Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-10
|WU'S farewell VIEWS
Former Chinese Minister'S I'm.
pressions of United States.
he SAYS WE ARE ALL HUSTLERa

Activity OF Americans and GeDef.
osity of Rich Men-Our Literature
Considered All Right, hut So Young
Compared with China's-some Chi
nese Jokes.
Some Of WI Ting Fang's ideas Of the
United States are embodied in the fol-
lowing farewell interview with
Washington correspondent OF the New
York World.
The former Chinese minister crossed
one leg over the other under his laven-
der skirt. Then he interlocked his On
gers and repeated the question, What
has most impressed me during my six
years in the United States?''
1.-TWO things" he said-''the activity
Of your people and the good the rich
men do with their money"
II suppose every foreigner is impress
ed with the restless energy Of the
Americans. 1t is SO different from the
,quieter, or shall say more composed,
habits of the people of other countries.
Everybody seems to be full Of life, to
rush about as if the fate Of the uni
verse depended on his individual ef-
forts. You are all hustlers," He smiled
a little when he used that word. You
see know the idioms. 1t is this ener-
gy, this activity that accomplishes the
results that have made you the wonder
full nation. We in China are of differ
ent temperament. We are not so &C.
tive, but even with that temperament I
have found it contagious. l find my
self walking more quickly and doing
things more rapidly. 1t is great; it 10
the secret-energy. activity. push; it Is
the type Of Americanism.
"Then I marvel at the good the rich
do with their money. | mean 1t ds-
tounds me to see that SO many OF the
millionaires in this country distribute
their wealth to universities, to libraries,
provements and enterprises for the ed
ucation of the people. Mr.. Carnegie
said he considered himself an agent for
the disposition of his money for the
benefit of the people. There is very
little Of that spirit abroad.
"Of course there are misers. We
have them in China. There, are many
rich men there, you know, and some OF
them hold on to their money closely. I
suppose there are plenty of misers in
this country, too. but that doesn't de-
tract from the splendid example of the
men like Carnegie and Rockefeller and
Others who are pouring out their money
for the benefit Of the public. do not
mean to say that they are giving enough
lor half enough. 1t is the trait that in
terests and impresses me-
| After awhile the conversation turned
to literature.
! "What do you think of American lit
erature?"
Every good"
"Mr WI said It as If the literature
of country only 127 years old needed
no further communication.
"Chinese literature is ancient" con-
itinued Mr. WV. ut goes back twenty
leight centuries before Christ. 1t 10
lvoluminous. Its classics are wonder
full works. China has produced great
writer's, great poets, great philosophers.
Their works have endured for a great
humber of years. Your country is
young yet, and so is your literature
young. In China we venerate age"
Mr. WI likes joke. He makes
them himself sometimes. Once at
reception friend was telling him of a
young minister who had been preach
ing in western town and who had
been called to an eastern church.
How much did he get in the west"'
Mr.. WI ,sked.
"Thirty-five hundred dollars year."
And how much will he get in the
least?"
"Seven thousand dollars"
"Ah,' said Mr.. WI. ut was very
loud call. was it notf'
what do you think of American
fun?" was asked.
Fun? What kind of fun?"
"Jokes, stories, the humor Of the
press, for instance"
| ooh, I am very fond of it. Every
body seems to be story teller. 1t is a
great thing to laugh"
And how about Chinese hunor?
Are there humorists in China? Do
they tell stories therei"
Certainly, just the same as here.
My people like to laugh as we'll as any
body"
| Gan you tell Chinese story"
Mr.. WI looked thoughtful then he
chuckled. "I'll tell you very old Chi
nese story" he said.
"a man was asked by friend to
stay and have tea. On investigation it
was found there was no tea In the
house. A servant was sent to get
some. Before the servant returned the
water was boiling, and it was neces-
sary to pour some cold water into the
boiler. This happened several times,
and still no tea came. Finally the boil
YER was full to over1owing, and Z
hosts wife said to her husband. 'Ae 4
don't seem likely to get any ter ~
had better offer your friend b. "
| daThat cnunds 1ikn on mpric Atm.