Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-15
In pekin.


We went down on the broad streets
that run for miles without bend. The
vista is closed by city gate, and broken
by here and there an elaborate arch that
spans the roadway, pyloao erected to
commemorate either wealth or virtue !;
but the green and gold have rubbed off,
and the structure Is out of line, like n
gravestene where the earth has sunk |;
the houses, built of brick, are of one
story, yet as the fronts of the chemists,
tea and tobacco shops arc mass of
gilded and painted wood sometimes
thirty feet high, they make dazzling
show when new. but paint and gliding
wear away rapidly in this climate, and
when the gold furnishes IL is not renewed
SO that there are som bre lines Of faded
finery broken at intervals by brilliant
flash of color, like the glare of public
house in street that has lost gentility.
The middle ofthe roadwayis the highest !;
there are lower roads on either side, and
off these the sidewalks and shops. At
intervals the mi tdle is occupied by rows
OF booths covered with wooden boards
or with curtains of rags, where travelling
merchants display their goods as in an
English fair, or else cook and sell hot
viands that always attract the country
II
other points there are oblong groups of
around story teller, who tells his tale
with wonderful dramatic action; and
when he has " orked up his audience to
the highest suspense sends around the
hat before he begins the next chapter; I
saw him once vehemently shake his cash
box in the face of q mean fellow who was
sneaking away without paying. a few
yards off. n juggler has an equally eager
crowd, while he swallows porcelain cups
and needles without end. A little further,
and there is the veritable box of Punch
and Judy, although the distinguished
persons on that mimic stage are but very
distant and poor relations to their name
sake here. On the sidewalks the chiropo-
dist operates on way-worn feet, and the
barber is busy shaving customers and
settling their tails. An ancient scribe
with HON spectacles well on his nose is
writing letter for some love-sick swain,
and knot of ten or twelve idlers are
gathered around to hear it Other crowds
have collected about ballad d-singers and
street musicians; and we are told that
If il was the kite season, old gentlemen
Of grave aspect would be flying paper
dragons 100 feet long. A ceaseless
throng, on foot and horseback. is iu
motion through all these stationary
bodies. Soldiers ride by with guns
slouched across their shoulders, and
others armed with only bows and ar
rows. Cows and camels lie about the
sideways. and the camels are loaded
with sacks of coal. A huge red um-
brella appears. and mandarin follows
it, borne in his chair. and with ragged
lictors clearing the way. We pass n
Pekin cab-stand, both the carts and
mules rather faded. A golden streak of
fire rushes out OF the smithy, and
urchins stay and watch it as they do at
home. a blind man threads his way by
beating doleful tunes upon tamborine.
Old men and young men carry sticks to
which birds are attached by n slight
thread under the wing. and n good bird
may cost rs much rs $40. There is n
sound not Of revelry, but of mournful
stringed instruments, and banners gleam
in the distance unsteadily advancing
through the press; IL is n wedding pro-
cession. We are told, and for an hour
the procession flows slowly by; coolies.
who have flying scarlet cloaks over
their native poverty; bearers will huge
structures, supposed TO be n brides
presents, sometimes in chairs, some.
times on fiat trays; and instruments of
music, banner poles, sedan chairs.
heraldic shields. tablets, coolies, trays,
follow in confused and broken line ms If
they had no natural beginning or end.
Overhead there is musical whirr, in
cessant but not unpleasing; n tiny Tyre
is inserted in pigeons tale. some say
to guard it from birds of prey, and the
wind makes the music in its flight
Good Words.