The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-18

Queen City for her home, has a rather
remarkable and romantic history, and
which is, perhaps, unknown to many of
her acquaintance, so modest and I'M
assuming is she and absorbed in her
daily work and studies. 1t will al
most startle some who know Miss
pupil at the College of Music for
two years, to learn that her real name
is Suma Matsu HOMO and that she
is the daughter of Japanese noble
man and an American mother. Count
HOMO, of Japan, married Miss Emma
Tyler, who was of a branch of Presi-
dent Tyler's family, and a Virginian
by birth and rearing, in Philadelphia
in 1876, the year of the great Centen
NAL Exposition. The only child of the
union is the young lady now in Gin
cinnati, who was born in Boston in
1873. The mother was an orphan, who
was teaching school in Philadelphia
at the time of her marriage, and is
said to have been lady of much
beauty and brilliancy.
Count HOMO remained in this coun-
try until his death, which occurred a
few years after his daughter was born,
engaging in business in Boston and
New York. The Japanese were much
more prejudiced in those days against
foreigners than they are now, and the
Counts family never fully forgave him
for his alliance with the American
lady. When Suma Matsu, the daugh-
ter, was 3 years and a half old her
Japanese grand parents became re-
conciled to her father, who, upon their
request. sent his only child TO Japan
to be brought up as a Japanese. The
mother consented to part with her
child. for she was in very i'll health
and realized that her days were num-
bered. The father, too, perhaps, had
a premonition of his approaching end,
for he died a short time after his little
daughter had been sent to Japan, and
his wife departed this life little later.
On board the ship Belgic. which con-
yeyed the little lady to Japan, Rev. o.
n. Gulick and his wife. both mission
aries were passengers returning TO Jap
an from a visit TO the United States,
and they conceived a great love for
little Suma Matsu HOMO and made
companion of her. more particularly
as they were endless. The Japanese
grand parents greeted Suma Matsu
kindly enough, but the child was lone
~ and was soon taken i'll. The Gull
icks visited the grand parents and fin
ally prevailed upon them to give up
the child and let them adopt her.
Her name was changed to Katherine
Agnes Gulick, to which she still holds
She had governesses and read many
strong works before she was 10 years
old She lived with her foster parents
IN Japan for nearly II years-until
she was over Il years of age-when
she sailed for Honolulu with Mr.. and
Mrs. Gulick, who had a vacation of
two years from missionary work. They
remained in Hawaii eight months.
when they came TO San Francisco, Wis
tied the Western cities and arrived at
the Worlds Fair, Chicago, May, 1898. !
where they remained six weeks, and
then came on to Oberlin, Ohio. where
the Gulicks had relatives and friends. |
Katherine Agnes was placed at the |
Western College, Oxford, Ohio where |
she remained for a year. and then |
came to Cincinnati, September, 1894 |
and entered the Walnut Hills Institute |
studying there for two seasons. She |