Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-09-04

.
About 80 years ago there came to
America a Chinese boy who was called
i Pi Cooke LANG, or "'Pe-cook," 'tfor
short" as the boys say. He was one
| Of many Chinese lads sent over by
| the imperial government to receive an
American bringing up and be edu-
| Gated after the western fashion. Some
! years after these boys, including P1
! Cooke Liang, were recalled to China
| by the government. Not long after,
| this boy, now a young man, returned
| to the United States as Interpreter to
| the Chinese legation at Washington
This time he was known as LANG
Shung, having outgrOwn his Juvenile
appellation of Pi Cooke. And now he
has just come to America again, this
time in the exalted company Of Prince
Chen, perhaps sometime to be the
emperor of the Chinese, to represent
that remarkable old woman, the
dOWager empress, as the Chinese min.
lister. Again his name is changed and
he is now Sir Chentung LANG Cheng
This Chinese custom of altering
amending and adding to a name as the
person passes through the advancing
stages Of dignity has perhaps con-
cealed the identity of one Pl Cooke
LANG, for there are probably not
| many people who know that the
Chinese minister spent three years of
his boyhood in the town of Amherst,
was fitted there for Phillips Andover
academy and finally entered Yale
university.
There are no records in Amherst to
LANG arrived there for his entry into
American family life, but it was
probably about 1872, when the first
group Of young Cinnamon arrived in
the Connecticut valley. Pi Cooke
went into the family Of Miss Harring-
ton and remained there for three
years. He was 13 years old when he
| went to Amherst, bright, intelligent
likeable boy, who could hardly speak
a word of English. He acquired the
new tongue with great rapidity and
with it absorbed the American boys
| spirit. He took an active interest in
affairs and adapted himself very quick
ly to American customs, even to the
UNIVERSAL habits among boys Of play
ing the national game. He acquired
al education in baseball and other
sports, which stood him in good stead
later at Andover, where he played on
the academy team. He was much in
terested in social affairs, too, and he
is said to have had the church sociable
habit quite firmly fixed. He was a
regular attendant at both church and
| Sunday-school. He had keen sense
of humor and though rather quiet in
| demeanor and actions was neverthe-
less fond Of joking. In fact, he became
pretty much like the American boy.
But the Chinese lad was ever here
for a purpose. He was a good stu.
dent. did not need to be pushed and
never required disciplining. The
progress the boy made at Amherst
may be judged from the fact that, al
though speaking practically no Eng
lish when he went there, he had in
three years fitted himself so well tina,
he passed creditable entrance exami
nations at Andover When he left Am
herst he had a thorough knowledge OF
American, French and English his
tory. During his first three years in
| ~,
herst all the time, except one day each
week, when he went to Hartford tt
see Yung Wing, the Chinese commits
sioner. An anecdote is told of P
Cooke, illustrating his sense of hui
NOR and grasp of the English Ian
guage. While at Andover a fellow
student entered his room one day an(
found him hanging up some article o
attire in his closet. He shut the doc
on him suddenly and locked it, refus
ing to let him out until he shoult
make pun in the English language
Quick as a flash Pi Cooke answered
"Opun the door'-which is common
! c-cugh, i not good, American pronun
citation of the word. After his cours
at Andover Pi Cooke entered Yale
but was recalled to China before b.
could finish his course there.
Not long after his return to China
Pi Cooke, or, LANG Shung, as he wa
| then called, was appointed interprete
| at the legation in washington, unde
: Minister Chang Yen Hoon, the marty
: OF the boxer movement. At the clos
: Of the Chino-Japanese war. IN
Shung, or, as he may have bee
: named then, Chentung LANG Chens
} was one of the secretaries who carrie
2 on the peace negotiations and dre7
up the treaty. He was a membe
OF the special embassy sent by tn
# dowager empress to congratulate
Queen Victoria at the time of he