Wichita eagle., 1888-10-13
CHINESE ODDITIES.
THE EXCITEMENT CAUSED BY THE
ADVENT OF A FOREIGNER.

Eyed Bystanders-Hotels ami Eating
Households and Furniture,
l called them good humored, but q
stranger would not think SO, if he saw
them for the first time. On the contrary,
| the state of things seems to be bordering
! on riot. The amount of energy that
| lies latent in Chinanlan, waiting to be
| developed and manifested by discussion
| of cash, is simply incalculable. AS we
coolly regard this throng of half dressed,
yellow colored people, we see chance &C.
| quaintances who have run against one
! another for half an hour screaming their
loudest, with distorted countenances and
violent gesticulations, apparently threat
ening immediate death to those who differ
from them. It seems incredible that the
subject is of no more Importance than
whether a sack of potatoes or basket of
| fish shall be half farthing more or less.
Imagine our coming suddenly into such
a crowd in short serge jacket and big
sun hat, under which is a pale face and
beard. If the place is one where foreign
ers are occasionally seen, they will look
up, say "Hwan-kui' foreign ghost, and
after few moments resume their en-
ployment as though we were not there.
If. however, foreigners are almost IN
known in those parts, we know perfectly
well that we shall have no peace except
such as we can secure by means Of a little
maneuvering. Sometimes the landlord
appears pleased to receive us, but now
and then he seems to think we take up
too much room, with the crowd who stand
round to look at US. 1t is very entertain
ing to observe how excited such crowd
often becomes by the advent of for
eigner, and how rapidly the news spreads
to neighboring houses that foreign
ghost" has arrived Mine host stands
and threatens terrible things, which he
has not the smallest intention of carrying
into execution. For half an hour he will
shout and gesticulate, entreating the I'M
tutored herd TO remember the proprieties
and not crowd in SO much upon the for
eign gentleman.
FOREIGNER AT HIS MEAL.
The point of greatest interest is always
reached when the traveller begins his meal.
He has carried with him all he wants with
the exception of rice, potatoes, hot water
and one or two other things. The laying
out of plates, knives and forks is great
mystery. Much questioning goes on as
TO the way Of using them. They beg to
know the reason why we prefer to employ
man to carry all our apparatus for din
ner, instead of using their bowls and
chop sticks. The spoon and fork, appap-
emily made Of solid silver, greatly aston
ishes them, and the traveller is ready
enough to own that they are not silver at
all. When we lift our food to our mouth,
many hands move in similar way, as
they say quietly to one another, "Looki
He is doing like this" Standing SO
closely around our small table that we
feel Inconvenience, we entreat them to
give us breathing room while we dine, and
afterward we viii talk to them. Many
voices break forth with pleasure at our
speaking to them. ''The foreigner
speaks our words" says one; Yes, let
him eat, says another; Stand back, you
man without propriety." says q third,
whose zeal for good manners is evidently
due only to his desire to secure front
place.
At such time one is almost always
questioned in the same way. The most
trivial and ridiculous questions arc asked.
The inquiries they make of foreigner are
such as they commonly make among
themselves. How far is it TO your an
cestral home? Are your venerable parents
iving2 How many sons have your Was
your linen made in China or in England
How do you get it so white? How arc
marriages arranged among the foreign
children? What is your income7'
A little mild banter is much appreciated
by the crowd, but brings out a more rapid
fusillsde of questions. In the country
places about Annoy have been asked very
frequently, Where is the country where
the people have one leg?-one arm?-one
eye?-and where there are only women?
Have you seen these landsg' What the
origin of these notions is it is hard to say.
Perhaps some Chinese Baron Munchausen
or Dean Swift wrote a burlesque book Of
travels, which has In the course of time
been accepted as authentic By people
who have for so many centuries stayed at
home
INNS on THE GREAT ROADS
In China every traveller carries his bed
ding with him; in the daytime it helps to
pack the cart, or is laid. by way of sad
die, upon the ass. The traveller may
count himself fortunate If he can find Ia
some Mutual Prosperity or Heavenly
Union hostel tolerable room in which to
rest. On the great roads, and the recog-
nized stages, the inns are pretty sure to
be decent, but elsewhere they are often
wretched.
In those Of the better sort there Is gen
orally az eating house or tea shop on one
side Of the large door leading into the
yard The shop faces the street, and il
connected with the cook house and pri-
vate rooms of the landlord. At this end,
too. are the rooEis occupied by the carriers
and others Passing through the great
door, the visitor finds himself In a large
unpaved yard with buildings all round it
On one side are, perhaps, six or eight
guest rooms, little boxes about twelve
feet square, with paper IN place of glass
for windows, doors which do not CT, snd
through the openings OF which wind and
dust find their way.
A very rickety old chair and an equally
decrepit table are the only furniture, the
bed being simply brick or mud plat
form filing nearly half the little room
and raised about two feet from the floor.
Underneath it is fue, into which, In
cold weather. dry grass or other fuel is
pushed and fired. the heat and smoke pass
ing In Egzag line Just under the sur
face Of the eoUch. and 6HSilx. s6cA0iag Vo