The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-02-28
Death OF Professor Ko Kun Hua, of Har.
yard


The Chinese instructor in Harvard col
lege, Professor Ko Kun Hua, died some
what suddenly this afternoon, at his home
in Cambridge, of pneumonia. He had
been i'll with cold tor about fortnight,
but that his trouble was of a serious nature
was not generally understood. He
has been here since September, 1879,
when he began his three years en-
gagement to teach the Chinese Ian
guage at the college, and he has, during his
residence in Cambridge, most favorably
impressed those who have come in contact
with him by his cultivated manners, his
modest demeanor and his character. His
engagement was the result of movement
begun in 1877 by Francis 2. Knight, of this
city, who had lived in China for
several years, to- secure Chi
subscription of $3.50 was raised for
native teacher of the Mandarian or cassi-
cal Chinese, and it was designed to fit young
men to take positions of a high grade in the
Chinese government service, and also en-
able them to engage in mercantile pursuits
in China, with the view to facilitating the
commercial intercourse between the two
countries. 1t was found a difficult task
TO obtain an educated Chinese gentle
man willing to leave his country and UNI
dertake the task, but finally Professor 10
was secured, with the consent of his gov
eminent to his engagement.
Professor Ko Kun Hua was q native of
4 Ningpo, China, and was 10 years old when
he died lie was n9ed early in life for
| his aLtainments in Mandarin Chinese and
general Chinese literature. He was
admitted by the Emperor to the
rank of Mandarin, and was entitled to
wear one the two shades of the Blue But.
ton. He held several important positions
under the government at Ningpo, and dur.
Ing the rebellion was a foreign secre.
mry. He made several literary ven.
lures in his native country and here
lie published u volume of poems in China
written in the Hall of Longevity at
Nlngpo, Since his residence here he hal
written and published poems in his ma
1--WE language. At the time of his death h,
md nearly finished a translation of some Of
his poems into English, which it was hiI
purpose to publish the coming year During
MS engagement here he has learned our Ian
guaye and was able to converse in II with ,
good degree of fairness, though on hi
arrival he could not speak wore
o. English, Whether his experience vii
De regarded rs successful result of thu
experiment. undertaken by the college b!
MS engagement isa question. He has ha,
only four or five pupils in ALL but the re
suits obtained are considered to have beef
most satisfactory. He taught both Enc
nsh and French pupils at NingapC
and he has said that one of hi
American pupils surpassed any
ever had there, 1t is also stated that on
o,hs pupils ut least here has already u,
Slred the ability to converse easily witt
MandQrins. The professors term her
would have expired the present year. II
eoves wife and six children OF III
,9ter, the two oldest, II an
II years old, respectively, were mad
Mandarins by special creation b
The emperor before leaving China for thi
country Next Saturday will be the Oh
nese New Year, and the day was locke
Orward TO with pleasure, for that occasio
nus been the only one on which the proic,
Yrhad been in the habit OF entertaining
us own home Boston correspondent,
New York Times, lith.