Telegram-herald., 1889-05-31
THE BEGGARs OF CHINA.
Az Exeeedingiy Strange Lot TAKEN
Altogether.
As tatsE~ssszx pssestSals "a fhslr H4ys
- Llstas, fAsiz aeths,4s of Bszga.s
aAd Ihsir .taadlax BefsFs ths
LAs 81 tks CELESTIAL E1Rsxs-

=
on and are thofoaseiy ofsszized aud aasaer
ths dl-ectloa II ons Il their kL1o, No Is
c.lls-d Lns I5ezgA<s kLas
fns neggzls represent the greatest medley
q 4lnlazirY - - nlst sith a. where.
Amoag tnsaa zTs men q hisb a. vel A. Iow
birth sx merchants. literary mea, priests.
ga.abi-rs, mechanics. Hlsa ske have fzAsn
y.esEAls = ne opium habit. whlch hks viSe
every sshsre, isssls ao~n, bus newer upward,
anlli 81 distinctions ~siea diyisis soclety are
aost sslt u Ia a eosnInon degradation.
Il tie eanHs 4 tAsse abandsaed people :
found ths wreck q the ssitlanian feasiiag on
tAo carcass u aog slEh the lowest caste
eoolis ELs eompaAion. Aea OF f0rlner
seal-a and social distinction cast out-prop-
ertss character, al ~4aandered through
striking the plPe"
These beggars ars a source q TAXATION and
annoy a4lee u al business places. They are
recognlLsi BY the banks and mlntiug estab-
iisnneuts. There Is coin made expressly
for them and called "Bcggar Cash Iii
Cha Chien : the standard copper coin used
IA exchanges IN trade, and accepted by the
goveralasns too taxes and duties. IL has
value u about one mil, by American cur
Feacy. The rate q exchange huctuates
sAsaay around 90 u one Mexican silver,
Or al American trade dollar Tie beEzar
cash, on the contrary, Is Of smaller sire, and
mucn lighter. ard Is worth about half as rauch
a. the II Cnfn CHEN A duitar viii buy z o,O
pieces OF the bsggar com. Merchants SUP
ply themselves With this cheap mouey u give
70 the beggars when they call They enter
stores IN gangs and half naked, dirty and
covered over with vermin, are not welcomed.
and The quickest method Of getting rid Of
them Is 10 give them something as soon as
they enter the door
The most disgusting scenes are enacted by
these miserable creatures in order 10 facilitate
their business Once three OF them entered a
store where | was doing some shopping, and
each carried a live snake fully four feet long.
When the merchant hesitated before forking
over they would thrust the heads of these
snakes into their mouths and render them
selves SO disgusting that the quickest riddance
OF them was 10 hand over a contribution
saw another gang whose faces were sneared
over aud their hands filed with sinking
sewerage. and they went through the main
street of the city, calling from door 20 door,
and gathering the beggar cash which was
thrown at them on their approach. They APP
peared 10 hnger with ''ghoulish glee" where
they chanced 70 find foreigners in a store, for
they knew what disgust thoy excited by ap-
proaching foreigners
Is there no immunity from these pestsl
Yes, but not by appealing 70 tho law or
courts. The beggar king, who might better
De called pirate king, will grant immunity
for fixed period for Fixed sum Of money
he canvasses al stores shops and banks, and
Assesses each in proportion to the amount Of
business they are supposed 10 do. And if
a.. u a l..
low poster upon the door post, which is a sort
Of insurance policy against these mendicant
beggars, and these fellows always look on
the door post for this yellow paper before
they eater. THIS custom of bleeding" bust
ness places. 10 protect them from the on
slaught OF beggars, Is a common one and ac-
cepted as a sort Of choice between two evils.
Some, however, refuse TO give what the beg
gar king sees proper TO demand, regarding it
as cheaper u keep supply OF beggar cash,
which Is sold at the banks for the purpose.
and give it from day 10 day as he is called
upon by the gentry in question. As may
well be imagined, these beggar kings arc very
wealthy men. How they acquire their con-
troll over the mendicants or how they come
10 DO recognized in their office never could
learn.
The law or courts appear 10 take no note
Of them. he pockets the blood money ex-
torted from the merchants for his protection |
from beggars, and at the sarno time ho re- |
quires each aud every beggar TO report to
him daily all his gleanings ard he appropri- |
ates one-haf TO himself. The fact is that he |
uses the vagabond aud abandoned wretches |
practically as slaves, and what they extort |
from merchants and others who refused to |
give him his demands for protection from the |
ncfariOus guild, IS really for his benefit | /
have frequently halted these creatures as |
they were on their way 70 their dens, and |
have even called where twenty or more of |
them were camping for the night and asked |
them how many cash they had raised during
the day.
seldom found the string to contain over
300 Of the small beggnrs coin, which repre-
sented not exceeding ten cents per man from
a days bard tramping from door to door,
and hall this sum went 70 the king, so that
what was left would not fil many pipes
Their food costs practically nothing What
they cannot steal they buy at very low fig
ure. II is IN these camps where the carcasses
OF dead animals are eaten-dogs, donkeys.
anything that has a particle Of flesh left.
Around these camps lie strewn tho shells Of
land tortoises, which have been picked up in
the fields and the flesh eaten The bones of
snakes lie bleaching in tho sun, having had
the flesh boiled from them, and once wit
messed n beggar carry homo the entrails Of
sheep which he found where butcher had
cast t away, and il was grcm With Incl p.ent
decay. but it went into the dinner pot before
my eyes. Such is picture. true to life, 70
b witnessed IN every Chinese city.
When AZ last, worn out By dissipation and
the street. they are dragged by the heels from
door % door until life is extinct Tho law.
which takes 10 note II them while they a-s
alive, requires that the maa upon whose
premises they die shall bury them at his own
expense. 7 have seen more than one contest
between nsighbors a 20 which should stand
this expense. A poor. exhausted wretch WAS
Staggering with fsltsriRg step until at last
be FELL PROSTATE st the door Of fairly com
fortabie dwelling The man came forth, FROM I
bis room ard taking toe dying pauper by ths
heels, dragged him in front of the next al
joining bouse Here he was seen bv the
other nas1 and Ia the same way dragged
back again e. the other iot Thus was he -
moved back and forth, back snd forth. Until
he vas dead Then fear 4 the soul q the
dead man put an end % The tussle A coffin
was ordered and men engaged 20 tlE a
hole n The "potfers field And tllus ended
= hfs which. Ierchance, bad once pecn prom I
ising and hsPpy. bat alss epiuzn did e. ten
chances q cue
There are 5tber cisssrs q bszgsrs who DO
rot coue Under he jurisdiction 4 TIE beTxar
xi7g They src What may % called priv
Dsgsd elaSs and comprise the priests 4 re
vsricyss ralxfcrs. Ire lazne. bind ard sz.i
p~cpse anshs 70 sshor r. v ToN
Fsfarrh Cured