Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-12-10
WHY CUES ARE WORN.
ORDERED BY A FORMER Ell
PEROR OF THE COUNTRY.
F-rs: Wo-n By COnpulsion, and Later b,
Choice.

F-s. WON BY COnpulsion, and Later b,
Choice.
Every one know. that q Chinaman
does not care TO return 10 his native
land If, while IN this country, he has
for any reason become separated from
his cue, or 'pigtail," as il Is more COM
monty called by the Americans. Most
people believe that cueless Cinnamon
are prohibited from returning to the
scenes Of their childhood under penalty
or death While this Is an eIaggera-
tlon, II IS nevertheless a fact that were
he 10 return without that national en-
o-em he would lose the respect of his
cOuntrymen, and, through unofficial
but just as effective persecution, be
compel d 10 leave the Celestial EN-
Pire-
As every result has cause, It will
be interesting 10 know the reason why
q patriotic Chinaman must wear & cue.
Dress. like other things. undergoes its
change IN Chinatown, and fashion al
ters there every now and then: but
the style of the ''pie tail~ has remained
the same for centuries, and is handed
down from parent 10 child without
fear of its being adopted or fsncied by
Rnv other nationality.
For many years prior to the year
lCi+ the native Emperors of the Chi
neSe dynasty compelled the Chinese
subjects under them TO wear long hair
over the whole head and wear il in a
tuft or coil, something after the man
ner III which ladies wear hair switches
81 the present time.
The first Emperor of the present dy-
dasty, who assembled the throne in
1914, determined 10 make the tonsure
OF Mauchuria, which was his native
country, the token Of the submission
OF the Chinese of tho entire country
TO his authority
Shortly after his accession to the
/ throne he issued general order that
| carried the greatest CONSERVATION with
I it throughout the kingdom. He or
[ dered his subjects 70 shave all the hair
/ from their heads except on the crown,
| ana 10 allow the hair on that particular
part tC grow long and dress il accord
[ ing 10 the traditional custom Of Man
| chUIIa. His proclamation was received
I with universal manifestations of dis
/ approval, particularly among the more
aesthetic MongOlians, and il required
considerable time for them TO become
gully accustomed to the change.
But the custom finally prevailed
/ throughout the length and breadth of
Z the great Chinese Empire, aud the
style that was then adopted as g duty
Is. worn now by choice As reward
for their pu=ctuality and obedience,
those vino were first 10 conform with
the new capillary rules were presented
with a tael of silver. Then the present
was reduced TO only tenth of tael,
and later on only an egg was given.
Finally the egg was dispensed with and
no present given as soonas the custom
became widespread and general.
The law that required the people 10
shave their heads and braid the cue
was not often rigidly enforced by the
penalty of Immediate death, but i. was
soon an established fact all over the
Empire that those who did not do as
the Emperor desired would never be-
come successful in a law suit against
those who did conform, nor would they
succeed i'll their business or other en-
terpriSes or undertakings.
Some time ago when the Empress
and Co-regent died the whole nation
i went into mourning, and in memory
of the deceased the law forbade the
Chinese shaving for month
In the city of Foochow the Mayor of
the town made the discovery that the
higher powers were being disregarded,
and he accordingly made a raid upon
the barber shops and sixty Chinese
were caught in the at of being shaved.
They were arrested, taken before the
chief magistrate, heavily fined and
then severely bastinadoed. More than
this, their heads were painted bright
blue, which is the color for mourning
in China, and a coat Of v-rnish was
put over the paint. Every week while
the mourning ceremonies lasted the
culprits were compelled TO present
themselves weekly TO receive fresh
supply of paint and varnish.
The ancient Chinese wore their hair
long, bound up on the top Of the head,
after the style of the Soochowsns, and
taking pride in its glossy black called
themselves the "Black Race" The
members Of this peculiar sect believed
that without the aid of the "pigtaiP
they never could be saved, as Confuci'
US would find 1t an extremely dithcult
task 70 lift them into tho blissfu
regions without the aid or tins flowing
capillary adornment-
As il is to Confucius and the "pig'
tail" the Chinese look for salvation
il may not be out of place to say few
words of this remarkable man, who
after the lapse of three and twenty
centuries has q temple In every Chinese
civ, and an efigy in every school.
room. Born in the year 551 B. c..
and endowed with more than common
talents, CONTIGUOUS soon became dis
tinguished for his love of historical
end religious research.
Reading without thought is fruitless
and China being at that time possessed
of immense treasures Of literature anc
history, he at al early ege stored his
memory. and BY the aid of reflection
diUeStcd them into a system for tht
use of posteTity. He was made premier
of his native state, and soon afterwarc
g great improvement III public morals
was made manifest Valuables nigh
be exposed in the streets without being
stolen, and shops and houses might bt
left open all night without fear OF
uolestation-
Honored during his lifetime to suct
q degree that the princes Of severa
States lamented his decease like that Of
a cherished brother or q revered father
his influence has deepened with time
audextended with the swelling multi
tudes OF the people. He Is veneratec
as the fountain Of wisdom by all the
votaries Of letters, and worshipped by