Medan, September 7, 1916. A thirtieth anniversary. Now that the 12th of this year Mr Tjong A Fie is a well-known fellow townsman and fellow countryman will celebrate his thirty-year anniversary as the head of the Chinese, now being erected all over the city and the feast, according to his preparations, a in a large way, we once gathered some information about the civil service and public life of Mr. Tjong A Fie. We allow ourselves to reproduce below: and others, so that also the Delianen of the later years may know, that an important period in the development history of Deli Mr. Tjong A Fie has experienced.
On that jubilee day, there will be no shortage of words of honor, so that now we only need to list the most important facts from his life. The jubilee comes from Canton, from the village of Moy Hian. People who knew him there always claimed that he already excelled as a boy at school because of a clear mind, while he was a good son to his unmediated parents. At a young age he already felt that his For all labor force felt “e” nm io. He and his brother Tjong Yong Hian, who died a few years ago, understood that out there, in the wide world, more knowledge and experience could be bought than they could acquire in their parents’ shop. .
Together they went out along the road, as many of their tribesmen had gone to Penang and onwards to D di Half, guided by chance, they settled in Laboean, at that time still the capital of the East coast, the port and the center of all life. There, after a short time, they founded a business together under the company name “Ban Yoen Tjong. Outstanding in work ethic, labor power and spirit, the two brothers, of course, succeeded in bringing their business to fruition in a young country where considerable money was being made. Their diplomatic aptitude automatically pointed to them the way by which they could attain oother honor and prosperity, and when something had to be accomplished, they were never wrong with the roll call.
Hence, on November 4, 1885, Mr. Tjong V Fie was nominated by the controller of Laboean for the position of lieutenant-titular of the Chinese in that place, and on June 7, 1886, he was appointed head of the Keh-Cnineese at Laboean. Mr. Tjong A Fie belongs to the tribe of the Kehs. More and more Medan seemed to become the center of the country, and it was not soon that Mr. Tjong A Fie understood its significance when he settled in the young town. Already at Laboean well acquainted with the Sultan and Tunku Raja Mo Ha, he managed to obtain a plot of land for his dwelling, the first piece for his later g oot land in this place. Especially after his establishment in Medan, the jubilee came more and more in touch with the administration, which he informed about the societies and unions among the Chinese. It was late at the time when riots were the order of the day, when the two-and-five-finger covenant was rampant and repeated phone calls sent out the inspector to relieve a deceived officer with the necessary police as soon as possible. time, Mr Tjong A Fie made z eh especially useful to act between the interpreter and the interpreter, a function for which his extraordinarily great knowledge of the Chinese dialects impressed him. He knows how to pronounce himself in almost all the Chinese dialects occurring here at the seaside, as if he were among any of the tribes.
In those years Mr. Tjong A Fie was an almost indispensable personality and it goes without saying that when a vacancy arose he was appointed captain of the Chinese, a position he held for a few years when, after the death of his brother Tjong Yong Hian, these as Major.
In 1904 the government recognized the jubilee’s merits towards the administration, by bestowing him the little gold star of loyalty and merit. In 1906 he was also appointed as a member of the Afdeelingsraad, and when the Medansche Municipal Council was established in 1909, the designated representative of the municipality was appointed as a member of the many Chinese residents of the municipality. his appointment as major came true. It goes without saying that in the course of time, with the growth of city and region, with the emergence of more modern concepts, also among the Chinese, the position of Mr. Tjopg A Fie has changed somewhat, doah to this day. he remained a valued advisor and counselor for the board and his fellow countrymen, excelled by a rare clarity of fresh and practical insight. As a reward for all this, the queen honored him with the knighthood of Oranje Nassau, a distinction that he greatly appreciated.
Above, we mainly refer to the official briefly from Mr. Tjong A Fie in his relationship with the Dutch East Indies government, he has also fulfilled a meaningful role towards his own country, for which he has not been withheld from him. Except in the field of charity, on which we will later be charity, the jubilee distinguished himself towards China in the economic field. In 1901 the Chinese government granted him the title of “Tjie Voe,” for his assistance in the great floods and subsequent famine in Canton, which was later increased to that of “To Thay.” After serving as a committee member for the great exhibition, who bought new grounds for the establishment of factories for new industries, the title of ‘Sie Pung Kin Tong’ was conferred, which was later increased to that of ‘San Ping Kin Tong ”. The governor of Canton enlisted his hu! P to establish other industries for which he even made the trip to China, during which the old Major Tjong Yong Hian passed away. The survivor’s title of “minister” now passed to his successor. For a short while Major Tjong A Fte had to miss all these titles and honors, namely during the short era of the revolution. At the establishment of the Cheneeshe Republic, however, he not only received them all, but he was also appointed advisor of the government, while this year he was awarded the knighthood “Kia Wo Cnang” of the third class.
Beyond these official relationships, Mr. Tjong A Fie has made himself very useful both to the East Coast and to China through his philanthropy, which has indeed reached a level that should not be underestimated. As a good Chinese and a follower of Confucius, he took care of his extended family, but he was also able to do many good outside of that because of the power of his money. Almost thirty years ago he had the first two tepehkong, Chinese almshouse, built at Klingenstraat in Medan, while he also commissioned one at Peeloe Bayan. It was there that he had the first Chinese cemetery built, while he founded an association to manage it.
Well known is the foundation of the Chinese hospital in Medan aan den Hospitaalwvg, for which an association was also set up under the name “Tjie On Jie Jan”, where every needy Chinese can find shelter and nursing. And not as soon as news of floods or famine came from China, Mr. Tjong A Fie was always the first to actually provide support to the victims. In the province where he saw the light of day, he even created dikes to keep the rivers within their beds and thus prevent the annual flooding. He had three bridges built in Hokkian and a hospital was built in Hong Kong, of which he is the founder.
He supported other hospitals financially, he founded a fold in Hainan and the Red Cross at Soenghan received generous contributions from him. In Feotjoe, Major Tjong A Fte and his deceased brother even built a railway for the economic development of the country. In front of the Major’s office one often sees poor old Chineezeu who, it is said, are never sent away uncomfortable, and who are, if necessary, sent back to their villages at his expense. However, he also extended his gifts to the Mohameians. ‘ At that time he had a mosque erected in Medan, while several kampong langgars were paid for by him. For example in the kampang Petisah and even in Tapanoeli in Sipirok. The trabeers at Medan got the ground from him for their own burial place. Of his most recent deeds in this field, we only mention the donation of a kiokket tower to the municipality of Medan, his mediation for the donation of the Babura Bridge, his contributions to the leper colony and Poeloe Si Tjanang and to the Children’s Home in Medan for over a hundred and so many smaller matters in this area but not to mention.
In public life, Mr. Tjong A Fic occupies an important place due to his financially privileged position. He is director of the Deli Bank, founded by him as sole shareholder, owner of the Medan Hotel Mpij. owner of ae Rubor Maatschappij Si Boelan, president of the Chinese association “Ttong Hoa Tjoéng Sang Hui” and owner of most of the European houses in Medan and a huge number of shop houses here and elsewhere. It will be borne in mind that the Major has spent a very important sum of money for his jubilee, while, as has already been mentioned in the course of time, the various Cnineese associations and the whole Chinese community are also raising money to celebrate the day at Cntneesche adat gloriously. From the above pillars, those who know the history of Deli even less well understand the place Mr. Tjong A Fte ia the Chinese community, where especially power and prestige mainly arise
Stories from Deli 
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