ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ, pˈɛfɚ bɪkˌeɪm ɐn ˈiːst ˈeɪʒən kˌɔːɹɪspˈɑːndənt fɚðə nˈuː jˈɔːɹk tɹˈɪbjuːn, ænd lˈɪvd ɪn tʃˈaɪnə fɔːɹ twˈɛnti fˈaɪv jˈɪɹz.
Educated at the University of Chicago, Peffer became an East Asian correspondent for the New York Tribune, and lived in China for 25 years.