9. Chew Boon Seong dies, Chew Boon Hong comes to Kampong Kepayang

Chew Boon Hong arrived in Ipoh in 1910 after the death of Chew Boon Seong

In 1909 Chew Boon Seong, the eldest of the Chew brothers passed away. He was 36 years old.  

The funeral arrangement was managed by the third brother Boon San. It included transporting the coffin with the body back to China.

Boon Juan took over all of his brother’s business including Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop, Ipoh. Later the rice shop ceased operating and was converted to a shop dealing with rubber and tin ore business.

Boon Juan, in addition, took over the responsibility of looking after and educating his children including sending one son to study Law in England.

Boon Seong when he was alive sent most of his money back to China where he had built a mansion. He had three wives two of them in China. When the communist took over the country the mansion was confiscated and was used partly as a school and the other half by the military.

Subsequently Boon Juan requested that his youngest brother Boon Hong to come over to help him in his business.

Boon Hong was then a teacher preparing for the Imperial Examination. Being the last brother he oversaw the funeral arrangements of Boon Seong and all other family matters before departing.

In 1910 Chew Boon Hong, at the age of 24, paid 50 dollars as ship fare to set out from China for a voyage bound south to Penang, Malaya.

He then took a train to Ipoh. At the Ipoh Railway Station Boon Juan sent a horse cart to pick him up to take him to Ban Chin Hoe Tin Ore Shop, Kampong Kepayang.

At Kampong Kepayang the workers at the Shop praised the brothers for their fraternal love between them.  

 

“I love my brothers.

Whatever I have I also want them to have.

We came from a poor background.

When I prosper I also want my brothers to prosper as well”

by … Chew Boon Juan

 

 

End.

Next. Kampong Kepayang, the town where Chew Boon Juan made his fortune.

8. Brothers Boon Seong and Boon Juan Open Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop In Ipoh

Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop started in 1908 at corner lot at Market Street

The Chew brothers Boon Seong and Boon Juan opened a rice shoe in Ipoh. They called it Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop.

The brothers had a sundry business in Kampong Kepayang yet they started a rice shop in Ipoh in 1908.  Ipoh in that year was experiencing an issue with vagrants.

.........'The Kinta Sanitary Board had discovered the first deaths from starvation in the Capital of Tin Land, the Hub of Malaya.

Ipoh did not have vagrants until the recession of 1895-97 when a severe slump in tin prices threw 18,000 mining coolies in Kinta out of work.

The authorities were more concerned with lawlessness among the unemployed than the hapless vagrants who were merely a nuisance to be tolerated until better times when they could work again in the mines.

However the subsequent recessions that Ipoh faced came in short cycles of 4-6 years and the vagrancy problem never really went away. There was always an underclass of poor subjects comprising Chinese and Tamils men who at best lived from hand to mouth.

The shelters under the bridges of Ipoh became a haven for the homeless. The Sanitary board sent out carts in the early mornings to round up those still asleep under the bridge and supposedly those sick were candidates for the decrepit wards of hospital.

In 1908 they discovered their first deaths by starvation. It was not surprising as the only food these poor people had was from scavenging the dustbins....' Taken from the book ‘Ipoh. When Tin Was King’.

According to Ignatius Chew Eng Lin his uncle Chew Choon Siew told him that the rice wholesale shop was located at a corner lot at a crossroad along Market Street. Opposite the shop was a bar/liquor shop. 

It was under these circumstances the Chew brothers started Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop

End

Next: Chew Boon Seong dies and Chew Boon Hong comes to Kampong Kepayang

 

7. Chew Boon Juan’s Mother Dies, Boon San Comes Over, Boon Seong Consolidates And Chew Choon Siew is Born.

In 1904 three Chew brothers were in Kampong Kepayang (l-r) Boon Juan, Boon Seong and Boon San  

 Amidst all the jubilation of Chew Boon Juan’s successful maiden tin mine opening there was another equally bad news Chew Boon Juan’s mother had passed away in China. The year was 1904.

The mother Madame Toh K’ng Neoh was an affectionate mother. In mid spring of that year she had witnessed the marriage of her fourth son Chew Boon Hong. But in June of that same year she fell sick.

The family in China tried their very best to seek medical treatment for her. They looked after her day and night but eventually she passed away leaving the family members laden with grief and sorrow.

Madame Toh left with no regrets as she had witnessed all of her children, 4 boys and 2 girls get married.

It had always been the unwritten rule that one brother be left behind to look after their parents. With the passing of their mother Chew Boon San the 3^rd brother was now permitted to come over to Malaya and join Boon Seong and Boon Juan.

Boon Hong remained behind and part worked and part studied to become a scholar.

In 1905 Chew Choon Siew was born, the first male born to Goh Lean Kee and Chew Boon Juan.

Kampong Kepayang was now a busy village. Three Chew brothers were around and each one with their own tin related business.

Chew Boon Juan had his tin mine business with Alma Baker and his other enterprises generating wealth for him.

Chew Boon Seong, the eldest brother established Ban Hock Loong engaged in operating quarries and open cast mining as well as mining business like supplying goods for mining companies.

All the employees in the shop, those holding responsible positions and managing money matter eg food and mining tools etc were persons from their native village. The miners were mostly Hakka people from Jiayang and Meixian and they were learned persons as well as diligent and conscientious in their work.

Chew Boon San too in time opened his business, Ban Hoe Bee Tin Ore Shop but in Gopeng several kilometers south of Kg Kepayang.

The success of Chew Boon Juan’s tin mine created a synergy in Kampong Kepayang to start businesses which augured well for the community.

End

Next. Brothers Boon Seong and Boon Juan Open Ban Hoe Seng Rice Shop In Ipoh

6. Evidence Of Chew Boon Juan’s Tin Mining Activity At Gua Puncak, Gunong Lanno

Chew Yew Kong (l) and Ignatius Chew, grandsons of Chew Boon Juan dismayed that the entrance to Gua Puncak has been closed. At back is Gunong Lanno

In 2001 a European speleological team made an expedition to Gunong Lanno. One of the caves of Gunong Lanno that they explored was Gua Puncak which they stated was the largest cave in Gunong Lanno in terms of length of 1584, depth of 66m and passage size.

The team found evidence of mining whereby the cave chambers were enlarged to enable mining activity.

Liz Price a veteran caver who has documented Malaysian limestone caves and fauna had been into Gua Puncak. She stated that although Gua Puncak had been mined for tin she could not find any mining records for this site.

1907- Charles Alma Baker's mining works...from the book '20th Century Impressions of Malaya'... possibly the entrance to Gua Puncak?

2001. Entrance area for Gua Puncak..from the book 'Expedition Gunong Lanno Malaysia"

Quarrying partly blocked the entrance to Gua
Puncak.2006. Photo Liz Price

She said the entrance passages to Gua Puncak were small but had been enlarged by miners.

Additionally various mining relics could still be seen such as a concrete dam, parts of a palong and some tools and light bulbs

She added that an excursion in April 2006 reported that quarrying partly blocked the entrances to Gua Puncak and the cave was in danger of being lost forever.

The 2006 excursion was reported by a local daily and it stated the mining activity was done ‘by Chew Boon Juan the contractor of Charles Alma Baker in the early twentieth century’. It further reported that mining tool and implements were found within the cave.

The 2006 local daily report that said "mined by Chew Boon Juan the contractor for Alma Baker"

In my earlier post I had reported that Charles Alma Baker, immediately after his mines successful start-up, had applied for another 120 acres cliff land running around the base of the hill and a further 170 acres covering the remaining area of Gunong Lanno.

In all probability it was the mine of Charles Alma Baker and Chew Boon Juan even though there was no concrete evidence.

Found in Gua Puncak, a concrete dam..photo: Liz Price

parts of a palong or railway track..photo Liz Price 

above and below, tools, light bulb, misc..photo Liz Price  

Phillip Leong with the
Chew cousins

In 2017 Ignatius Chew Eng Lin together with his cousin Chew Yew Kong both grandsons of Chew Boon Juan went in search of the entrance to Gua Puncak. Phillip Leong the former President of the Malaysian Karst Society who led the 2006 excursion would show them the way.  

Unfortunately the entrance had been blocked and covered up due to extensive quarrying.

The words of Liz Price rang true that ‘further blasting’ from quarry works would completely seal the entrance to Gua Puncak forever.

Possibly with continuous quarrying Gunong Lanno too may be history one day. Time will tell.

End

Next. Chew Boon Juan's mother dies, third brother Chew Boon San comes over. and the birth of Chew Choon Siew. 

5. Chew Boon Juan. The Golden Mountain aka Gunong Lanno

Charles Alma Baker's productive 'flying fox' mines worked by Chew Boon Juan at Gunong Lanno in 1903 was instantly successful 

The first mine worked by Alma Baker and Chew Boon Juan was opened in 1903. It was instantly successful.

Gunong Lanno was indeed different from other limestone hills. Standing 1,300 feet above sea level, it was only half the height above the valley floor and once the top of the plateau was reached it was like mining on flat ground.

Its jungle covered cliffs which rose steeply from the surrounding plain were broken by sharp gullies and ravines where they were heavy accumulations on tin.

Equally rich were the tin deposits in the labyrinth of caves at least thirty-two in number running through the limestone and required the use of wire ropes, pulleys and other equipment to access the mineral. 

It earned the name of “Alma Baker’s productive ‘flying fox’ mines at Gunong Lanno”.

Wire ropes, pulleys and other equipment were used to access the mineral from a labyrinth of 32 number of caves.

Charles Alma Baker quickly applied another 120 acres of the cliff land running around the base of the hill. In 1905 he again applied for a further 170 acres to cover most of the remaining area of Gunong Lanno.

Boon Juan holding the sub lease was then employing several hundred workers. Gunong Lanno was worked continuously until the mid-1920’s employing more than 200 men through to 1913 then 100 for the next seven years and gradually less for the remainder of the twenty-one mining lease.

The DO EJ Brewster wrote in his 1908 Kinta Annual Report “Rich deposits of tin ore continue to be found in the limestone hills and caves: those at Gunong Lanno near Sungai Raia have continued to give handsome returns”

It gave Alma Baker an annual income of at least $50,000 more in the earlier years his chabut being 15-20% of the profits. Charles Alma Baker had become a millionaire before the outbreak of first world war and was one the richest and most influential Europeans in Kinta.

Similarly for Chew Boon Juan Gunong Lanno was a Golden Mountain. It gave him fabulous wealth which he used subsequently to expand his business, purchasing properties and land beyond Kampong Kepayang. 

Additionally he shared his wealth with his brothers all of whom did well in business.

 End

Next: Evidence Of Chew Boon Juan's Tin Mining Activity - At Gua Puncak, Gunong Lanno

4.Chew Boon Juan Meets Surveyor Charles Alma Baker

Contract Surveyor Charles Alma Baker and his residence at Batu Gajah

Chew Boon Juan had saved his business. He decided to further expand and take bigger risks for better returns and that meant venturing into tin mining.

The Chinese faced difficulties in getting land from the Government for mining. The Europeans however had no such difficulty in obtaining mining leases but could not get the coolies cheaply enough.

Charles Alma Baker from New Zealand came to Kinta in 1890 doing road construction for the government. In 1892 he was appointed the Contract Surveyor for Kinta Land Office in Batu Gajah. In the course of his surveying he came across a limestone hill, less than a square mile just beyond Kampong Kepayang called Gunong Lanno.

In 1893 C Fincham the Kinta Mining Surveyor made a visit to the area around Kg Kepayang and found some mines at the foot hills. He climbed to the top of Gunong Lanno and was surprised to see a vast plateau. The area was eminently suitable for mining even though it was hilly terrain.

However, Fincham’s report was forgotten until Alma Baker ‘rediscovered’ it. He applied for a 40 acre mining lease which was given to him in 1900.

Chew Boon Juan who was the principal towkay of Kampong Kepayang was approached by Charles Alma Baker.

Generally the Chinese did not like to mine in limestone areas. The tin deposits were usually found in pockets at different levels in the crevices of the limestone blocks. This involved extra costs in wire ropes, pulleys and other equipment. Although rich pockets of tin could be found they were usually worked out in a short time.

Additionally it was precarious and involved extra cost of shifting from time to time to different sites of operation. Unlike mining on flat land they could apply a systematic boring to determine the lifespan of the mine.

Considering all of the factors Alma Baker had to persuade the Boon Juan that Gunong Lanno was different from the usual limestone hills.

Chew Boon Juan together with his brother Chew Boon Seong agreed to work his land. They would provide the capital, employ the workers and pay him the chabut.

Destiny had found Chew Boon Juan to take him to the next level of prosperity.

End

Next: The Golden Mountain aka Gunong Lanno