The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-07-01

there are rooms In the department. Each
cavity holds small fire. Over the fires
are huge basins, similar to those of slate
stone used by the California Indians in
mixing their acorn bread, and which hold
enough food at one time for fifteen per-
sons. These fires are kept going con-
stantly, and as there are no stovepipes or
smoke-stacks, the smoke curls into the
sleeping rooms, settles in the bed cano-
pies and on the walls, and nearly blinds
one unused to IL.
Away from the aristocratic quarters.
we came to the commoner woman. and
uow descended yet another step into the
courtyard paved with brick and damp
from the never ceasing flow of water from
the porches aboYe. We were below the
level of the street. On one side of the
court was Chinese Junk man, who was
adding his rather generous mite of filth to
the general mass, by washing and cleaning
his rags, bottles and sacks in the yard.
In one corner was an
oPIUM-sMoKING ROOM.
Dark as Erebus, damp and moldy, filled
with shelves around the sides of the room.
each shelf had a man, who lay on his back i,
knees at right angles, and peacefully
pulled himself into oblivion. A fish-oil
lamp dimly lighted the apartment; but if
brilliantly lighted our entrance would
have been unheeded, so intent were the
inmates on their pipes. We went into the
other room on this ground floor. where
from six to eight persons lay on the ir
shelves, all sleeping-sOme snoring.
What is the occupation of these peo-
ple!" we asked curiously.
Stealing" was the nonchalant reply.
M Il, h. n 1.
their rOokeries at night proving around
until daybreak again.
"Do the up stairs people understand
this? Or is there honor among thieves,
and will they not steal from their own
country people?"
"Indeed, yes. All the by-ways and pas
sages upstairs are intended az protec-
ton. and all the doors are doubly barred
and locked early in the evening""
What queer world this is 10 be sure
especially the Chinese world. Who else
but Chinese would knowingly live in
the same house with thief, or band of
thieves?
A CoNFUCIUs SCHOOL.
At No. Oh Dupont Street we stumbled
up the ricketty, greasy stairs, and knocked
at the first door on the left. ''Hang lip
come in-was the immediate response in
stentorian tones. AS we entered ten
children arose and saluted us, and did not
resume their seats until the visitors were
safely stored away in one corner. Leng
Man Yung is tall. thin man, with high
cneek bones, who removed his skull-cap
in saluting us, but replaced itagain. He
is Confucuis teacher, and the ten other
inmates were his pupils. The room, about
sixteen feet square, was close, dusty, and
greasy. Three or four narrow tables-a
sort of carpenters bench-accommodated
the books and elbows of the scholars.
Their seats were wooden or cane chairs.
With hats on, each one We'd in making the
loudest noise and greatest variety of
mouth gymnastics, and the moment the
noise and gymnastics ceased, Leng Man
Yung made circuit of the room, pinch
ing the boys ears or shoulders, or cheeks,
as most convenient. At one end of the
room was the image of Confucuis on a
shelf. with smoking incense and lighted
candles. Here the days study is rounded
off by wOrShiping the teacher of ten thou
sand ages. Leng is very intelligent
Chinese, and very willingly gave us all
information concerning his
SCHOOL RULES AND REGULATIONS.
81 have the scholars come to me at half
past six on winter mornings, and an hour
earlier in the summer. They read over
the lessons of the day until breakfast
time. After bre lkfast they return and re-
cite their lesson. If they do not know it,,
[ whip them and make them study the
same lesson over again."
"How much of lesson do you give at
one timer
According to the intelligence. Per
haps a whole page; perhaps, if very
stupid boy, only three lines. They learn
nothing but the maXims and characters of
Confucuis. School is closed at haif-past
three. in time for dinner"
"If boy does not learn his lesson at al,
what then?'
FLoGGING AND STARVING.
In answer, Leng reached to a shelf over
head. and brought down two huge rattans.
IF they do not get their lessons, they get
this. If they learn not their lesson by
close of school, lock them in and go home.
At night come back and light fish oil
lamp and 60 away. Next morning they
know their lessons"
And he goes without his supper and
stays in this room alone all night?
" Yes and all next day, too, and gets
lesson by that time"
But what do the parents say to this :
How do they like their boys kept in all
night and whipped so much -
"Oh," with a peculiar shrug of the
shoulders, their p rents went To school
once. They cannot afford to spend money
for nothing. They give the boys another
whipping when they get home, and say
they are disgrace to the family. You
NAV be sure, boy never tells his mother
he has been whipped. If she sometimes
finds ont by his fac being black (bruised)
she takes a stick of wood and beats him
over the shoulders"
A little boy about ten years old, with
long ugly bruise down one cheek, here held
his head and FLUSHED painfully as the
teacher looked at him.
" If the parents were to ask you not to
punish a child or keep him without his
dinner over night"
Tut" interrupted Leng, 81 would
have no such pupil. A Contucuis teacher
has always supreme command of the boys
in school and out of school, so long as
they are pupils. A parent does not want
to pay So month for nothing"
"Then you make good deal of money
with your school?"
A little; expenses are very high; but
we have time to do other things. Our
lessons do not take more than three
hours;
"You write books, perhaps" thinking
we had met one of the literati.
"Oh, no; but we make money other
ways. Our friends come in to see us eli
ten, and we
THROW DICE
for couple of hours"
"Do you ever play with the boys of
your school?"
"No, indeed; they would turn me out
of school if did such thing as that;
they would have no respect for their teach
er. He must have more dignity than to
enter into such familiarity with them ~
"Mercyl' We calculated under breath.
Leng is full-blooded Cantonese. His
pupils are all native Californians. Ore
had almost Ily-white complexion and
flaxen hair, the almond shape of his blue
eye alone indicating that his mother is
a Chinese woman.
Another has light brown eyes, finely
formed nose, brown hair and fair com
plexion. His face is pitted with small
pox. Otherwise he would be quite as
handsome as his fiaxen-haired eOmpan-
- l. 80 L.. -. L.