The Washington times., 1903-09-06
Negro Boy Speaks
Many Languages
\ NE of the brightest and best ed
] ucated colored men in Wash.

| # - NE OF the brightest ana best ed
ucated coIored men in Wash
ington is James j. Mattingly,
one of the attendants at the Papal iega-
tion. Among the callers at Monsignor
Faleonio's official home are many of the
attaches OF the foreign legations in
Washington. MattingIy is able to con-
verse with nearly all of them in their
own language. The air of the Papal le-
cation is one Of scholarship, and the
messenger by diligent use Of his time.
has become a finished iinguist. He has
facile command of English. Latin. Ital-
ian. French. and Spanish, and is able to
read Greek.
Mattingly is to a large extent self
educated. He went through the city
schools, but took up the study of Ian
guage at his own initiative and pursued
1t With such encouragement as the sec
retaries around the legation would give
him. His conversational use of the mod
ern languages has been helped a good
deal by the interest some of the foreign
people have taken in the man and the
assistance given him.
a
able attainm ents, Mattingly is a good
musician, playing well and singing Ital-
ian airs in a fairly well trained voice.
He was attracted to Italian music after
studying the language. and being struck
with the beauty OF ;he sentiment OF the
words. Mattingly recently furnished
The Times with an account Of his studies
and life at the legation, written by him
self, as follows:
Il was born in st. Mary's county,
Maryland. in 1882, being the third young
est of family Of six children. When
about year ole my parents removed TO
this city. Two of my brothers died
few years after my coming to Washing
ton. 1 was only eight years old when my
mother died. and my father, wishing 20
give me an education, sent me TO the
public schools. Here ! spent nearly sew
en- years, passing each class with good
honors. My father who was a soldier In
the civil war. died about fourteen
months after my mother. The rest of
the children. with myself. were placed
in the care of our uncle.
"Before and after school hours and
during vacation I worked for private
families, and while was not obliged TO
study could not refrain from It.
reached the seventh grade in 1896, and
after remaining a short time left school.
I then went to work at the Apostolic
delegation as a houseboy, a position
which l was only too glad 70 accept
few months after coming here I deter
mined to pursue college studies, and
without the assistance of anyone began
to study Latin and Greek.
AT first 1 found them 10 be very
difficult. but with strong ambition and
constant application I managed to con-
quer them. Having finished the gram
mars OF these languages began to
read Cicero. Caesar, Virgil, Plautius.
Livy. and Tacitus, among the Latin
authors, and XenOphon, Herodotus,
Plato. Demosthenes, and Thucydides
among the Greeks:
"On hearing selections from Italian
operas sung / was desirous of adding
music 10 my studies. From remember
ing the keys and scales which were
taught me in school / began TO practice
singing the different Italian songs. II
TrOyatore' was my first practice in classi-
cal music. After spending some time
in vocal music I began TO study theory,
harmony and counterpOint. the last OF
which l am just finishing.
During the latter part Of last year J
took up the study of modern languages,
some of which I am now able 10 speak
quite huently. Besides English, l speak
Latin. Italian, French, and to some ex-
tent Spanish. I also know Greek, but do
not practice 1t in conversation. My am
bition in life is TO become a composer
OF music and a linguist."