The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-10


The Washington Post contains au in
teressing letter from Robert Q. Murphy,
ek-C Consul General III China, from which
NE max the followigg extracts:
The title to the land in Chinais vested
In fee simple IN the Emperor; all occu.,
parts are tenants merely, and pay rent
Of Sc per acre. This forms the principal
source OF revenue to the government.
There the science of life is to live, and
as the soil is the original source of all
wealth, their statesmen took care early to
prevent ths monopoly of the land by the
rich. This they effected by collecting
their greatest tax from that source.
Land Is not held therefore in large tracts
Z By single individuals, but in small par
GELS, which they cultivate and utilize to
the last foot.
TSe endless chain-pump, all wood,
which We claim to have discovered, but
which ras used in China before Colum-
bus was born, serves to furnish water for
irrigation. It is worked BY buffalo
COW, and is very simple. They are thus
relieved from any reliance on the regu:.
larities of the seasons. Two crops, and
in some portions OF the empire, three, are
raised annually.
In horticulture the Chinese are adopts,
trimming trees and shrubs to resemble IN
outline birds and wild animals, while
they dwarf fruit trees to illiputian di-
mersious yet bearing fruit. The country
abounds in fruit such as grapes, melons,
citrpn, oranges, lemons, lines, pomola,
mango, mangustine, peaches, pears,
pluns, apricots, Echees, custard apple,
bread fruit and peisimmon, many of
these in great variety, and all superior to
J the same kind of frnit raised in the West
Indies.
An official dinner Ia China generally
consists Of fourteen courses. The last is
the fruit, which, for taste, as displayed
by tile butler in its arrangement, cannot
be surpassed in any part of the world.
The various fruits are grouped on pyra-
miisl dishes, each kind hanging from
HpartJof their own vines or branches in
Z terspersed with leaves, the whole en-
hYeled by che flowers of the japonicaa,
which grow in great variety OF beauti-
full tints. The butler will chip off the
outer surface of pomola, developing
scenes on the fruit. 4 watermelon he
will treat the same way, bringing out
! farm scenes or perhaps marine views with
ships, etc. The top be. has cut of and
extracted the core, in place OF which ne
has poured 8 bottle of champagne; 1T IS
then frozen for hours in the ice chest.
Just before it is placed on the table ne
cuts it doWn:in slices from tue Top piece,
which has been 5clit like the teeth Ola
saw and holds 1t togetner. AZ tne proper
time ne removes me Sop " caSSuins
hold of the red, white and blue n66ons
s attached TO 1t, when the Wnoie Iaiis IN
slices over the dish, morsei that even
member OF Brick Lane Dranch OF tne
Evangelical 3Teetotal, temperance Asso-
! citation" should be pardoned for enjoying.
TIE currency of China is silver, copper
and hank paper. The silver IS In form
OF bullion, called asycee,D and is meas
ured By o tael5p = which is $l.SS5 OF our
money in commerce. IL Is moidea some
what IN the shape OF 8 shoe, ana pears
the stamp of the assayer and renner, VINO
IS responsible for rs character. copper
Is tha coin Of the masses, called cash:
They east it round, with square hole IN
the middle, and it Is strung IN double
Z rows or links, fifty in each, to facilitate
payment. Sixteen of them make cent;
Three cash will buy cup OF tea as good
as most sent to this country, while thirty
two will support iaoorer one day.
i Where the necessities OF life are so cheap
and the habits of the people 80 simple 1t
IS mot so surprising that II they can live
FOR two cents day they should be salts
! fed with ten cents as compensation for .
DAYS work.
Bank paper has been long known and
3 used in China. It is not State or ma,
! tional institution, hut free to al, founded
on individual responsloihty. IL Is re,
deemnble IN coin on presensaEon, ana II
not redeemed, not only the property OF
the banker, but that OF his relatives Is
held for payment. This rule of respon-
sibility IS general in all their transac-
tions. Its results are very salutary;;
Few men run risks that would entail
minor misfortunes on all their relations,
however reckless they might be person.
ally. The system of guaranteeing E
universal in all business TRANSACTIONS,
and it is almost unheard OF for the guar
antor to fail to meet his engagements with
the greatest promptness. Your Dutier
giyes you security Tor double the value
of the silyerware, Ginning room furniture
and stores you place in his charge. on
one occasion, the house OF Ohphant q
Co., at Shanghai, had all their silver
stolen. The same day the butler mad an
exact duplicate placed on t1elr taole; g;
This was done by q combination OF all
the buffers serving foreigners. Ihey IN
sure each other. If siik merchant hnds
ne will be unable to meet ms onilgatioIns
falling due tomorrow, ae noGnes tne
], silk guild to which he belongs OF the 1act,
and they appoint a committee to e3-
anime his accounts. II MS embarrsss-
ment is found to arise from unavoidable
or natural causes, they pay his o6liga;,
,,l A>< ar,. hr1t IF hn fOr1Tin