The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-13
THE CELESTIAL LITERATI
Interesting Notes Cleaned During Visit to
Foochow When Ten Thousand Young Men
We're Competing for Honorary Degrees
rrespondencc of the sunday Journal.

have higher regard for literary attainments
than the Chinese. 1t Is the absorbing de-
sire of most families to have some relative
who has received literary degree and all
will unite to support q brother or more re-
mote relative who is fitting himself for ex-
aminations. This they will continue to do
for many years. even after the candidate
has grown to mature years and has large
family. The parents. brothers and cousins
may be very poor, but they will will
ingly contribute of their scant means
to support the literary aspirant
Among the successful candidates in
late examination for the ''siu ts'ap degree,
which is the fret or lowest in honor. in
Shatung province, ono village enjoyed the
distinction of having three successful COM
petltors; very unusual thing. One was
for o civil and the other two for military
degrees. The villagers regarded them
selves SO highly honore6 that they united
to present the parents of the three young
men with theatrical exhibition TALL the
numerous incidental expenses thereof and
the feast as we'll being paid by the par
ents.l The joy and pride of the successful
families in such cases cannot be appre-
ciated by people living in Western coun-
tries.
One of these persons was lad OF four
teen, while one of the others was an old man
of seventy six years. The latter had been
trying for q degree ever since he was twcn-
ty. The literary chancellor regarded the
essays of the old man es only OF moderate
excellence, yet agreed to give him little
face" and the much coveted degree. 1t
is not an uncommon thing for a father to
select one of his sons for literary life. and
sometimes even force him to struggle for
case of young man whose father was de-
tcrmined that, his son should be
not The youth worked for many
years under rigid compulsion of q
teacher who realized the fathers ideal Of
severity and thorougbnesM At the age of
nineteen these efforts were rewarded
by the young mans attaining the
first degree. He now hoped for release
from exacting and unwilling toll. but to his
dismay found that his fathers ambition
was only whetted to keener edge by his
sons success. and the latter was given to
understand that he was not to pause until
he had taken the second and even the third
degree. Finding his father inexora pie, and
fate too strong for him. the young man
struck for liberty in o way peculiarly
Chinese, for he hanged himself with his
girdle. and was examined no more.
INTRODUCING WESTERN IDEAS.
It seems that an effort is being made to
introduce something of Western mathe-
mates In the examinations In the northern
provinces for at the last two problems in
mathematics were given out; one of these
asked for the superficial area of globe,
. the diameter of which W as a b teen inches;
the other was if eight thousand piculs of
rice are carried at thirteen tail cents per
picul, and the freight is paid In fica at tael .
two and half per blcnl, how much rice is
expended for the frelghtf 1t Is said that
this question was given to ten thousands
students in the Tungchang prefecture and
that only one man atten pied its solution.
and failing was snubbed by the chancellors
as being an ignorant pretcnder; yet If any
one had been able to give an answer to
such q simple question, which would
not have puzzled most American boys of
twelve years. he would doubtless have OBJ
tanned his degree at once. Since Western
mathematics has been given place in the
examinations to even o email extent there
has been q great desire manifest to learn the
formula (fa'rh) by which foreigners SO east
" and quickly get correct answers. The
Chinese scholar pays no attention to scien-
titic, mathematical. or philosophical books
or studies. The tive classics and the
four books of Confucius. Mencius ETC., be-
ing the only studies considered of any
vaiue by the literati. and these are the
only things on which they are examined
for degrees and promotion. A few days
since accom- panied by graduate of the Sec
ond degree. made q visit to the examina-
tion halls at Foochow, where last summer
over eight thousand students assembled in
the triennial examination for the Sec
Der 100 passed satisfactorily. Over
the entrance gate are characters
announcing the bopelessness of anyone at
tempting to enter there who Is not dill
gent scholar. At short distance another
wide gate or folding door is passed and
entrance gained to a passageway divided
down the center by stout high picket
fence, which separates into two streams
the crowd of persons entering. As they
pass an open window, the name, family
age and place OF residence of each is
recorded. and each one Is given a slip of
paper on which is written the number of
the passageway and cell he is to occupy
for the next three days and intervening
nights.
IsoLATfNG THE STUDENTS.
He is then hurried along through an
archway under another large building CO.
cupied by the literary chancellor and his
assistants, who pass to each candidate
blank paper of fixed size and ruling used
only in these examinations. and on which
he is to write his essays. Under guard Of
officers oil are hurried along q broad. I'M
hundred alleys run of on either side at
right angles. Each of these alleys is ebout
three feet wide. and on one side Is = plain
dead wall eight feet high aud toward
which each cell faces. The cells are
about seven feet high, four feet wide,
and three feet deep, and are entirely open
10 front. Two or three boards. whose
length is some four inches greater than the
width of the cell, are made to slide into
grooves on either side; one of these being
pushed back against the inner wall OF the
cell forms q seat for tho scholar, facing
outward: the other board is slid in tow ard
upon, and forms his desk. The cells are
not much better than the calf-stalls of
common county agricultural fair,
being very barren, dirty enclosures
unit for anyone TO remain N ono hour dur
ing the heat of summer, when these exam
nations are usually held: but these eight
or ten thousand persons remain there
closely confined for three days together
when all arc dismissed and the worst of
the debris is cleared away. In two or
three days all return again for three days
more of confinement and work. and this il
repeated for the third time. have visited
these halls months after the examin-
atoms were over, and found the
psssageways still cluttered up with
the refuse left by the scholars.
During the examinations last summer three
persons died In the cells. ono from the bite
OF "a serDent and the others from exhaustion.
The alieywa are constantly patrolled by
guards. VINO keep the students from com-
municating with each other and have the
general charge of them while In the in
closure. Each student has provided him.
self with provisions. candles. fuel and bed