Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1900 — THE CHINESE BOY AT HOME. [ARTICLE]

THE CHINESE BOY AT HOME.

His Long Hours in School and the Sports of the Vacation. Among the representatives of the celestial kingdom in this city, says the Ogdensburg Journal, are Lee Way and his cousin, Ah Food. They are bright and intelligent, and are interesting characters. Of their earlier life in China they give very lucid accounts. Lee Way has been in the United States about 20 years, first locating in New York city. In his native country he has a wife and son, and he has made frequent visits to them since he first came to America. Lee received instruction in English before he crossed the Pacific, and he also attended school irf New York. Both he and his cousin receive weekly instruction at the hands of teachers of the Baptist Sunday school, and Lee especially has become proficient in his use of the English language. Ah Food has been in America only a few years, and has resided in Ogdensburg about a year. H'eTs'rnar-” tied, and his wife was left behimlTn his native land. Before coming to America Ah Foon was in school until he was IG. with English, tutors, but his knowledge of the language is meager. Until a few years ago there wce.o no women teachers in all China. Now there are many, and studentsare received until past the age of 35. There are many native teachers, as well as the missionaries, who come from foreign lands. The scholars-rit on high stools at desks and study aloud. At ten and twelve years the Chinese scholars can read and write very well. Every lesson is learned by note. The teacher always.retains possession of a punishing stick, and occasionally lazy or tardy scholars receive a few sound raps with it. The scholars are at school eerly in the morning, and it is not uncommon forboysto study ten hours-a day. That would seem a long time for American boys to devote tuMudy in a singla. day, but, according to Ah Foon. the juvenile Chinaman never grumbles at the long hours, and he-and hi?companions climb upon their stools and sing out their lessons all at the same time as loudly as they can. Vacation is always during the rice harvesting season. Then the beys fly kites and enjoy many other pastimes which are similar to those seen in America, such as walking on stilts, playing hideand . seek, blind man's buff and leapfrog. . “We have great fun fighting beetles, ] too,” said Ah Foon. “In China there j are no bad hoys like here. All boys ' are respectful to all older than themi selves. They do not,think it fun to i hurt other people's feelings. Ono thing I have seen here is a very old 1 trick in China. You see buys place ]a package <>n the sidewalk and when , some one rtuops to pick it up it i>gone, ] for there is a -'ring tied to it. and a, I little boy at the other end of the i string.”