The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-27
CHINESE ANOMALIES.
Strange Customs in the Flowery Kingdom
Everything Goes from Left 10 Right.


--
The Ostasiatischer Lloyd, which devotes
much of it's space to the consideration of
Eastern customs and affairs. recently pub.
lished an article upon Chinese Anoma-
lies" showing many minor differences be-
tween life in that country and the lands Of
the West. AS many of the customs de-
scribed seem to have been overlooked by
the majority Of travellers. the article. is
worthy OF reproduction.
THE sons of the Flowery Kingdom says
the journal, ARE not only the antipodes of
the Europeans from a geographical point
of view. but their manner of thinking and
acting is, for the most part, diametrically
opposed to our own. 1t is. therefore. use
less to attempt to decide what q Chinaman
would do under certain circumstances. In
all probability hs would do what we never
thought of. give expression to thoughts
which could never occur TO US, and say
things which we would never say.
He laughs when he tells you that
died. A bride who failed 10 weep and cry,
as il bewailing the death OF a relative,
when taken TO the house of her future hns-
band, would De looked upon as q being
Without Ic6ll08. lUbteaQ OF ASKING, HOW
are your the ChInaman asks: Have you
eaten your rice? For farewell the China
man uses the expression Go slowly he
not only asks infinitely as TO your health,
but also as TO your age, and in case you are
advanced In years. he congratulate you.
He asks also the amount of your monthly
income. how much rent you pay. and adds
other questions which we should consider
Impairment and out of place. On the other
hand. be careful not to question him as to the
health Of his wife OF his daughters. He will
introduce voluntarily his sons to you. But
do not Halter him If you see that bis young
est masculine offspring looks healthy; be-
cause, should he fall sick or meet with nm
accident, he will attribute It to you. AL
though you remove your hat on entering
his house. he puts on bis head covering be-
fore receiving you. He shakes his own
hands rather than yours. He places you at
should he help you to ANYTHING. he does 40
with both hands. With q look of PRIDE, no
may also show you q few boards intended
for his future coffin. which his faithful
sons have presented TO him.
If we look at Chinese books we shall
also see that everything goes from right to
left; the end Is the beginning. and the be-
ginning the end. The lines are vertical,
not horizontal. as with US. Foot notes are
TO be found at the top of the page or In the
midst of tie text. The dictionary is not
arranged alphabetically. tho Chinaman
using his pa root words and arrang iDg his
thousands of words according to them. At
times he groups words according to their
sound. so that all words ending In ing
such as wing ling ting sing come
under one category.
The clothing Of the Chinaman compared
with our own" add the journal. ALSO
shows many differences. The rank of the
Official is Indicated by the number of vsri-
colored buttons on the top of his official
hat, and instead of epaulettes. gold braid,
etc.. his uniform shows upon the breast
.wl h.aI- ~sx- ~ -. --I 1891 nA-
plume of the Mandarin's hat Is not straight.
but curved at the end like tho tail of q
bird. The wearing of bracelets Is not con-
fined to women. as men often ornament
themselves the same way. Neither men
sleeves are so long that they
often reach two feet beyond their
hands. and serve as muffs IN cold weather.
They are also used as pockets. there being
10 regular pockets In the clothes. The
beard of a Chinaman about indicates his
ave-. Until forty years old his face Is
smoothly-shaven. Beyond that point he
allows his mustache to grow. and when
still older, his entire beard. Both men
and women wear jackets and trousers.
While we blacken our shoes. the Chinese
paint the thiok soles of their shoes white.
Black 10 the color of mourning in the West.
while white gray-blue is the color in China.
Women, as we'll as men, smoke, and both
sexes make use of the fan. If one tears his
coat the tailor puts the patch on the out
side,
1.-The Chinese compasses," continues the
Lloyd, point toward the south and not TO
the North, &c with az. Neither do the Chi.
nese use the expressions, northwest, north
east, southwest and southeast. but west
north. ~east-north, east-south and west
south. In Chinese vessels the cooking is
done intbe back parts OF tho boats. The
Chinanan turns his name around, his
family name coming first and rhen his sur
name. Ills titles and degrees of relation
ship are in the same way. In
stead Of saying His Eycellency, the
Minister, the Chinsman says. The Minis
ter. his Excellency.' Out of Uncle Smith
he makes Smith uncle. and out of Mr.. Jones.
Jones Mr.. In writing the date. the China
man first writes the year. then tho month.
an d then the day. Fractions are also In
verified. Instead of saying four-sixths, he
snys OF the sixths. four The blade of his
saw Is at right angles to the handle. The
cabinet-maker keeps his measure in his
stocking.
THE Chinaman mounts his horse from
the right side. The wheels of a machine
run by power of man always turn in a
direction opposide tn that In which the
hands o. q watch nov Gravestones are
always placed at the feet of the dead. In
the school the teacher sits in q corner of
the room. and when the pupil Is passing
his examination he turns his back TO the
instructor. The letter postage Is almost
always paid by the receiver and not by the
iitC ~ pousout piaCcB u WoatueT-
protector above the heads of the oxen
which p~umD-by means OF . chain pump
the water upon his rice fields. bu he him.
self works unprotected from the rays of the
sun. Carpenters put the roof on
a house before f.. the walls are
ready. The Chinese watchman strikes an
instruments. or bell, in the night time. to let
the thief know where he Is. instead of
milking the attempt to catch him. In the
countries of the West children fly kites.
but IN China grown persons attend to that
pleasure. while children look on. The shop
signs hang from the roof. All stores are
open. In China the mother never kisses
her child. or the groom his bride. as kissing
is unknown to the people. The devil IN
China Is white. The workman has no SUM-
day. A great part Of the people adhere to
three systems of religion at once-the
doctrine of ConfucIus Buddhism and Tay-
ism. A murderer cannot be han ged or de-
cspitated until he has confessed his crime.
Chinese law admits seven grounds of di-
vorce. the most interesting being q too
great love of gossip and talk on the part
OF the woman Aged maidcns and bach
elors are few In China
Why shouldn't They Faint?
Philadelphia Inquirer