The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-11-22
A Curiosity In journalism.

CURIOSITY IN journalism.
In the capital Of Far Cathay the oldest
paper In the world makes its appearances
every morning. A pamphlet seven and one
half inches long by four broad. consisting of
about twenty pages bound in a yellow cover
this is the Peking Gazette. and thus il has
been for / 800 years. TIL cover bears an in
scription OF two characters IN red. which IL,
being interpreted, Ching Pao. Picking Ga
zette. This 10 stamped IN the upper left
hand corner. on what We should call
the back of the pamphlet. and
forms tho only heading. There is no further
description OF the aims and objects of the pa
per-no births marriages or deaths. no
funerals at half the usual charges" no agony
colunn. no appalling prophecies OF the i'm
mediate dissolution Of the universe. no steam
ship notices. no theatres" no figures show
ing the officially certified circulation and no
assurances that every body's soap IL the best.
The Peking Gazette has. in fact, no space %
let for advertisements: not that this Is
already taken up. but that anything Of the
nature Of the putting of a pill or recommends
ton OF a housemaid is rigldly excluded. The
venerable organ concerns itself only with
hard dry fact.
1t is not a medium for the conveyance OF
Chinese public opinion, but simply an official
record containing court movements. selected
memorials from nigh officials, lists Of promo
tons, Imperial rescrIpts. edicts. sentences and
so On. Though nothing in the nature OF q
leader, editorial comment. or latest telegram
column Is TO be found in It's pages. it still con-
stitutes the principal source of information
available to the people AS to what il taking
place throughout the empire. The Emperor
himself may be said 10 be the chief editor. for
the contents of the Gazette consist of papers
and memorials. including his " ukases and
rescripts, which have been examined bv him
and posted on a board in one of the courts II
the palace previous to publication. These
form the materials for the annals Of govern
ment and history of the empire. SO that this
little newspaper pamphlet may DO said 10 be
the diary OF the Chinese nation. To a stu
dent of the Government policy II il extremely
valuable, and much light is frequently thrown
in its pages upon obscure points of Chinese
social life. which would otherwise remain I'M
explained.
10 ialsily any paper contained therein is
punishable with death; but the special decis-
ions of the sovereign, as applicable TO the ex-
igencies OF particular cases. are not allowed
TO form precedents in penal iurisdiction-do
not. in short. necessarily become law. Cour-
iers are dispatched - the remOtest parts Of
the empire bearing copies OF the journal,
which thus circulates widely. and IA read and
discussed by the educated people. keep
ing them well acquainted with tho
character and proceedings of their
rulers and forming a good criterion OF
literary style and composition. in the prov
inces thousands find employment either by
reading aud explaining the Gazette 10 the un-
educated. or by copying and abridging il for
the benefit of those who cannot afford 10 pur-
chase the complete edition. Tie price. by
the way, IN the ordinarily printed form is
about 80. a month. but for "a manuscript copy
(Which may be obtained somewhat earlier.
and at times contains more natter about
ten times as much must be given.
During the New J ear festivities. which last
about a fortnight. the Gazette appears every
other day, but 1t IS issued daily throughout the
rest of the year. Each page OF the pamphlet IS
ruled with vermilion lines running vertically
from the top TO the bottom, dividing il into
parallel columns OF characters. which must DO
read downward and from right to eft.--The
first page has the name of the printing office
in the lower right-hand corner. and gives
also the date and the index. The remainder
10 taken up with the memorials, etc.
constituting the days impression. The
Of thin Chinese paper. somewhat re-
sembling 'himsey." are doubled and printed
on both sides. and the edges are stitched to-
gether at the back with paper thread. Gaps
are to be seen now and then on some of tho
pages-due. however, TO no want OF copy"
but to the Chinese system of eleyating char
acters referring TO the Emperor. the nobility.
This requires tue rest of the column in
which such q character occurs TO be LETT
blank and a new column ~begun-one. two or
three spaces higher than the normal line Of
commencement. according TO the dignity OF
parsonage referred 70.
The Picking Gazette is the only journalistic
production entirely under native supervision.
One or two newspapers in Chinese on the Eu-
-opean pattern have been started. mainly
lnder foreign guidance. but the metropolitan
Gazette has changed neither Its shape nor IT'S
since the day of its first issue. Born in
.he brightest era OF Oriental history. when
was overwhelmed in the turmoil which
the downfall OF the Roman Empire.
{ has been a silent spectator, as it were. Tor
many centuries OF the development of "a great
civilization. whose past and future form one
IF the most interesting studies in the whole
evolution Of the human race.
l.. +. G. WERNER.