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Mr. Wong Soong-dong was born at Ningpo, Chekiang province, in 1854. He came to Shanghai at an early age and received his education in that port. In 1871 he joined the staff at the American Consulate, Shanghai, as shroff and has served as compradore in the disbursing office of the Consulate under sixteen Consuls-General, being the oldest and only Chinese consular officer in the U. S. service in China. Mr. Wong has seen many changes in Shanghai and in the U. S. consular work since the time he joined the staff. At that time there were few foreign houses and the U. S. Consulate was located in the old Japanese Consular buildings, now a godown at 36 Whangpoo Road. Later the consulate removed to Kiukiang Road and then to its present location at 12 Whangpoo Road. Mr. Wong said there have been great changes from the time when they rented their buildings, which were only valued at Tls. 8,000 and now when the land is worth Tls. 60,000 and the buildings are government owned. Mr. Wong is the father of six sons, has eight grandsons, and two great-grandsons. He now resides with Mrs. Wong at 14 Morrison Road. One of Mr. Wong's sons, Homer Wong, who received his education at St. John's University, is Deputy Director General of Posts at Peking and another Yates Wong,