Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-30
A Chinese Bath.HOuse.

A Shanghai correspondent of the San
Francisco Chronicle, writing of a visit to
Chinese bath-house, says: Within we
were accosted by damp-looking spec
linen of humanity, with face shrivelled
up like washerwoman's thumb, who
proved to be the proprietor, who con-
sented for consideration to allow US to
examine the workings of the establish
ment. Pulling aside dirty curtain we
were ushered into a large room, in which
a half-dozen tallow dips made feeble eff
fort to illuminate the surrounding OBJ
jects. A tank some fifteen feet long and
ten wide was sunk in the floor to the
depth Of four feet, and possibly confined
500 gallons of water, heated by means of
underground furnaces to quite a high
temperature, and in which [ counted
fourteen bathers at one time, while at
least twenty others were either preparing
to enter or completing their toilet prior
to departure. The proprietor seemed
quite proud Of his accommodations and
after politely inviting us to take bath,
which we reluctantly declined, gave us
the following information: The tank is
reflled with clean water every midnight
and is not again changed for the twenty
four hours succeeding. His customers
arrived at any hour between daylight
and midnight, and usually numbered
about one hundred and fifty day. None
were refused admission on any account,
Of filth or disease. [ tried to impress on
the keeper what great advantage he
would have over rival establishments if
he would introduce tooth brush on the
end Of chain, but he was inclined to re-
gard it as an innovation calculated to en-
gender too luxurious IDEAS and there
fore declined it. Seriously speaking,
this frightful system of bathing is the
cause of propagating more disease than
any other met with in this pestilential
land, if we except epidemics, which can
hordly be regarded as causes.
Conscience.
Daniel Webster, in his speech at the
trial of the murderers of Joseph White,
of Salem, Mass, used the following
words, not more distinguished for their
eloquence than their truth: "The guilty
soul cannot keep its secret. 1t is false to
itself; or rather, it feels an irresistible
impulse to be true to itself 1t labors
under it's guilty possession and knows
not what to do with it. The human
heart was not made for the residence of
such an inhabitant. It finds itself
preyed upon by a torment which it dares
not acknowledge to God or man. A vul-
ture is devouring it, and it can ask no
sympathy or aid either from heaven or
earth. The secret which the murderer
possesses soon comes to possess him, and
like the evil spirits OF which we read, 1T
overcomes him and leads him witherso-
ever it will He feels it beating at his
heart, rising at his throat, and demand
ing disclosure. He thinks the whole
world sees it in his face, reads in his eyes,
and almost hears it working in the very
silence of his thoughts. 1t has become
his master It betrays his discretion, it
breaks down his courage, it conquers his
prudence. When suspicious from with
out begin to embarass him and the net of
circumstances to entangle him the fatal
secret struggles with greater violence to
break forth"