Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/242

 CONFUCIUS 17,450 buildings, among which were 41 church- es, 32 hotels, 10 theatres, 8 public schools, 5 elevators containing 1,642,000 bushels of grain, 3 railroad depots, 9 daily newspaper offices, the court house, custom house, post office, chamber of commerce, and gas works. It is estimated that 98,500 persons were rendered homeless, and 200 lost their lives. The total loss is put down at $198,000,000, of which $140,000,000 was in goods and merchandise, being 47 per cent, of the entire valuation of the property in the city. Contributions for the relief of the sufferers, amounting in all to not less than $7,000,000, were received from all parts of the country and from Europe. No city ever recovered so speedily from such a blow. With- in a year nearly all the burnt district had been rebuilt; and within less than two years the business of the city was supposed to have be- come greater by a quarter than before the fire. Boston was in November, 1872, visited by a conflagration second in extent, in the United States, only to that of Chicago. The fire was discovered early in the evening of the 9th, and spread with great rapidity ; but it appeared to have been brought under control by noon of the 10th, when an explosion of gas took place, and the conflagration became more furious than before, lasting until the morning of the llth. The space burned over was about 70 acres, only one thirtieth of that at Chicago ; but this was almost entirely occupied for busi- ness and manufacturing purposes, and was the very centre of the wholesale trade hi dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, and wool. About 800 buildings were burned, many of them of granite, five or more stories high. There were few public buildings or private residences in this space, and so not many per- sons were rendered homeless, and not more than 15 lives were lost. The destruction of property was about $80,000,000. ONFUCIFS, the Latinized name of the Chi- nese philosopher Kung-fu-tse (Reverend Master Kung), a man who stands in a relation to the civilization of China similar to that which Moses and Socrates combined hold to west- ern civilization. He was born, according to the best Chinese authorities, June 19, 551 B. C., in the small kingdom of Loo, which now forms a portion of the province of Shan- tung. Having lost his father when only three years old, his education was left to his mother, who directed his studies, and seems to have cherished in him a strong sense of morality. In his 17th year he entered the public service, but quit it at the age of 24 in order to mourn the death of his mother for three years. Du- ring this time he devoted himself to a careful study of the ancient writings, the morality of which impressed him with the idea of resto- ring the former usages and the doctrines of the sages of old. Having prepared himself for this task, he set himself up as a teacher at the age of 30. His fame soon spread, and his scholars and admirers increased in numbers. In order to propagate his doctrines still more extensive- ly, he visited neighboring countries, preaching and teaching wherever he went. About 506 B. 0. he returned to his native country, where he was once more called into public office and attained the high position of prime minister. But he remained in it only a short time, the intrigues of a neighboring prince having suc- ceeded in compelling him to retire into private life. Accompanied by a number of his dis- ciples, he moved into the dominions of the prince of Wei, and devoted the rest of his life to the dissemination of his ideas. His death occurred at the age of 72, in 479 B. C., about 10 years before Socrates was born. More fortu- nate than he, Confucius had during his lifetime already obtained an unbounded popularity, bordering almost on worship. Posthumous honors in great variety were conferred on him. He left a single descendant, his grandson, Tse- tse, through whom the succession has been Confucius. (From the image in the temple of Confucius at Canton.) transmitted to the present day. In A. D. 1671 there were 11,000 males alive bearing his name, most of them of the 74th generation. These descendants of Confucius constitute a distinct class in Chinese society. The city of Kiofoo- hien, which contains his tomb, is chiefly in- habited by his descendants, four fifths of its families bearing his surname. A magnificent temple, the most superb in China, occupies the site of his residence. In it is a statue of the sage, from which it appears that he was a tall man of imposing presence, with a large head and a red face. His tomb is a huge mound overgrown with trees and shrubs. Considering the vast number of those by whom the doc- trines of Confucius have been and are implicit- ly taken as the highest authority, and the in- fluence they have exerted on the entire social and political edifice of a nation comprising fully one fourth of mankind, there is no found- er of any religion who can boast of success