His Gift by Dale Lee Kwong

This fictional story is inspired by the life of a Chinese immigrant known as Jimmy Smith. Details of his life vary from account to account, with only his English Christian name being known. Contracting and eventually succumbing to tuberculosis in 1890, he made a substantial donation in his will to The Hospital Fund upon his death. It helped establish the second Calgary General Hospital at 632 13 Avenue SE, a place we now know as the Rundle Ruins. Jimmy Smith is buried in Union Cemetery among early founders and other prominent people in early Calgary. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to learn more about ‘James Smith, Chinaman’. 

Illustration by Jarett Sitter

His Gift by Dale Lee Kwong, read by the author

The Town of Calgary 

Spring of 1890 

Jackie Dunn knew better than to argue with a woman. That was not the way his mother raised him, nor the missionaries who adopted him later. But they had never met this strong independent woman. The one now insisting she would be angry if he named her the primary beneficiary in his will. 

“If you truly love me, you will not leave me anything,” Yin said. 

“What?” he asked. 

“Jackie, we are not married. You don’t owe me anything, and our Lord always provides. Use your nest egg to make the world a better place.”   

“But I want to make the world a better place for you.” 

“You could! Donate your savings to bless many rather than just one. My brother Yang and I cared for ourselves before we met you, and we will continue to do so after you’re gone.” 

They sat in silence as Jackie suppressed another cough. Her statement was a reminder of his declining health, and the lawyer coming to discuss his Last Will and Testament.  

It didn’t need to be so complicated. He had no dependents or living relatives. His resources could make her life so much easier.  

* * *  

Four years earlier

Jackie Dunn knew better than to argue with a woman. He admired the courage it took for a Chinese woman to leave Chinatown and walk into Squibb’s Bakery by herself. Her tentative English impressed him. He stepped closer and offered to pay for her Scottish shortbread.  

Yin was taken aback. Why would this tall, white man make such a suggestion? What would people think, and what might he want in exchange? 

“Oh no, thank you. I am most able to pay myself.”  

 “It would be my pleasure, miss.” 

He extended his hand, then realized she might not be familiar with the custom of shaking hands. Instead, he bowed slightly from the waist in a traditional Chinese gesture of deference.  

“I’m Jackie Dunn. My friends call me JD.” 

The cashier teased, “Actually, his friends call him much worse than that!”  

Jackie chuckled. “You see? Now I am no longer a stranger.” 

Yin was not prepared for this encounter. She was focused on the task Reverend Tong at the Chinese Mission had given to practice her English: go to George Squibb’s Bakery, ask about the daily specials, and make a purchase. Now flustered, she was determined not to show it.  

Yin firmly pushed her money along the counter toward the cashier.  

“Please accept this payment, thank you.” 

She watched as the cashier counted out her change, nodded to the tall man in the hat, and walked toward the exit.  

Jackie rushed past her and opened the swinging door. 

“Have a nice day, miss.” 

He hastened to the window to watch her head east on the Stephen Avenue boardwalk. Jackie knew well who she was, and hoped she was destined for Knox Presbyterian Church along the way to Chinatown.  

In the small but growing Chinese community, everyone knew about the recent arrival of the twin brother and sister from Toisan village. During the initial implementation of Ottawa’s new Head Tax for Chinese immigrants, they miraculously arrived without being taxed. What Jackie didn’t know was that Yin assumed he was a white man. She had received his welcoming gestures with suspicion and confusion.  

“JD!” The cashier interrupted his thoughts. “What’ll it be?” 

* * *

Yin walked directly to Knox. She found Reverend Tong out back watering the vegetable garden -- a crop to thank the congregation for letting the fledgling Calgary Chinese Mission use their building.  

Yin proudly unwrapped the Scottish shortbread and presented it to the Reverend.  

In English, he insisted, “You must try this. It will melt on your tongue like a piece of fatty duck.”   

Yin thought it was even more heavenly than that.  

As she retrieved the change from her coin purse, she mentioned the tall foreigner in a hat.  

The Reverend said, “Surely that was JD, but he’s –,” Then, as if on cue, the creaky garden gate swung open and JD strolled in.   

Yin blurted out in her Toisan dialect, “That’s him! The foreigner!”   

“Where’s the foreigner?” Jackie responded, also in Toisanese. Then he tipped his hat and revealed his jet-Black hair.  

Yin was perplexed as the Reverend introduced them. 

“Our new friend is practicing her English. Do you have time to make conversation with her?”   

The opportunity was exactly what Jackie was hoping for. Soon, he and Yin were sitting on the garden swing, neither of them noticing the scent of lilac fading as dinnertime approached. 

They continued to meet. Yin learned that Jackie Dunn’s English surname was taken from the missionaries who adopted him in China. They returned to Canada when he was a teen -- he was one of the first Chinese in the settlement. He made friends easily, and his grasp of the English language and Canadian customs came quickly.  

After his schooling, Jackie opened a store with the help of his parents. With an aptitude for languages, he easily bargained with native Indians, white settlers, and Chinese immigrants from various districts in China. The Kwong Hing Lung General Store flourished when located to Chinatown. It sold everything from beaver pelts to dried goods and local vegetables. Yin later learned of his reputation as a fair businessman.   

Over the next four years Jackie and Yin spent time exploring the foothills around Calgary, and sharing their dreams. Together with Yin’s twin brother Yang, the three became an inseparable team at the Mission. They tutored English, helped new immigrants find jobs and housing, assisted with government forms, and wrote letters back to China. At services, Jackie played piano while the siblings sang in harmony. 

After a suitable courtship, Jackie asked Yin to marry him. Yin refused. She explained that she and Yang had found their calling amongst the Chinese bachelors separated from their families by the Head Tax. They promised their father to watch out for one another, and they planned to remain single together.  

Jackie proposed many times, and each time Yin gently turned him down. But the tall man in the hat never gave up hope. 

* * * 

Spring of 1890 

Jackie Dunn knew better than to argue with a woman. He knew Yin meant well by making him Chinese herbal soups, but he knew the pungent concoctions couldn’t help. What began as a tickle in his throat progressed to a persistent cough that eventually produced bloody phlegm. Calgary didn’t have a hospital, and its small clinic had no room for patients with consumption.  

Through church connections, Reverend Tong found a suitable home where Jackie could quarantine. The wife was one of the few nurses in the region.     

The Reverend suggested Jackie make his “final arrangements.” Yin organized a house call with Jackie’s friend Bobby Black, a lawyer at Lougheed, Bennett and Company.  

The window curtains fluttered between them as Bobby took notes from the porch. Jackie propped himself up in bed and cleared his throat.  

“My dilemma is honouring Yin’s wishes while respecting my own,” Jackie said.   

Bobby suggested several options for Jackie to consider. They agreed it would be prudent to discuss his decision with Yin before finalizing the legal documents. 

Bobby retrieved Yin from the kitchen where she was preparing more soup. On the veranda, she sat a good distance away as Jackie explained his proposed will.  

“My biggest asset is the Kwong Hing Lung. With your blessing, I wish to leave the general store to your brother. Yang can manage or sell it however he sees fit. I trust he will ensure the two of you live comfortably for the rest of your lives.”  

Jackie struggled to catch his breath, then continued.  

“I bequeath my good suit to the store manager for serving me so well, especially during my illness.” 

“I shall donate the clear and unencumbered balance of my life savings to The Hospital Fund. Calgary needs a hospital if it ever hopes to become a city.” 

Jackie looked at Yin and held her gaze.  

“Finally, as you requested, I leave you nothing but the knowledge I have loved you from the moment we met.”  

Yin smiled as tears welled up in her eyes.  

Jackie settled back in his bed. Now he could rest. Yin and Yang would be financially stable. His donation would make a difference for this Canadian town he embraced as home. His gift would be a blessing for the community, and a reminder to leave the world a better place than you find it.  

THE END 

Epilogue: 

This fictional story is inspired by the legacy of a Chinese immigrant known as Jimmy Smith. Details of his life vary from account to account. What can be confirmed is that he made a substantial donation to The Hospital Fund upon his death in 1890. It helped establish the second Calgary General Hospital at 632 13th Avenue SE, what we now know as the Rundle Ruins in Victoria Park. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to learn more about the man whose tombstone reads ‘James Smith, Chinaman.’   

Illustration by Jarett Sitter