Questions about Polly and Charlie:
Where did Polly live in China?
She was born somewhere in the north, near Beijing, but we don't know
the exact town or village.
Why could Polly's parents sell her?
It was Chinese custom for a girl to be owned by her father, and he
could sell her if he wanted to. When she grew up and got married,
her husband owned her. These customs are illegal in China now.
What was Polly's life in China like before she came to America?
After she came to America, Polly said very little about her life in
China. We don't know if she had any brothers and sisters, or any pets.
According to Chinese custom, her feet were once bound. That meant
that she could not work in the fields, so her family probably lived a comfortable
life at first. Later, they became poor and her parents sold her because
they had no food.
Was Polly sad that her parents sold her?
Polly never said how she felt, but she was probably very sad.
When she was growing up, Chinese children were trained to respect their
parents and to obey their wishes, and to not complain even if something
made them unhappy.
Did she ever see her family again?
No, she never saw them again.
What happened to Polly's family in China?
We don't know what happened to them. Because it was more than
150 years ago, they would all be dead now. If she did have brothers
and sisters, though, they may have descendants who would be related to
Polly. Unfortunately, we can't find out anything about them because
we don't know the name of the town or village in China that was Polly's
original home.
How did Polly learn English?
Because Polly was from northern China, she spoke one dialect of Chinese.
Her language was either Mandarin Chinese or an ethnic minority language.
Most Chinese immigrants came to America from southern China. They
spoke Cantonese or some version of it. Therefore, Polly and the other
immigrants could not understand each other because their Chinese pronunciation
was too different. Polly had many Caucasian friends, and learned
English by talking with them.
Did Polly and Charlie have any children?
No, they did not. They got married in 1894 when Polly was 40.
Although that was not too old for her to have children, she may not have
wanted to have any of her own. Then, in Idaho and the West, many
people were prejudiced against Chinese persons. If she and Charlie
had children, the children would be half-Chinese and half-Caucasian.
Some grownups might have been mean to them and some children might have
teased them.
What sickness did Charlie die from?
Charlie was bedridden for a couple of years before he died. He
might have had a lung disease, such as tuberculosis, which was then called
consumption. When their house burned, he breathed a lot of smoke.
That was very bad for his health.
What did Polly die from?
Polly probably had a stroke, which put her into the hospital.
She never recovered, and may have died from a combination of the stroke
and old age (she was over 80). Her death certificate says that she
died from "chronic myocarditis," which the dictionary defines as "inflammation
of the muscular part [myocardium] of the heart wall."
Why aren't Polly and Charlie buried together?
Charlie is buried where he died, which is at the Shepp Ranch.
Although Polly was originally buried in Grangeville, Idaho, people later
exhumed her (dug her up) and reburied her next to her house on the Salmon
River. In China, husbands and wives are often buried in separate
places.
What caused the fire that burned down their house?
Polly used a wood stove for cooking, and their house was roofed with
wood shingles. Maybe the chimney got too hot and set the ceiling
on fire or some sparks blew out of the chimney and set the wooden roof
on fire.
What was Polly's Chinese name (first and last)?
We don't know what Polly's first name was. Some people have called
her "Lalu" but we don't know where that name comes from. Her last
name is on her marriage certificate. It was "Nathoy" or maybe "Hathoy."
Where did they get seeds for planting?
They could buy seeds at stores in Warren, or order them from a catalogue.
Both Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward had catalogues then.
How big was their garden?
One newspaper story said it was about four acres. They used much
of that to grow hay to feed their horses in the winter.
Questions about their neighbors:
When did Polly's neighbors, Charlie Shepp and Pete Klinkhammer,
die?
Charlie Shepp died in 1936, three years after Polly died. Pete
Klinkhammer died in 1970, age 89.
Where are they buried?
Charlie Shepp is buried on the Shepp Ranch next to Charlie Bemis.
Pete Klinkhammer is buried in Grangeville's Prairie View Cemetery.
Questions about their animals:
What was the cougar's name?
We don't know what the cougar's name was. If you had a pet cougar,
what would you name it?
What did they feed the cougar?
Since the cougar ate at the table with them, they probably fed it table
scraps. That long ago, I don't think there were any companies that
made special cat food and dog food in cans or bags.
What happened to the cougar?
One written source says, "Eventually the cougar had to be put away."
What do you think that means? Why do you think the cougar had to
be put away?
Questions about Johnny and Gay Carrey:
What happened to Gay and Johnny?
Gay and Johnny both grew up and got married. Later, they died.
Johnny is buried in the Riggins, Idaho, cemetery.
What did Johnny do when he grew up?
Johnny was a sheep rancher. He wrote books about the history
of the Salmon River and Idaho County. He also wrote poetry.
Miscellaneous questions:
How did you find the information for your book?
The information about Polly that is in the book comes from newspaper
and magazine articles about her when she was alive. The Idaho State
Historical Society Library and Archives in Boise has many photographs of
her. The Historical Museum at St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho also
has many photographs of her, and they have some of her personal belongings
such as clothes, needlework, jewelry, and household items. The Bicentennial
Historical Museum in Grangeville, Idaho has Polly's wedding ring.