The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-05-24
WITH L|AAG At YALE,
RecoIlectionS Of China's New
Minister to America.
LIVELY, FUN LOVING STUDENT

Sss -~ - -'s
Successor to Sir chentuno Liana
chena Excelied In Baseball and Ten
nis and Was . Good Feliow--CIass-
mates 70 Give Him an Enthusiastic
Welcome.
When Lining Tung Yen, the new Chi
sese minister, reaches Washington the
ennis cabinet is likely to have an
accession unless '4Ting." as the Yale
students used to call him, has gone
back as an athletn. says the New York
Sun. In his day he was one Of the
most assiduous tennis players that
Yale had
Moreover, he resembles Sir Chen
eung Lining Cheng. whom he will sue
ceed, In that he was baseball pitcher
In college. Sir Chentung LANG Cheng
used to twirl the sphere ut Amherst
Mr.. LANG did the same at Yale. He
wasn't quite up to varsity timber, but
In class and other contests he used to
throw a curve that puzzled the best Of
Iuc OLG1uuIy piAyC1Ds
When he twisted himself into knot
and flung his arms and legs about and
then let his cue execute flank lasso
movement about his head as the ball
left his hand, the batter was pretty
sure to strike out Some Of the boys
said they couldn't tell whether II was
the curve or the spectacle Of the flying
cue that did It, but out they would go.
All Yale men OF the late seventies
and the early eighties read with pleas
ure that Mr.. LANG was coming again
to the United States with the high rank
OF minister. His arrival has special
timeliness In view Of the fact that the
class OF 80 has already petitioned
the Yale authorities to grant him his
degree. He was recalled by his gov
eminent one year before he finished
his course
His record as q student was good
His devotion to learning since has
been such that the class has asked that
be be put on the list of alumni with
the degree that he would have received
had he been allowed to finish his work.
II Is thought that at the coming COM
mencement ut Yale announcement will
b made that he is at last to be allowed
to have all the rights and privileges Of
any other Of Yale'S sons.
Mr.. Liang's classmates are already
preparing to give him an enthusiastic
welcome. Never was an American
more OF good fellow In college than
Ting. There were several other Chi
nese students at Yale when be was
OF the bunch. and he was modern
through ana through with the excep-
tion Of his dress and slight accent
In his speech that made his use Of fine
English oil the more delightful The
Yale men-boys they will be when
they foregather with Ting soon after
be arrives-all say that he had an
American soul and that there never
was youngster In America more keen
for fun than he.
Ting was one OF about sixty or sew
enty picked Chinese boys sent over
here in the early seventies by the gov
ernment to get a modern education
and to learn western ways. Yung
Wing of Hartford had general super
vision Of tho lads. They went to va
rious preparatory schools and then en-
tered American colleges All Of them
had become expert In English before
entering college. Ting was educated
In the Hartford High school and enter
cd the class OF 80 at Yale.
Tho records Of the university will
not show that he was one Of the high
stand men. He was never a grind.
He soon acquired the American trick
Of getting there with the smallest
amount Of hard study and the largest
amount Of rollicking fun. He simply
stood well In the class and was sharp
enough not to run the risk of "flunk-
ing out"
Professor Edward Dana, who taught
physics when Ting was In Yale, found
It necessary one day In the classroom
to suggest to Ting that perhaps 1t
would be better for him not to fail in
his work. Professor Dana went ut the
matter tactfully. He said:
II should like to suggest to you that
perhaps 1t would be wise on your part
to pay little more attention to your
work. do not think you would care
to be let down at Yale OF course
have no knowledge as to what would
be likely to happen In your case, but it
seems to me that you would not care
to be sent home for lack Of efficiency In
your studies-lack of study, not Of abil-
ity, you understand. You know better
than I what would happen II your gov
ernment should call you home under
circumstances that, no matter how they
would be regarded here, might be re-
garded as disgrace there. say you
know better than ] what would hap
pen."
Professor Dana was smiling by this
time, and he waited for Tings reply.
1t came quick.
II know" said Ting.
Then he drew his finger across his
throat, and when the class burst into
a laugh over 1t he Joined the rest. Pro-
fessor Dana was also moved to mirtt,
but he quickly suppressed 1t and added:
II thought 1t might be something like
Al,o%N