Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-14

They fairly dote upon funerals and weddings by reason of the opportunities which they afford for alleged music of the ear-spllttlng E order. For nothing do they banker more
 than first class funeral jamboree-for I cannot think of any other adequate way Of putting it. But was about to apply this philosophical precept to that homely article the whsslbarrow The Chinese are not con tent unless the wheels of these barrows squeak with 8 most excruciating squeak. In deed, when the natural result of ungreased wheels is not sufficient they will go so far as to get artificial ''squeakers'' made Some of these are SO efficient that they will make your teeth chatter, your hair stand on end, and your flesh creep from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet. When even
 this effect is not sufficiently lugubrious to
 please the Chinese taste, a spring will be so
 fastened that it will go thumpety- -thump
 against the spokes of the wheel as the vehicle
 Is propelled. The concerted effect of 8 pro-
 cession of such barrows is enough to inspire
 modern Dante to write 8 new Inferno.
 We'll, the municipal council of the English
 settlement in Shanghai voted these squeakers
 a nuisance. This was not altogether necessa-
 ry, perhaps. for the reason that they were
 nuisance before. But the council went fur
 ther. and wisely legislated that no queued
 heathen should cross certain bridge, leading
 from the native town, with 8 squeaking
 wheelbarrow. The result has been most
 aAQH4uS AuQ 4u1L0 ILLUSTRATING OI a COmIQOu
 phase of Chinese character. q uf the word
 character in this connection becay accord
 ing to the common conception, the Chinese
 are endowed with souls. I have by no means
 been able to convince myself of the accuracy
 of this theory, but in the present instance I
 will generously give them the benefit of the
 doubt The Chinese upon entering English
 sown calmly unload their barrows, remove
 the wheel from the same grease it and dead
 en the effect of any accessory instruments of
 gar torture then they load up and go on
 their way! Conversely, when returning
 from the city, of comes the wheel again, by
 means of rag the grease is quickly wiped
 away, and the barrow goes on, squeaking
 more loudly and more cheerfully than before
 the anti-squeak legislation ! This is the
 truth. I can vouch for it with my hearts
 best blood. As an accurate historian I would
 not admit such story into my report if it
 were not so.
 One of the first things I noticed upon
 landing in Hong Kong was the dissipation
 which is always going oD. At first thought
 some celebration must be in progress, but
 upon making inquiries 1 was assured that
 this was not the case. s'It is always so, said an American citizen. Every day 8 certain number of sailors allowed to come on shore and they avail themselves
 fully of this privilege. As there are some two thousand of these sailors at present on
 board the Inan-of-war in Hong Kong harbor. this city is quite lively most of the time. It is the men aboard these war ships who get the widest for the enforced idleness of their life breeds recklessness when once thsy get ashore" These sailors are beardless young fellows for the most part, and though they have a swaggsring and tyrannical mien, I should not think that they would impress the Chinese es very formidable. Walking about the streets last evening in company with a citizen, saw literally hundreds of these sail CTS crowding the saloons so thick that you could not see the counter. Outside of the saloon the street would be packed with 'rickishas, for 8 sailor gravitates toward
 riokisha the first thing upon coming ashore. He does not have to gravitate far, for the Chinese runners almost attempt the perllous feat of walking on the water in their eager ness to meet the sailors half way. Soon after landing the sailors gravitate toward saloon, and numbers breeding reckless jollity, it is not long before they cease to be free moral agents. Then they curse and beat their 'rickisha men, and ride about with scarce any cognizance of whither they are being carried. As have already intimated, I am implacably opposed to the Chinese; yet my indignation was kindled in their behalf at first when I witnessed the brutality with | which they are treated by these sailors. But | my eommiseration was all dissipated when | my friend said: Don't pity them. John | Chinaman is under now; but he will be on | top pretty soon. walt tlll the salloES get l draak and they will be ignonnir- ; iously dumped out by the roadside, while | these long suffering heather Chinees' will | proceed complacently to go through their | pockets Don't misplace your pity" Don't l the English make any effort to check this | evil ?" ''0h no, it Is so common that they | don't care to interfere. Once in a while when a man gets to smashing things too gen. orally, and endangering peoples lives, he will be locked up until he gets sober. But so long as they only injure themselves, no matter if they do break the peace, nothing Is done about it"
 I notice that very frequently, almost al ways, the sailors will give the order "Go to the Temperance Hall," when they are well under s'the influence," end there sleep of their booze. By ths way, curious though the statement may seem, the manager of the Hong Kong institution is getting to be con- firned sot. He has been lnebriated now for 6 full week. The moral sentiment that will tolerate such thing puzzles me. Despite all the abuses to which they are subjected, however, these temperance halls of the Orient are institutions, and really do a great deal of good. They may be found in Shang hai, Hong Kong, Singapore Madras Bom- bay Calcutta, Yokohama, Kobe, and, for aught know, all the cities in the far East. For about dollar and quarter day sailors and travellers who want to econoniza are entertained in first class style, and at the end of the year the citizens make up the deficit in the running expenses. EMILE.