Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-09
JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA.
The Manners and Customs of Peculiar
People as Told by a Close Observer.

People as Told by a Close Observer.
In lecture at Roberts Park church,
says the Indianapolis journal, DR..
Parkhurst treated his audience with
an illustrated trip from Japan through
to America.
The first country travelled through
was China. Dr. Parkhurst said: 1.-The
upper classes of the Chinese are the
most conceited people on earth. Their
bearing at all times is naughty and
pompous. They can not understand
why the ignorant barbarians of this
country and Europe should send mis-
sionaries to them. The Chinese of the
| higher classes are large men. The
masses, of whom you see examples in
this country, are small. This is due
| to their stinted supplies of food.
Their food allowance is never regu-
their needs and their ability to buy.
An average Hoosier will eat about four
times as much as a Chinaman, Japan
csc, or Hindoo of the lower classes. In
China you can almost always tell
whether man is from the higher or
lower classes by his size.
"China is an extensive country.
The principal river, they ang-tse Kiang,
is the third river for length. Pekin is
so far north that it is blocked by snow
for several months in the year. China
is a country of walls, towers and filth.
The eye is regaled and the nose as
sailed on all hands. One may think
that the Chinese will not come to this
country, but they will. They can not
be kept out. The man who does the
best work for the least money will get
the work. The remedy is to compete
with brains against their muscle.
Make them servants by superior intel
ligence.
They are great people for amuse-
ments. Kite-fying is a favorite sport
for men. They make large and fam
tastically-shaped kites. They fasten
cut glass to the kite strings, and then
cross strings and try to make each
other lose kites by saving strings in
two. Theaters are usually held in
open air. The programs are series
of pictures of the different scenes in
stead of descriptive words.
Relatives congregate in China. In
one village can be found all the people
Browns. In another they are all
Joneses. The village government is
patriarchal, the oldest person ruling,
whether man or woman. There are
said to be only 200 family names in all
China, which accounts for the SINH
larity of the names of those who come
to this country. They are spiritual
lists, and the spirituallsm of this coun-
try is tame by the side. of theirs.
When they start to sea they throw gilt
paper, which they call spirit-money,'
on the water to pl'opitiate the spirits
of drowned persons who are supposed
to dwell there. Their streets are never
straight. They run short distance
straight and then jog squarely to one
side, and then on again. asked a
Chinaman the reason of this. He said
it was on account of the spirits; that
they could not see well, and when
they were following a man, if ne
lodged around corner they would
run into the wall ahead and then turn
around and 90 back. The Chinese
women arc all without character.
They are taught to obey any man who
commands them. If mans wife
goes away with another man he may
punish the man but never blames her.
If China is to be brought to Christian
ity it will be necessary to send women
missionaries to teach the Chinese
women. There ought to be five women
missionaries sent to one man. The
greatest curse to China is opium. Its
use is increasing. They now raise it
themselves, and it looks like it would
ruin this frugal, industrious nation"
From China the lecturer passed to
India. He considered British rule in
India benefit to the country, and
said the common people recognized it.
as such. The reason of the continual
conflict between Russia and Great
Britain over the Afghan country is
that it affords the only access to India
for armies except by sea. The Him.
alayas are impossible for troops. He
saw two hundred miles in which there
was no pass that mountaineer would
attempt The passes of Afghanistan
are held by native troops in British
pay, Differed by Englishmen.
From India he skipped to Italy,
thence to Scotland, and last to Ire
land. In each country views of the
buildings and scenery were given,
closing with a view of Queenstown
harbor. The audience was small but
appreciative, and the lecture was en-
joyed by all who heard it.
The Modern Newsboy.