The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-11-25
THE TREASURES OF MoUKDEN.
Being Under the Immediate Protection
Of the Fox God. They Can Never,
Never Fall Into the Hands
Of the Japanese,


Writing from Moukden, the ancestral
home of the imperial house Of China,
and their ancient treasure house, a cor
respondent Of the North China Over
land Mail says, under date of October
49,:
I'VE were considerably startled here
on learning that the Japanese were to
march on this place to take away the
store of 12O,0O0,0O0 taels locked up in
the imperial treasury. Surely the pur-
veyors of this piece Of wonderful infor,
nation are unaware that no earthly
power-except that Of the Chinese EN-.
peror, or his representative-can move
a single shoe out of the treasury. 1t is
therefore needful to forewom the clever
Japanese that this particular treasure
is under the immediate care of the
Fox god. This city is the headquarters
of the worship of this diety, and tenn
pie in his honor is decorated with tab
lets on account of cures before the re-
cital Of which the miracles of Lourdes
must hide their diminished heads. This
god is represented as a good-natured
little man, his ever-smlling face sur
mounted by head of Snow-white hair.
Besides the cures for which he is noted,
his chief office under the present gov.
eminent is to act as custodian of the
treasures.
"a few years a thief got into the
treasury when all the guards were
asleep or otherwise employed. The floor
was so covered with shoes of silver
that he could not put his foot down
except on the precious metal. His for
tune was made. He would carry load
after load of silver till the grey morn
ing brought the guard to the spot. He
bent down to pick one up He found
1t to be the heaviest shoe he had ever
touched. He used both hands. He
could not move it. He strained his
energies we'll nigh to bursting He
made no impression. Another and an
other shoe was attempted, but with
no more encouraging result. He then
bethought himself of the custodian, and
trembled with fear so great that he
could not move himself away. He was
caught there in the morning and told
his story. Formerly the Fox-god was
a mandarin of No. 1 rank. His red
button was now removed, and his head
has been covered ever since by the in
sigma of an Imperial Prince. Now, if
when he was but one of the highest
nIandarins he made it impossible for
a man to take away one shoe of silver
off that floor is 1t at all likely than
now he is prince he will be less slack
to discharge his duty? Let the Japs
be fore-warned. They will take out of
that treasury when they come just as
much as, and no more, than did that
would-be thief. 1t would be pity,
would it not, to march from Wiju,
where they are snugly fortifying them,
selves, to push with difficulty but pos,
sibly not without success through the
large army now awaiting them-not
thirty but three miles-west of Yalu,
only to find on arrival here that they
could not take away single shoe of
silver out of the treasury? Apparently
even the govemor-general of all the
Manchurias cannot take that money,
as he has had to borrow from the banks
a considerable sum of money to pay
soldiers en- route for the East"