Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-07
CHINA'S CAPITAL.
SoUALoR AND sPLENpoR or
THE CITY OF PEkIN.
II Differs From Other Chinese Cities.
Fascination osths Crowded Streets
The Emperor's Home.


Pekin must be seen to be under
stood. Not even in the East can
there elsewhere be found so strange
a combination of squalor and
splendor. A person may live for
years in one of China's well-kept
foreign settlements and continue to
wonder why railroads are not built,
why this. that. and the other is not
done. But when at last Pekin is
visited all becomes comprehensive.
For IL the capital of the empire is
utterly neglected, IL things which
the Emperor and his closest advisers
can see for themselves are allowed
to go to rack and ruin before their
eyes, why should anything be done
to open up and improve the rest Of
the country?
The city walls sixteen gates. sur
mounted by brick towers, built with
rows Of portfolios, are all locked and
barred soon after dark. Riding over
the open country is one Of the chief
diversions in foreign residents mo-
notonous lives, and il pony goes
lame, or the time has been miscal-
culated, and the gate reached q few
moments late. there is nothing for it
but resignation. Brides, threats,
promises are Of no avail, and the
night must be passed in dirty inn
outside the wall.
Pekin, barring it's filth and smells,
differs much from other Chinese
cities. While the streets of the great
southern towns often do not measure
more than eight or ten feet across,
those OF Pekin are very wide All
are unpaved, and most Of them almost
impossible to foot passengers. Even
on pony-back one runs real danger
of being submerged in mud-hole
People who cannot ride use mule
litters, sedan-chairs. or two-wheeled
springless ''Pekin carts" which un-
less well furnished with mattresses
give their occupants famous shak-
ings. And these impossible thorough
fares are lined by fine shops, the
entire facades OF many being elab-
orately carved and entirely overlaid
with gold-leaf.
In spite OF mud-holes, heaps Of
garbage, and other things too noisome
to describe, Pekin's streets, with
their golden shops and picturesque
sign-boards, their OVERLOOKING life
and gayety, are fascinating. Their
great width is often practically con-
tracted to narrowness by tents,
booths, movable restaurants, ami
hilatory BARRIERS shops, etc. The
sides are crowded with buyers, sellers,
jugglers, fortune-tellers, doctors,
and musicians. Through the centre
pass long strings OF camels laden with
brick tea for Russia. or Goals from
Tartary, Manchu men and women on
horseback, and innumerable pro-
cessions-mandarins' chairs, pre-
coded by twenty or thirty retainers
with umbrellas, flags, banners, etc. !;
brides escorted to their future homes
by troops OF friends, small boys who
explode firecrackers, and men who
carry scarlet boxes containing the
wedding gifts and trousseau; corpses
followed to the grave by bowling
white-scarved clan, besides all the
elaborate loss pidgin" pageants
with their roast pigs, gilt-paper pa
godas. pyramids of artificial flowers,
and other sacrificial offerings.
Every morning before dawn carts
are driven about the town in order
to take away children, living or dead,
of whom the parents wish to rid
themselves. The dead are thrown
into pits without the walls. and
covered with quicklime; the living
are taken to the temple of the new
BORN" and cared for at the expense
of the state. Alright, as the streets
are rot lighted, people going abroad
must depend upon their own lanterns.
Watchmen pace about continually
beating bamboos, so that no thief,
unless he be stone-deaf, need ever be
caught in the act.
The yellow tiled walls surrounding
"Hwang Ching" or forbidden
City" where the Emperor and court
reside, enclose about four square
miles. Formerly good view of it's
picturesque buildings, lakes, bridges.
and artificial hills could be obtained
from the famous marble bridge, but
this foreigners have recently been
forbidden to cross. ''Thi Shan," or
Goal HILL" lying north of the
palace. is, however, visible from all
parts Of the city. It's five SUBMITS
are crowned with as many temples,
which the ''Son of Heaven" may
daily watch falling into decay.
For the cultivation of meek-and
humble spirit, residence in Pekin
is strongly to be recommended. Few
strangers can, however, avail them
selves OF the privilege, for, as only
Chinese merchants are allowed to do
business there, the foreign popula-
tion is limited to the diplomatic
circle, officials, students connected
with the Chinese customs service,
and a few missionaries The diplo-
matte career is not considered con-
ducive to humility. generally having,
indeed, the contrary effect on those
who follow it. But in Pekin the Dip
lomats are lambs Every year sees
the liberties of foreigners in Pekin
further restricted. Even the priv
ilege of walking on the city wall is
now denied them, and as il is not
possible to walk elsewhere, all who
do not ride must exercise within
their own compounds" They may
skate, however, in winter, go to