Telegram-herald., 1890-01-14


lae he law el41res ti17- 80 -
la-4 s. aees prez2ses q Pail'-F 1-sS s----A
lcry tle corpse. ala t1e i9o = - =
c1ss ~ mea aso foio@ re business.
s11 ehev e4Fen5 s. l1.rls ABR as p~ssa-
hls fQr ths s.aau fee. and hen-e - oE-7o
th1s el--s q s-raves-ls a. e2ss e-sA-
Lhs h~&ler g. a. laoi 10 oary Ile1r o~n
dead. sud ig is thls c-ass ~ graves P" aA-n
ere 4aoiEsa sfIer as before descfiLe'A *
Is . uona4ca c1sG4- fQT talse ADie - d
So - have gle.r coE1ns ul4s.se Hlanf sea-fs
4e.ore gtey ole anc fae bucdllsl TEN Eaes
are used 80 gs saFslosls1s ln - tl--h tilof @fe
s-ore1 ! have seen coftlns thus STORED
away which were unique sps-iaen-s q
Norkl1&nship. bei8g els1oraEeif carve
AMI ornanleuts4 with coaUs U arms ano
fantastic u.glres A. there are ID lea is<7s
rl-s funeral lroeessieu forms a novel
sigag. - the c0niu Is borne 70 the uury-
lus suot suspended under poles borne
up0u mems shoulders and followed b5
the hired u111rners aud the music ot one
stringed aid.es and the cries OF the pald
moarners. Tney are conveyed 10 the
place of lnternent before the grave Is
dug, zrd 81. upon the ground while WIKI
PICK agd spade the grave = dug HE
coAin ls tlea loWered into poS4Sfon and
covered with earth. there being no box
or outer covering - the CONN. as prao-
tiCed IN most countries.
Carved stones ara placed az the grave,
If the family can afford Il, and the social
rank Is indicated by the height and
circumference of the mound. l once
climbed u the summit OF grave which
was 200 hundred feet high. IL Is at
Nankin, and is tho tomb OF the last
emperor of the Ming dynasty. IL Is a
mile around the grave al the foot of the
mound, and IL is inclosed IN high brick
wall and has a tunnel entrance under
meath the wall. Centuries have passed
since that immense bank Of earth was
thrown over the bones Of the dead EN-
peror, and scrub oaks and chestnut
trees have long grown over the mound
In front Of the tunnel under the wall,
which Is OF arched masonry, Is the ruin
Of a magnificent porcelain temple, which
was demolished n the siege Of Nankin
during the Japanese rebellion. IN which
Chinese Gordon took part The broken
porcelain bricks still lie ia huge piles
Just as they fell under the blows of
cannon laIs. Leading away in half
circle frr mile stands an open column
Of hue. stone statuary. which leads 70
the tomb of the prince, over which
stands IN immense stone column, upon
the f0u- sides Of which are chiseled IN
. Chimes Characters the lineage and MS
tory ~ tho long dethroned royal family
The statuary is in pairs, standing
sixty steps apart, facing each other,
and between them is a paved road
some twenty feet broad. The figures
representative ranks Of Chinese officials,
both military and civic, who did the bid
ding of the dead emperor. Also, there
are elephants, camels, horses. bulls. lions,
tigers and other large animals, with one
p3irof each standing and one pair crouch
ing.
The figures are mammoth in size and
are carved ont Of blue limestone, and the
figures Us well a. the pedestal upon which
thcy rest arc each Of one solid stone and
not built in sections.
What labor and expense the building
u this grave and its surroundings repre-
sents, may be Judged when it is said that
it was all done without the aid of ma
chinery or vehicles. it is all the record
# human muscle and perseverance.
The mound was carried there IN bss-
keJs on mems shoulders, just as forts
and other earthworks are done at the
present dav, no steam engines or even
horse carts being employed. The canals
are dug and entertainments made BY hu-
man hands and the earth carried in bas-
ke;s.
When the Chinese first began 10 carry
their dead back from California the ships
charged the same for each coffin taken
to China as they did for d live Chinese
passenger. Then the cunning heather
cheapened the cost by filing one coffin
with the bones of many dead. The ships
agents got on 10 this and required that
each coffin be opened for inspection.
Then the ships stood i'm with San Fran
ciscan undertakers, and required that
t-l.4 ttAeaArA1 ~ tArftl. uLllFi kiiElflc.
that the health Of the passengers and
crew was endangered by the presence Of
theexhumed bones from California ceme-
teries. This sealed caskct Is now re
luired for the transmission Of these bones.
But the Chinese evado this expensive
ruling by bleaching and cleaning the
bones Of their dead and packing them IN
their trunks with their baggage. The
surgeon Of one Of the Pacific mail steam
ers told RE that this was a common
thing. and it requires personal inspection
II every parcel OF baggage to prevent it
being practced bv returning Cinnamon.
All who die during the voyage are en-
balmed and never buried at sea. The
reculiaritics Of Bret Hartos Heather
Ch4Dee" are not confined 20 bis manner
of playing poker OF the cut Of his coat.
bat extend in even greater degree into
his treatment Of his dead.
g. y. ToN.