The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-12
ECONOMY IN CHIN.
No Waite Of Food-Not Choice ~ "a
Meat Saving fuel-zhess.

nomioal. whether it he in limiting tho
number Of wants, in preventing waste,
or in adjusting forces in such man
ner az Ia make a little represent
great deal The universal dict con
sists Of rice, beans, mlllei, garden
vegetables and fish, with q little meat
on high festivals. Wholesome food
in abundance may be supplied NJ joss
than penny day fer each adult, and
even in famine times thousands Of per
sons have been kept alive for months
on about half penny a day each.
This implies the existence OF a high
degree OF culinary skill in the Chimes
Their modes Of preparing food are
thorough and various There is no
waste: everything is made to do as
much duty as possible What is left
is the vcriest triae The physical cone
dition of the Chinese dog or cat who
has to live on the leayings Of the
family, shows this; they are clearly
kept on starvation allowances.
The Chinese are not extremely fas-
tidious in regard TO food all is fish
that comes 10 their net. and most
things come there sooner or later ln
the north the horse, the mule, the
donkey arc I'm universal use. and in
some districts the camel also does
duty. II must be understood that the
practice is 10 eat all of these animals
as soon as they expire, whether the
cause of death be accident. old ago. 0e
disease. This IS done as "a matter cf
course. and the fact that the animal
has died Of am epidemic mal0dy does
not alter lis ultimate destination Ger
tain disturbances Of the human orcui-
sation, due to eating diseased meat are
well recognized among the people.
but it Is considered better 10 cat the
meat, the cheapneSs OF which Is c.r-
tain. and run the risk of the cou,c-
quences. which are not quito certain.
than 10 buy dear meat even with the
assurance Of no evil results Indeed.
the meat Of animals which have died
of ordinary ailments IS rather dearor
than that of those which have died ina
an epidemic, such as pleuropncu-
mOnla.
Another example Of careful, calcu-
latIng economy IS the construction OF
the cooking pots and boilers, the bot
toms of which are Us thin rs possible
that the contents may boil all the
sooner, for fuel IS scarce and dear. and
dear. and consists generally of nothing
but the stalks and roots of the crops.
which make q rapid blaze and disap-
pear. The business Of gathering fuel
Is committed TO children, for one who
can do nothing else can at least pick
up straws and leaves and weeds. Ia
autumn and winter a vast army of
fuel gatherers spread over the land;
boys ascend trees and beat them with
clubs 10 shake off the leaves the very
straws get no time to show which way
the wind blows before they are an
ncxcd by some enterprising collector
Similarly professional manure col
lect0rs swarm over all the roads OF
the country. Chinese women carry
this minute economy into their dress;
nothing comes amlss to them; If If Is
not used IN one place IL is I'm another
where it appears u thing OF beauty.
Foreign residents who give their cast
off clothes away TO Chinese may be
assured that the career of usefulness Of
these garments Is at last about 10 COM
mcncc.
Chinese wheelbarrows squeak for
the want OF "a few drops of oil but 10
people who have no nerves the squeak
IS cheaper than the oil. Similarly
dirt is cheaper than bot water, and so.
as "a rule, the people DO not wash tie
motto, Cheaper than dirt, which the
soap ds4ler puts in his Windows, couid
not a. madeintelligibic tothe Chinese
70 them the average foreigners are
mere soap wastcrs. Scarcely any tool
can Toe got ready made; it is so much
cheaper to buy the parts and pat them
together for yourself and as almost
everybody takes this view. ready made
tools are not TO be got Two rooms
arc dimly lighted with "a single lamp
deity placed ia hole Ia the dividing
wall. Chinese, i'm fact, seem 10 be
capable Of doing almost anything by
means OF almost nothing They vail
give YOU an IRON foundry ON minnie
scale OF completeness IN back yard,
and VIII make IN an hour a cooking
range, of strong and perfect dr0ught,
out Of pile Of mud bricks, lasting iu-
definitely, operating perfectly and
costing nothing The Old woman who
in her last moments hobblod as near
as possible 10 the family graveyard m
order 10 die, so as TO avoid the expense
of coffin bearers for 80 Tonga distance.
was a characteristic Chnese-Iho
China Herald.
Tie Trec OF Guernica.