The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-09
CHINESE MINISTER.
WI Ting Fang is a Thinker and
a Philosopher.
He and His Wife Are Very Democratic
in Their Ways.--=SOme Former
Representatives.

Of all the Chinese representatives
who at one time or another have made
Washington their home the most
charming is the present minister, WI
Ting Fang, writes correspondent.
The minister is man of finished edu-
cation, high culture, a wide reader.
thinker, and a philosopher. His Eng
lish is perfect. and his ways and man
ners are those of finished diplomat.
His wife who weighs less than 100
pounds, is a slender, olive-skinned,
girlish creature, looking for all the
world like an animated doll, as she
topples around on her small feet. She
is always robed in the richest of ORR
entail stuffs, and she wears jewels
worth fortune. She is of Canton,
and her feet, Of course, have been
bound. She wears queer shoes with
soles two inches thick and tiny heel
in the middle, and might as we'll be
on stills, for all the grace of move
ments she has.
Minister and Madame Wa are the
most Democratic of all the legations
in Washington. Little madame likes
to mingle with the crowd at the state
receptions, and escapes from the
crush behind the line just as soon
possible, going into the great east
DOM, where, in shy, girlish fashion,
he greets all who speak to her with a
mi le and handshake. She has tiny
hand, as characterless as child's, an(
loaded with priceless rings. Madame
Wa speaks just little English, but is
well educated in her own language,
having had governess and severa
| tutors. She was born in Canton, and
| in the house where she was born and
reared she was married to Mr.. WI.
| They have one son. --~--'1A---I-1 s~.---S
The minister and his wife enter
tain magnifcently in cultured Ameri,
can style, but of the inner life at the
legation no American knows a bit
more than if the WI family were in
the walled city of Picking. Madame
WI has no woman of her country
about her. She has an American
woman as companion, but when she
sees her it is in the American part of
the house.
Into the privacy of the inner resi-
dence no Christian has ever penetrat-
! ed, yet madame says willingly that
she likes the life here, and likes "be-
ing an American woman. Minister
WI says that in America his wife shall
do exactly as she pleases, but in China
well that is different. In China she
is a Chinese woman and that means
a nonentity.
There were Chinese women at the
legation before Madame WI, however.
When Gen. Garfield became president,
the Chinese government was represent
ed by sedate old gentleman bearing
the name of Chang Tsao Ju. He had
all the hidebound notions of his people,
particularly concerning women, but he
did have the grace to bring his wife
to the United States with him. She
was very young, her husband might
easily have been her grandfather. Her
feet were so small that she walked like
a child taking her first steps and had
either to carry long wand-like staff
or to be supported by one of her maids
She took no part in the social life of
Washington.
The next Chinese minister was an
other "Cheng," but not of the same
family. Cheng Yeu Hoon was unmar-
ried. He was always gorgeously ar
rayed in the stiffest brocades, enriched
with rare embroideries, and studded
with jewels Chang knew how to
entertain, and calling to bis aid the
ladies of the higher official circles, he
gave regular Arabian nights affairs.
The legation was at that time in what
was called "Stewart CASTLE, on Du-
pont circle This was the big yellow
brick house built by Senator Stewart
of Nevada, when he first went to
Washington. After his return to
China Cheng incurred the displcasure
of the Empress Dowager and in
1898 she had him assassinated
The second Chinese woman to invade
Washington society circles was the
family was housed in "Stewart castle
fat and phlegmatic and an Indifferent
housekeeper. She never went into
society,", principally because her de-
formed feet, two and half inches in
length, would not support without
intense suffering, her nearly 200
pounds of flesh. Dupont circle people
complained that the Chinese servants
were not a pretty sight as they slept
in the open windows of the English
basement that the Tsui MENACE manu-
featured more various kinds of NAL
odorous scents than a glue factory.
There was an enormous suite, all
Chinese, and the laundry work was
done in the legation, and garments Of
all kinds were hung in the front door
yard
Minister Tsui was man of profound
learning. He was immersed in the
business of the legation and was
greatly surprised when gentle note
of expostulation from someone well
up among President Cleveland's adj
visors reached him, and in courtly