Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-03
A REs1DENCE IN CHINA.


A TETUAN CHID t'RAIsISG THE WIND"
"He was by no means scrupulous in his
mode of acquiring wealth, and regularly
squeezed every individual under his GO
vernment. One ingenious plan of ex-
tortlng a loan from an unwilling capital
list, was to tie his hands together, and in
troduce couple of wild cats into the
wide seat of his sinexpressibles. This was
a way of bringing them to a scratch,
which never failed, and by degrees this
excellent ruler grew to be enormously
rich. The emperor, thinking at last that
his sponge must be full, sent for him to
Fez, to have grand squeeze.
"The wretched old victim was thrown
into prison and soundly bastinadoed,
process which relieved him of some of his
too plethoric wealth. Strips of cotton.
dipped in turpentine, were tied round his
fingers and toes, and lighted, which pro-
duced grand haul. The wild cats con-
tinued for half an hour to produce reve-
lation of fresh boards. A knight tenn
plar or Norman king could scarcely
have been more ingenious in their fnan-
cial experiments on a miserable Jew. Re-
newed tortures produced further disco
veries of treasures, till the old mans last
doubloon and last breath were yielded up
together"
Mr.. Powers estimate of the Chinese is
by no means la:tering: cowardly, SEN
sual, foolish set of barbarians, for whom
no interest but that of curiosity can be
excited
The VALUE OF AN OLD MAN IN CH1NA.
1.-THE reasonableness and placaoility of
hn
ced in rather a remarkable manner at
Chusau, while l was there. An English
man had come across some wild ducks in
the canal, inside the city, at which he f.
red with ball, all his shot having been
previously expended. The bullet missed
the ducks, and glancing from the water,
killed an old Chinaman, who was sitting
at his own door, enjoying his pipe.
The unfortunate sportsman was ho:-
rified at the result of his silly thoughtless-
ness, and hurried to take counsel with
his friends, who recommended him to try
to settle the matter with the relatives of
the deceased, to prevent their complaint
from being laid formerly before the au-
thorities, who would be obliged to award
a heavy punishment for such reckless
carelessness. With this view one of his
frier = was dispatched to visit the family
. rc2dole with them for their loss, and
a.>plain to them how thoroughly it was
the result Of accident. TIC ,.e giored the
unhappy circumstance which had depri-
we'd the family of so valuable and so re-
spectacle p member, and pointed out the
cheering fact that he was very old. and.
in the natural course of things, could not
y,
and that pecuniary recompense should be
made 20 console the family for the few
months society they might have anticipa-
ted enjoying with him. They admisted
that he was old, very old, and as he
could no. have lived long. they mention.
ed hundred dollars as Il sum likely TO
gave good effect n assuaging the bit
terness oftheir attliction. The ambassa-
dor, delighted at.hearing Il demand so
much more reasonable than he had anti
cipated, but coucealiny mis- satisfaction he
pointed out to them that the deceased
was So old that he could hardly have es
Limated his short remnant of existence aL
such large sum ; that he had died u
very quie and easy death, and that very
likely he was wanted in the other world,
SO that the anlucky bullet might be es
teemed messenger dispatched by the
gods. He thought, therefore, that fifty
dollars, to make feast and burn plenty
Of jNss-stick and paper money, would be
sufficiently satisfactory to tho spirit of
their departed ancestor. The matter
was finally settled to the satisfaction of all
parties by the payment of seventy-fve
dollars and can question whether one
might not have shot twothirds of the
old boys of Tinghce, at the same reason
able rate, Notwithstanding the veneration
in which age is held"
A WARRIOR IN DEEEAr.-'' A curious
instance of the utter incapacity of the
Chinese to cope with Europeans occurred
at Chapor, where the principal mandarian
fled at the very first shot, and never stop
ped until he reached home, an example
followed by the whole of the troops with
the greatest alacrity. When he reached
home. it may be supposed that the gallant
mandarin packed up his plate and jewel
ry, and betook himself with his family to
the safest spot in the country. He
sent for his wives, and strung them up to
the beam Of his house, his children he
strangled and threw into well and then
heapiug up all his valuables about his
chair of state, he surrounded it with COM
bustibles, and setting fire to the pile, pc
rished in the flames. His fate would
have been worthy of an old Roman or a
hero of Norman times, if he. had fought
to the last gasp, and adopted such an end
to show his contempt for the enemy, when
all else was lost. But to abandon the
field of battle for such purpose, with
out striking a blow-to ay from one kind
of death on purpose to seek another so in
worse-show how incapable
we are of appreciating the motives of a