Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-09-10
THE CHINESE WALL.

The Greatest Territorial Fence in the
World--A Story Of It's Length and
Strength ta-A
Chinese Letter to the Boston Herald.
Like the pyramids of Egypt, the great
wall, or the wall of myriad miles, as its
Chinese name signifies, is of great an.
tiquity, but its origin and purpose are
not closed in the same almost impenetra-
bic veil Of uncertainty. As useless as
the immense work must now appear for
the purpose for which it originated, or
inadequate as it is to stand the assault
of modern arms, it is still the greatest
fertilization ever built by man, and for
l, 400 years it wholly, or in part, served
the purpose. And why, now, we may
ask, was this long rampant thrown along
the northern boundary Of China? For
an answer We must 60 back over the long
centuries in which, with gloomy
strength, it has watched the rise and fall
of the Kingdoms, the conversion of dy-
nasties, the strifes and wars of opposing
factions, the advance of civilization, and,
perhaps, the crumbling of mighty en-
pire. Hundreds of years before Christ
the Mongolians of northern Asia formed
kingdom farther south, but they were
not suffered to remain in peace, for,
greedy Of the power of those who had
proceeded them, other hordes followed
after, and began strife which ended in
the overthrow of China. Fearing for
their safety, the Chinese, under Ching
Wang of the Tsin dynasty, or as some
write it, Chin Wangti, built the great
wall separating their dominion from
those OF the Tartar tribes. Different
dates are ascribed to the work, one being
from 24O to 220 B. c., q period of twenty
years, and another putting it few years
later.
Of the magnitude of the work, one
can form some idea when remembering
that it has a length of 1900 to 1900
miles, crosses ravines, stretches across
plains, and reaches over lofty mountains.
It is not all brick. Some parts are faced
with blocks of stone and were founded
on walls hewed in solid granite. Begin
ming at the coast of the Gulf of Pc
chilli, it runs to the northward, then
turning, extends in southwesterly
direction, passing Picking about forty
miles to the northward and 1000 feet
above it. Then passing the Yellow
river, and reaching over the Khang Kai
mountains, it continues On south of the
great Desert of Cobb to the borders of
the Desert Of Thibet What distance
for rampant to be carried, and what
stupendous undertaking for man to I'M
dertake! And yet now it remains but
monument of human labor, al evidence
of the folly of man. Time has marched
On with ceaseless step, and history with
tireless hand has registered the never
ending changes.
Six hundred years after the compile
ton of the wall the Tartars had obtained
foothold in the upper part of the
kingdom. It was the first step in the
advance on the Celestial Empire. An
other flight of time-1, 900 years have
passed--one dynasty after dynasty has
uprooted and overturned it's predecessor
with strife and bloodshed. Early in the
seventeenth century the Tartar king
was assassinated by order of the Chinese
emperor, and when, twenty years later,
an usurper had mounted the throne, and
all China was agitated by internecine
wars, the time of her overthrow had
come, and the Mantchoo Tartars, unit
ing with the Imperialists, defeated the
king, and proclaimed emperor, the son
Of their dead king. To-day, the Mant-
chooian dynasty occupy the throne.
Who can predict the fall thereof? The
great wall no longer protects the Chinese
empire. It lies In the very heart of it,
and the conquering Tartar rules the
conuuered MonoOlian.