The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-09-06

one QuuQIeu mlleS IIUm tuc Coast tuo aat1
has increased FIVE hundred per cent in
value. The privilege of selling salt is let
to the highest mandarin, and is main
source of his revenue. To protect the
mandarins no foreign salt is allowed to
be imported. They tax everything, ex-
ports as we'll as imports. A governor of
province instead of being paid for his
services actually pays the king for the
appointment. Then he gets rich by tax
ing his people. When the king needs
money he sends his officers around to
every house. An accurate account is
kept of each mans wealth, and, going
by the list With which he is furnished,
each officer says: Look here, the king
wants to borrow so much The China.
man loans it without word, without q
receipt, aud that's the last he ever hears
of it. The government is an absolute
monarchy, and a subject is liable to be
called on at any time and for any amount.
There is no parliament, nothing to ham.
per or rationalize the whims of the
king"
"Don't the people ever revolt?"
ooh, no. They are not politicians.
You see there are no democrats and re.
publicans-no tories and wings. They
are all one party, and that is the kings.
They have no Methodis's, Baptists,
Episcopalians, Catholics, Presbyterians
none of that. They have one religion,
idolatrous and all that, but promising
hereafter, reward for good and i'll,
and it answers every purpose. They are
one people. 1t is rather curious fact,
though, that their dialect are so strongly
marked that a Chinaman from one pro.
vince cannot understand one from
another province. They make medium
of pigeon English. The written language
is exactly the same all over the empire.
Another thing that foreigner will mics
there is Sunday. There is no day of rest
The only holiday is Chinese New Year
They have lunar months, and New Year
comes about the last of January or first
of February. The holiday lasts about
three days."
"What about their language
"There is seperate character fol
each word, and sometimes one character
means an entire phrase or sentence
There are $4,000 words and it takes three
years OF more to learn all"
"What about the rice farms ?"
"Pretty much as they are in South
Carolina but more scientific. Rice is
the only thing taxed, but it cannot be
exported. There is severe Law against
it."
"Any minerals in China?"
"It would be hard to give an accurate
idea, as the mines are all in the interior
and are badly worked. They all belong
to thu government"
"What is the national game 2"
"Kite flying. Old aud young fly kites.
The national mode of execution is be.
heading. Punishment is severe. Theft is
punished with death, as is in6delity in
man or wife. They have theaters, but
the companies go from town to town and
usually build new theater in each town.
They are mathouses, and cost very little.
When Chinaman builds house be
puts up the mat shelter first to keep of
the sun and rain, aud builds his house
without using a nail. The larger tim.
bers are bamboo and they are tied togeth.
er. In summer there is false mat roof
over the other roof, q foot or so above it,
aud this makes it far more pleasant than
it would be otherwise"
"What about the courts?"
."There is q land for the rich and a
land for the poor. You get what you
pay for. Ifyou pay the judge more than
the other fellow does you win the suit
There is nojury, and the judge can make
you confess anything-by torture"
"What do they do with their dead?'
.Bury them after keeping them above
ground as long as possible. The dead
houses are owned by the priests. The dead
mans relatives give sepriest so much .e
say chincin over the body, and the body
is kept out for weeks. One of the mos
famous dead.houses in the empire is il
Honam, just across the Chuking from
Canton. The temples, too, are yer!
interesting. One in Can'on has 15,0Ol
idols. There is headache idol, tooth
ache idol, and SO on, 30 when China
man wants to get rid of his disease b
buys 'josh paper" from the priest sn'
burns it before bis idol. They are no
musicians, about the only instrument
being one string fiddle and the inevita
Bile gong. Their theater pieces are al
historical. Another, queer idea is this
The government does not feed prisoner
confined in Jail. The prisoners relative
and friends bring him food and drink
OF if he has none he simply starves t
death. They are very ingenious il
their forms of punishments. One of th
most common punishments is the Gang
Two boards are made to fit togethe
around your neck, SO that when fastene
on your neck is in the middle of fla
board about four feet square. You can
lie down to rest, nor can you get you
hands to your mouth. 1t doesn't loo
horrible, but it is. One great advantag
the rich man has in China"
"Whats that?"
"You can hire somebody to suffer you
punishment for you. Frequently on
man is beheaded for another. If th
condemned criminal is rich, or ifhe ha
rich relatives, they make up about tw
hundred dollars, go to some poor cooli