The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-07-15
HOTELS IN CHINA.
All Under Police Control and Quiet q
Thing Unknown.

form architecturally. They never
differ in point Of cleanliness and
other details, but they are almos,
invariably built in the form of 8
quadrangle enclosing a court, says
the Philadelphia Times. The build
ing is only one story high. In front
of the quadrangle is a space wide
enough for wheeled vehicles to
drive in. The front part of the
structure is occupied by the kitch-
en- and restaurant, if there is any.
Along the sides of the quadrangle
are many small rooms. At the
further end is the swell apartment
intended to be occupied by guests
of means and distinction. This
apartment consists invariably Of
three rooms-a sitting room in the
middle and bedroom on each
side. There is no hotel clerk with
scintillating diamond in his shirt
front, the innkeeper fulfilling that
capacity incidentally to his other
duties. There are three classes of
hotels in China. To begin with,
there are the business inns, fire.
quented by commercial travellers,
as one might say. They bear a
certain sort of analogy to the hos
telries in our own country, where
agents with gripsacks full of mer-
chandise find accommodation. To
these inns traders go for the pur-
pose of showing and disposing of
their wares. In all of the large
cities are provincial inns, each of
which is kept up for the accommo-
dation of the people of particular
province, as Canton or Szechuen,
receiving only guests who come
from that province. These hotels
do considerable postal business,
transmitting letters through the
hands of the people who enjoy their
hospitality. The latter are not le-
gally responsible for the safe deliv-
cry of such mail, but it is neverthe-
less conveyed to the intended re-
cipients with the utmost regularity.
In this manner letters are sent all
the way from Pekin to the border
of Burmah, the journey requiring
four or five months.
In addition to the kind of inns |
have described there are official ho-
tells where high officials stop on
their way through the country.
These establishments do not receive
tradespeople. The travelling Off
cial often takes the whole hostelry
for the accommodation of himself
and his retainers. He occupies the
swell apartments in the rear, while
they are quartered in the little
rooms along the sides of the quad
rangle. If he is very elevated
parsonage indeed he is likely to
scorn the inn, preferring to hire a
temple. Such religious edifices
ordinarily have rooms attached to
them, in which comfortable accom-
modations may be found. An es-
sential idea of the Buddhist doc
trine is hospitality to travellers.
Some of the most ancient inscrip
tions which have been discovered
in India were made by native SOW
ereign, who in them conveys
instruction as to how to provide
for wayfarers, telling what mcdi-
cines to give them, and even giving
directions as to the planting of
trees along the roads for the pur-
pose of affording them shade. In
Mongolia there are no inns. But
monasteries are numerous and they
will always accommodate stran-
ger.
As in France and in other Euro
pean countries, the inns of China
are under police control. Each of
them keeps record of it's guests
for the convenience of the magis-
trate of the district. Any suspi-
cious person is subjected to inspec-
ton and the passport of a foreigner
is promptly asked for. The noise
in q Chinese hotel is deafening. 1t
never ceases day or night. Each
guest yells from his door to the
servants for what ever he wants;
the servants shout back; the cook
bawls out names of dishes as they |
are ready; the cart drivers wran-
gle; the mules bray and the pigs
squeal. The first thing every per-
son does on arriving is to call for
hot water for tea. The hotel fur
nishes nothing but hot water and
oil lamps for lighting; everything
else is charged extra. In North
China, where camels are used as
beasts of burden, there are special
inns which take camels. The reason
for this is that mules are afraid of
,amels. Other inns advertise to
receive pigs. At the hotels cattle
and horses are fed mostly on sor-
yhum stalks, chopped up and
mixed with bran.
Water Level of Two Oceans.
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