The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28
WI TING FANG.


Genias Fron the Orient.
"Little was known about Minister WI
90 Indicate that his career in washIaStonI
would differ materially from those shatI
had gone before says l. L. Coolidge inI
Ainslee's. The brief introduction By
Minister DeEby. however. contained thrcel
specifications which were encouraging. tol
say the least. he had been admitted
TO the bar In London: he had served theI
ex-viceroy. Ii Hung Chang. at Tien-ts.nJ
he spoke English perfectly. These Quail |
fcations presumed more or less contact
with western ideas and gave promise OF al
capacity to deal understandingly with
American affairs Blu, hat the new E1sn-
lister was TO leap ~ = bound iato a pssi-.
ton. OF diplomatic influence hardly cq=Gi-
cd by any OF the representatives of tas
European powers was not Dreamed %
any more than IL cculi have been fire.
seen that events ia Chiua weuld Gu. nj
nate speedily in such = way Is TO enian-
gle the whole civilized world q give
scope for the highest diplomatic genir:.
y ordinary person could have achiev-
ed this. but WI Ting Fang Is the most
extraordinary person who ever came to
Us out OF the east He Is one OF the in
diyiduals-rare in any c~ountry-whose In
t~e.ligence IL universal In its range. He 10
q man Of the world in all tina. the phrase
implies. There Is no company OF men or
women among whom he would not be nc
home. His mind plays easily and swift
~. He Is quick OF apprehension and
speedy in response. Sagacious. witty. as
tute. discerning and catholic in sympathy.
his aim has been TO learn the ways Of the
country and adapt himself 10 them. He
is an u~ntiring student OF American litera-
ture and customs. He reads the newspa-
pers religiously and has an intimate ae-
Quaintance with the topics OF the day.
He is fond OF travel and likes TO meet all
kinds Of people. He sees everybody Who'll
calls to see him ut the legation. no matterI
how unimportant the person or ~trfinsI
the errand.
II 10 democratic in bis ways and fond
Of good fellowship. But every person bel
meets is a specimen to be studied. L.ikeI
Ii Hung Chang. and like many othesf
Cinnamon OF the class, he is a living in-I
~terrogation point. Just how far his in
cessant flow OF questions Is due TO a real
desire to learn and just how far IL is duel
to a determination that no embarrassinrI
question shall be put 10 him IL Is impcssi
bic TO say. Nobody has ever yet brrnI
dble lEtdI dlH ~ u uDst OF Ills ONTI
medicine. He has n genius for f~enciagl
and parryiny personal inquiries which i'll
comparable only to the ingenuity he dis
plays in framing inquiries OF his own
No one who has not experienced his run
ming fire OF questions can realize what a
relentless cross examination means. And
no one that has not undertaken TO reply
to his searching queries can appreciate
hour difiipiilf N ia IN ayntafn aff<fo~torftD
to an alien intelligence conditions which
to the ordinary American mind are mat
tiers Of course. His logic is irresistible.
"His face Is a study in physiognomy.
It lightens with intelligence and humor,
and yet there are a firm set in the features
and a suggestion Of ~sternness In the eye
which betoken sturdy thinking and de-
termination. One feels, In talking with
him In his fghtest moods, that In other
moods be can be cruelty severe; that.
however gracious and delightful he may
be, he is not q person to be tri1ed with.
that his lip Is as quick to scorn as to Jest
and that his voice il no better fitted for
flattery than for command.
physically, he is OF medium height
and Of medium build, a trihe stouter per-
haps than the average Of his race and
clothed with muscles worthy Of an ath-
lete. There are few women who would
not envy him the perfect teeth, white,
hard and small, which he displays as OIL
ten as he smiles. He Is graceful In hisl
movements and carries himself always
with a dignity that Is enhanced by hid
flowing robes OF silk. His manner of life
to all outward appearances, Is that OF anyt
well born American. There Ii hardly AMI
oriental suggestion in the furnishings od
the handsome house in a fashionabie4
quarter Of the town which he engaged
for legation purposes when be FIRST camel
to Washington. Mhe. Wa. whom hsI
married 20 years ago in China and
who looks for all the world as IL shei
had stepped out Of a Chinese picture.
pays calls and receives them as reg1
ularly rs any other woman Of her station.
She attends the theater with him and freI
Quents public places. His S-year-oId boyi
plays with American youngsters and 10
getting an American education: he goes
to the public schools and beats all The
other children in their studies"