店，楼上是俱乐部及宿舍。早期来纽的华人都是很辛苦的，特别是初到步及年老、回乡的华人，他们都很需要有落脚之所，同时，他们都不懂得英语，又需要别人替他订船位，而“和栈”却担负起这个任务。“和栈”的经理人黄汝春懂英语及粤语，专为华人订船位、买保险、介绍工作。“和栈”还提供住宿和俱乐部。店内每天都开大锅饭，食客少者十余人，多者三十多人，雇有专职厨师，对来往之侨胞招待妥善，不收分文，为各界华人所称赞。开设“和栈”之东主原有黄尔昌、陈九、关子楷三人。不久，关子楷退出，剩余黄尔昌和陈九二人，主理店务者为黄尔昌，并聘土生华裔黄汝春为经理，他懂英语和粤语，不但能处理店内事务，还兼保险生意，当时最主要者为华人购买汽车保险。华人遇到有问题发生，黄汝春必挺身出来帮助解决。“和栈”有优良的业绩，他的功劳很大，同时他常为老华侨办事，故受到华人所尊敬。黄尔昌虽不懂英语，但肯忠诚为侨胞服务，经常照顾年老及失业的华人，收客在店内免费食宿，在华人心中留下良好的印象，有“纽西兰孟尝君”的雅号，受到各界华人所尊崇。与此同时，黄尔昌还致力于社团工作，为了团结华人，是先后组织“纽西兰华侨联合总会”、“屋仑友会”、及“华侨会所”的主要份子。在屋仑华侨会所早期的职员集体照中亦有他在内，至今他已有四代儿孙定居于纽西兰了。二十世纪七十年代时“和栈”与附近的商店均已改建大楼，老铺已不存在了。老铺拆卸后由他的孙儿曾将“和栈”迁往ＧＲＥＡＴ　ＮＯＲＴＨ　ＲＤ.一间小店继续经营，为时不久，他的孙儿亦举家迁往美国工作，把小店转让给一位洋人，现已人面已非了。　　相关文章：Andrew Chong Snr Biography....Short biography from James Ng's Windows of a Chinese Past Vol 3 pg 200Little has been written about Andrew Chong, but it is clear that had he lived longer (he died front a heart attack in 1957, aged 51), he would have succeeded to the top leadership among the Chinese in New Zealand. He possessed public spirit. and a balanced character combined with leadership qualities and fluency in English. Andrew Chong was born in Wanganui in 1906, his father a fruiterer, and a relation of Wong Kwok Min. In those days, it was believed that the children had to return to China for art education to gain Chineseness and not 'bane ah fun kwie' (become a foreign devil). For example, Bill Wong, George Wong and Ernest Sar Louie were sent back. So Andrew was sent to his home village of Gar Leung in Zengcheng at the age of 13. When he returned he was bilingual and literate in both languages. He became an interpreter and commission agent, for example. in travel. He went to Auckland where he became the manager of Wah Jang Co. which had two fruitshops, were shipping agents and supplied hotels. In arranging travel, Wah J ang was especially competitive to the Ah Chees. The three main fruit and vegetable auctioneers in Auckland also each provided a Chinese agent who would smooth out any difficulties and negotiate loans for the garden, the purchase of a truck, etc. Andrew Chong became such an agent for A.B. Donalds. His important Chinese contemporaries in Auckland included Henry Ah Kew, the solicitor (there was another Chinese Solicitor, S.W.W. Tong, of whom little is known except lie was practising around 1928. National Archives. Auckland. BCAG, A74, File 22/1). But it was Andrew Chong who was the public figure who could best mix and work with Europeans. He was the first Chinese justice of' the Peace in New Zealand.　　　　下期介绍：华人杂货店百年历史：位于屋仑市HOBSON STREET的“和利”杂货店，始创于一九O四年。一九三O年代，华人从事农业后，日渐增加，他们每天都要把农业品运到市区的菜栏出售，很需要有地方歇息，同时也很注重乡情，还要购买粮食什货。于是当年有十多位四邑乡亲（合山、新会、开平、恩平等四个县）合股经营常源杂货店，使业农的乡亲们有休息及买必需品的场所。