Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-13
THE CHINESE STUDENTS IN CON-
NECTICUT

|
as think they have become acquainted with
John Chinaman in all his varieties and capac-
tiles, and that by resolutions and conventions
and spouting in clubs the so-called Monaghan
problem is disposed of, we reproduce the fol
lowing which appears in an Eastern print
under date of Hartford, Connecticut Sept. 1
A thick-set, short man, broad featured, and
of bilious complexion, attired in the latest
style, is a daily passenger on the morning
and evening trains between Hartford and
Avon. He might be taken for Spaniard,
but, except for the broad nostrils, would
never pass for native of China. Such how
ever, he is, and the head of the Chinese Edu-
cational Commission, whose headquarters are
in Hartford, and who have in their charge
one hundred and fifteen of the brightest lads
in all the Chinese Empire.
Thirty years ago this man, then lad in an
interior Chinese village, was picked up By an
American Missionary, and the stories he heard
of the wonderful land across the Pacific in
duced him to run the risk that native of
China then incurred who left his country, and
come to America After his arrival several
gentlemen interested themselves in him. He
was put to school, and at length he was gradu-
ated at Yale Colledge. He was the first native
of China to take a collegiate degree.
Yung Wings ten years in this country thor
oughly Americanized him, and he decided to
make it life work to pry open the eyes of his
sleeping fellow countrymen, and show them
what their real condition is, and what they
must do to put themselves ON an equality with
other nations.
He went back to China and began to work.
He was too shrewd to tell the mandarins at
| first that China is far behind the rest of the
world. He said nothing for some years, but
made himself so valuable by the use of certain
knowledge and suggestions that he had
gathered in the United States, that he soon
became a person of some influence. Then
he began to slyly drop hints as to the way in
| which things were done in America. So he
went on cautiously-for the mandarins are
very bigoted-until at last he suggested and,
as his influence grew more powerful, urged
his plan, and in 1869, nearl y twenty years
after his return to China, the Emperor con-
sented He was allowed to choose one hun
bred and fifteen boys, from seven to fourteen
years of age, and to bring them to this country
and give them such training as he saw fit
For this purpose the Chinese Government
appropriated 81 900, 900, and in 1872 the first
party of boys arrived in Hartford, followed in
1873 and 1874 by others.
With them came Yung Wing and four as
sistants and their servants, and these at their
home in this city make with the boys Chinese
home not only as peculiar as the Chinese, but
unlike any other Chinese people in the
United States. These represent the wealthy
aristocratic Chinese. They are no more like
the laundry John than the directors are like
the laborers on railroad.
AS soon as the boys reached Hartford they
families in Connecticut and Massachusetts
towns, so that they might learn the language
as quickly as possible. But so that their
Chinese schooling might not be lost, they |
come alternately tc the headquarters in Hart !
ford and spend three weeks in exclusively |
Chinese studies. A fine edifce has been |
erected in Hartford by Yung Wing, near the |
residences of Marshal JEWELL Gen Hawley, |
Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Some of the boys have got far enough |
along to enter Yale College, and in the school
contests they have beaten their American
schoolmates From college they will go to
the professional schools, particularly the
scientific studies, and then will be ready to
return to China, where they will spend their
lives as teachers
1t is Yung Wings opinion that the influence
of one hundred and fifteen able men, thor
oughly educated, and, more than all, thor
oughly Americanized by the fifteen years
spent there in their boyhood, cannot fail of
removing all obstacles that Chinese
Digotry has thus far put up to progress.
The social life of the assistants whom Yung
Wing brought over recently received some
prominence by a false rumor circulated by two
New York newspapers Yung Wing is
mandarin of the fifth rank. His four assis-
ants are Ngeu, fifth rank; Yung, sixth;
Hwong, sixth, and Len, seventh. Yung =
Wing himself has been naturalized, and is an a
American citizen. He has an American wife,
lister of DR.. Kellogg, an influential physician
# Hartford. His habits, attire, and religious
,elief are American.
Negu is quiet man, and likes good din
Ter and society. With him are two wives,
nd this fact has been generally known in
Hartford. Both wives are sometimes seen on
he sidewalk, and occasionally receive Ameri-
an ladies, But they are never seen with Ngeu, r
nd never appear at any of his entertainments r
his, not because he has two wives here, but
ecause Chinese custom requires it. Ngeu ri
as three children by one wife, but one by the f.
Their, although it has been reported that the
ecent birth of child by the second wife O
ithin four mounths of a previous birth,
ID to the discovery that both women were n
Tgeu's wives There has been no such dis
overy in HARTFORD for every one who knew H
'geu knew that he was living with two wives. Al
Kurny, the interpreter, has his second
ife with him. His first and the children by d
er are in China. Yung and Leu left their re