Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-12-23

very harmless affairs. in which only
the lungs and fingers of the parties are
called into use. They generally begin
BY mutual fault-finding in an ordinary
voice. The voice gradually rises. while
1.-the tone of conversation is lowered.
until each is screaming cut at the top
of his lungs the most abusive language
about the wife, sister, mother. grand
mother and female relatives generally
of the other. Then each tears OF his
garments and strips himself naked
above the waist. The screaming con-
tinually increases in violence. Then
each, still screaming and "ca!liug
Names" hammers himself on the chest
with his doubled fists, until you would
think he would beat in all his ribs.
This gymnastic exercise having been
completed, each seizes the other by the
queue, close up to the head, and they
pull each other about until they are
tired, or until they are separated.
But the interference. the peace-mak-
ing, is so regular, SO universal. in every
Chinese dispute, as to have become a
thorough and constitutional part of it,
and no description of Chinese character
would be complete in which that were
omitted. At 4 certain stage in the pro-
ceedings, generally after the hair-pull-
ing has begun, two of the bystanders,
quite frequently strangers to each other
and to the parties quarreling, will i'll
terfere, telling them to let 60 of each
other and become friends. This eX-
hortation not being heedcd-it never is
each peacemaker grasps one of the
parties about the waist and gradually
but firmly pulls them apart. Each
fighter struggles and screams, calls
out: ''Let me get at him! let me get at
him!" but he never uses violence
toward his ''peacemaker," and never
pulls quite away from him.
1t is a remarkable fact in a Chinese
quarrel that it is always perfectly safe,
no matter how bitter the struggle may
be, for any Of the bystanders to inter-
fere, and pull those quarrelling apart
bv violence if need be- There is not
the least danger of either party SO far
forgetting himself as to turn upon the
persons so interfering, nor of the fail
ure of the peacemaker to receive the
thanks of the parties separated, as well
as the esteem of all other witnesses.
The writer has often thought that in
no country in the world does that beat
itude found in the Sermon on the
Mount: blessed are the peacemak-
ers, '-receive such practical adoption
and fultilment as in China. There is
but one exception to the universal rule
of interference as practiced there. For
reasons that need not be given, no man
will ever interfere in quarrel between
two women. nor will person of either
sex interfere in a quarrel between a
man and a woman. While the time
may come when the rule of peace
making as described above may safely
be adopted in the United States, it
would probably not be wise to venture
trial of it at present.
One day the writer saw crowd of per-
haps hundred persons gathered by the
side OF the street in Peking, near the resi-
dence of some Americans. Pushing
his way into it, he saw the usual CHI
nese quarrel going on. two men being
engaged in pulling each others
queues, while their upper garments
lay in two little piles near at hand.
Not thinking it wise to allow such a
disturbance to go on, he spoke to the
fighters and told them to stop. They
paid no attention. Then, putting his
hand upon the shoulder of one of
them, he spoke somewhat louder,
telling them to stop their quarrcling.
The one touched merely twisted his
head sufficiently to enable him to see
who the speaker was, but no other no.
tice was taken of his words. Then the
writer graspcd each man by his queue
as close to the head as he could, one
queue in each hand, and by sudden,
vigorous pull, dragged them apart.
Pointing to their clothes, he said:
''Pick up your garments and come
along with me-"
Without word, and apparently
without thought Of refusal, they gath
cred their coats and girdles from the
ground, put them on and walked with
him down street, the whole crowd fol-
lowing.
Having gone about third of a mile,
and reaching 4 cross street, the writer
said to one of them, pointing to the
south: ''Iou go that way" and to the
other, pointing to the north: $50 that
way" Away each went as directed,
without moments hesitation, and.
for aught the writer knows to the con-
trary, they are still travelling. one north
and the other south.
The following curious incident. show
ing one manner in which disputes are
settled in Picking. and the way taken
to show outsiders that justice has been
done, can not fail to interest the read
er. In January. 1881, the butler en-
tloyed by the writer, and vino had
been in his service some ten years. in
formed him that he must leave his po-
sition. Upon being asked for his real
sons. he stated that Oh the previous
evening he had gone out after dinner
and had thoughtlessly locked the room
which he and the firemen occupied to-
gether, and had taken the KEY with
him. The fireman was also out, and,
upon coming home about eleven
O'Clock. was. of course, unable to enter
his room. He could easily have gone
into a room with another servant for
the night, but refused to do so, because
very angry, and going to the residence
of the buffers family near by, he had
worked himself into violent passion,
raved and stormed up and down the
street. calling the buffers wife and