Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-22
Chinese Officers.

When student has added poetry TO his
other requirements, he knows ali that
China can teach. He stands the test, and
comes through it gloriously, gaining the
immediate right TO wear high cap, sur
mounted by button or ball rs large as
the egg of pigeon, and in this case con-
struc,ed of copper, gilt and wrought. Our
graduate is now b L., or Bachelor OF
Letters, q member OF the ninth class OF
the order of mandarins, and duly fitted tor
the humber posts. But though the sue
cessful student is now one OF the upper
one hundred thousand an elected artstO.
crat-he does not necessarily receive tate
pay nor pass into State employ. There Is
"great go' or second ordeal 10 get
through before ne can take rank as mag
istrste, Treasurer, Sub. Project or Inspect
or. Between him and the Hottest stua-
lions lies yet another barrier, harder to
scale than the two former. True, ne has
all Chinese learning in his BRAIN stored
| away in crude state; but II he wishes TO
be great mandarin he must shower the
power to apply it. He can learn; can be
lhinkS If he hopes to change his ninth
class button for one OF those envied top
knots Of red coral, he must show an aOil-
ity to make use of the raw material OF
knowledge; and as thought IS not more
active IN ChinA than with us, few are those
who reach the t0pmost branches OF the
tree oi preferment immense numbers OF
graduates finch from the second examins-
ton, preferring 20 vegetate through lie
in some slenderly paid Office, where there
is not much TO harrass and trouble, ana
where Court favor is less needed, and
shameful dOwnfslls less probable. The
storm that levels the Lofty poplar, they
say, spares the humble mushroom At It's
foot. But there are numbers who iaii 10
obtain even a desk in a Government bu.
reau, or "snug berth in the Customs,
without hope OF promotion. These De-
come scribes, poets, parasites, scriVenefs,
1 private tutors, one or all. Every city Is
full Of these poor literary men, dinneries5
arstocrats, with plant backb90es ana
| tongues of honey. When wealthy msr
/ chants son marries another merchants
, daughter, they j1stle one another these
/ penniless graduates, as they hurry To pre-
I sent their iulsome s'aBzas on the happy
event. When q rich man dies, and the
paid howlers muster around the splendid
GOTTA. poet presents himself to express
the grief of the heirs in mellif1uous verse.
/ The Bachelors Of Letters are especially
employed 10 "cram" the sons OF wealthy
families for examination, and they nOS
only render all the services Of British
private tutor, but now and then are said
TO personste their dear pupil on tue
awful day OF trial, to take his place
In the schools, aad to receive his
. 'tes,anur" for apt erudition-a crown.
I Ing aid, which no Oxford OF cambridge
/ "coach" has ever been known TO render 10
bis young friends These little Irregular
\ tiles are rendered fscile by the fact mat
4 Chinese examiners have itching palms,
/ and know no salve like silver. BRIDE
works wonders in convincing the ar0iters
\ of the great progress which the student
/ has made in the humanities; and I'D
\ country where the founts OF justice are
4 corrupt, 1t is no won Ter that degrees are