The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-07-29
CHINESE SCHOOLS.
How the Young H~athens are Taught I'm
San Francisco

/ EoL otAAVOAxSs
! How the Young H~nthens are Tnurht I'm
San Francisco.
1t is a well-known fact that nearly all
the Chinese in San Francisco are to GER
tain degree educated, at least to the extent
OF reading and writing in the Chinese char
acters. There is Chinese school on the
west side of Dupont Street, which gives
one fair idea of the manner in which
learning Is obtained on the Chinese road
to knowledge. Like nearly all the schools
in China this onr is private, and support
ed by the parents of the pupils. The
school-room is on the first floor below the
roof. and is about fifteen etsquare. The
boys sit on hard benches which extend
around the room, while the instructor, a
Cry and dignified old professor, occupies
the chair. The pupils, about thirty-five
in number, study from their books aloud,
and the effect is deafening. The reason Is
said TO be this The book language differs
entirely from the vernacular-as much as
Latin from English-and the boys. with
out knowing the meaning of what they
read, are obliged to commit it to memory,
in order so TO do, using the ear as well AS
the eve. The sound of the written words
has no significance, M rely conveying a
meaning To the eve. although passages
from the Chinese classics are often quoted
in the book language and understood, In
the same manner that one understands
E Pl,trlbus Uanm, from having already
learned its meaning in the vernacular.
In the book language the sy liable pah
means dozen entirely different things,
but from the peculiar form of the charac-
ter its particular meaning is CLEANED. In
the veTnacular there is always something
added TO syllable which makes its mean-
ing definite.
The boys are compelled to memoriZe
whole chapters and even volumes before
the teacher erlightens them as to the
meaning. There is never any quarrel in
Chin town over change of textbooks.
The same Books are used to-day that were
used two thousand years ago. The pu-
pills always commence with the sayings of
Confuscius and thus learn Chinese moral
ity at the same time they are learning to
read and write. This is as far
as their education reaches here,
although in China the Government
offers great inducements to scholars. The
higher government officers are selected
entirely from the students OF the second
and third degrees. The examiners OF can
dates from all three degrees are appoint
ed by the Government. The examina-
lions are very rigorous, and out OF the
400 000, 600 of MnngOlians but about 800
annually attain to the highest degree. For
tunatIy, while education in China has
every thing to do with morality, il has
nothing to do with religious superstition.
In the classics the students learn political
economy, ethics, poetry, history, and
moral philosophy. Although the gods of
the masses are as various as their super
stitiOus imaginatiOns, the literati hold
them as much in contempt as we. They
are all atheists or pantheists, aid concern
hem,elves, like Confucius, very little
about the next world.
To be sure, the kitchen god is tolerated
by educated men; but it is more from a
dislike to innovation than reverence for
the idol. The god is always represented
by an engraving instead of a carved
figure, and it is found in every house in
the Chinese quarter. IL is usually hung
upon the chimney where the cooking is
done. This god is supposed to occupy
the picture and TO keep watch over the
actions and control the destinies of the
household. Every New Years he is sup
posed 10 go away 10 place which CORE
spends to our heaven and give an account
of the household to the supreme or chief
god. The picture is then taken down and
burned with great ceremony. The next
Jay new picture is put up and the god
returns to larry for year.
IL is generally thought that all China
men speak the same dialect and can un-
derstand one another in conversation, hut
this is IA mistake. Those in California are,
without exception, from the coast cities,
and speak alike; but, as a whole, China
contains Babel of dialects. and it would
be as impossible for Chinaman from the
mountainous regions TO make himself I'M
derstOOd i'll Pekin as it would for green
Hollander TO be ineligible in Paris.
However. the book language is the same
everywhere, and by writing in it there is
no trouble in being understood. Chinese
education, b ing wholly classical is read
lily seen to afford no room for progress in
any of the walks of science, literature or
art.
The student studies merely to obtain as
much knowledge as his fathers had, while
we ask for more. However, the great de-
mand which is made of the memory is
beneficial in streng theniug it. A partially
educated China boy will learn the Eng
hsh alphabet in tenth part of the time
which an average white child requires. |
owing entirely to former rtquent exer-
else in memOriZing.
The average China boy attends school |
about three years, and comes out with he
ability To read and write to limited tx
tent. The Imperial dictionary contains |
about 1000 different characters. A
scholar OF the first degree ordinarily makes |
use of about 10000 of them, while boy
in three years would probably not master
over 1000.
The business English used in the sea-
port towns of China, i'm the intercourse of |
BritOns with the natives, Is picked up
with surpri-i"g rapidity by the Celestials. |
who call it PigeOn-EngliSn, and mistake |
it for the pure tongue. 1t is simply the |
English language Impoverished and shOrn
of every word but such as can be generally |
applied. MY name is NOrval; on the
Grampian Hills my father feeds his tiocks,"
translated into Pigeon-English. My |
nance blOng Norval. Top side KEN lam |
plan hill my fader chOw-chow, he sheep" |
The next sentence: "A frugal swain, |
whose constant care is to Increase his |
store" reads: "My f4der vely small |
heartee man-too much likee dat piece !
dolla."
The Chinese scholars in this city are |
usually employed in their leisure hours |
IN making up for the time spent ia learn
ing to read, helping in the laundries, cigar |
factories and shoe shops, so that, all |
things considered, the schoUl-room can |
have very little attraction for them.-San |
Francisco Paper.
The Sacrifice of Human Life.
The sacrifice of human life during the