Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-03-20
POLITE CHINESE.
Waste of Florid Language in
Consulting Together.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF ETIQUETTE
1t is A Mask OF Pollteness to Deprecate
and Abuse 0neself.-A Race
of Liars.

a reporter an interesting account OF the
way in which he receives 9 pupil. 1t
gives one good idea of Chinese Ell
quette. Mr.. Pott said:
"You want to know how l receive a
boy into the college? Well, the fathers
of the boys at st. Johns are usually
politicians, merchants or scholars.
They are all Chinese gentlemen. OF
course, have to adapt myself to the
etiquette of the Chinese, and so when
father arrives with his boy | escort
them to my Chinese reception room,
where the father and l each shake our
own hands most heartily and bow pro-
foundly. / then say to him:
what is your honorable name?'
"He replies. My mean, insignifi,
cant name is Wong.
''Then | say Please be seated, and
point to a seat at the back of the room
at the left hand of the table-the seat
of greatest honor. He Immediately
takes the right hand seat nearest the
door-the post of least honor. l urge
him to 90 up higher He declares that
he is unworthy.
'Then | catch hold of him to force
him to 60 up higher, and he takes hold
of me to prevent it. We have quite a
vigorous struggle, lasting some time.
Finally he accepts compromise, and
takes seat halfway up the side of the
room. l sit down on the seat next
lower.
Before beginning our conversation
l send for tea and the water-pipe, and
when they arrive l say, Please use
tea.
when he has.taken some tea and
a puff from the pipe we talk He asks
innumerable polite questions about
myself. A Chinese gentleman never
comes to business for quarter or half
an hour. Time never troubles an
oriental. He begins by asking:
What is your honorable name?'
II, of course, reply that my mean,
insignificant name is Pott. The next
question from him is:
"tWhat is your honorable kingdom?
and l am obliged, much as dislike it,
TO say:
" The small, petty district from
which l come is the United States of
America.
How many little stems have you
sprouted?' he says. That is the way
he asks how old am. l have vainly
spent thirty years, l reply.
Asking after my father, he says:
is the honorable and great man of the
household lving?' 1t is shocking, |
know, but ] have to answer, The old
man is well.
"Then comes. How many little. pre-
cious ones have your l reply gravely,
4 have two little dogs THE little
dogs are my children.) The last ques-
ton is:
How many children have you in
this illustrious institution My answer
is, i have 100 little brothers.
''T'hen he comes to business and says:
" Venerable master, l have brought
my little dog here, and worshipfully
intrust him to your charge. The
/ little fellow, who has been standing in
a corner of the room, at this comes for
ward, kneels down before me, puts his
hands on the ground, knocks his head
on the floor and worships me. 1 raise
him up and send him off to school, and
arrangements are made about his
dormitory, course of study, etc.
1.-The gentleman rises to take his
leave. 4 have tormented You exceed
ingly today. he remarks. oh, no, l
answer, I have dishonored you. As
he goes toward the door he keeps say
ing, am gone, l am gone, and re-
ply, go slowly, 60 slowly
As / follow him to the gate in the
garden he says; Please restrain your
golden footsteps. When we arrive at
the gate we again shake our own hands,
bow reverently to one another, and
he is gone.
Their politeness is sometimes carried
TO an extreme which seems amusing to
us. l have seen five or six men haggle
for five minutes over who should first
enter door at which they had CHANGED
to meet. They all urged each other.
to go in first And this ceremonious
politeness is not confined to the upper
classes.
If two wheelbarrow men meet in
narrow path and one has to go to
one side to let the other pass, the one
who keeps the road will say: L have
sinned against you, and the other will
repely: Don't mention it, But,
while they are exceedingly polite
among themselves. they are very rude,
as a rule, TO foreigner.
The reporter asked him if he would
say something more about the Chinese.
He then said:
The qualities the Chinese value most
of all are diligence, economy, patience
and obedience. A lasting monument
to their diligence is the great wall.
Obedience and honor TO parents, how
ever. is the cardinal principles.
The Chinese have the most ridiculous
ideas about medicine. They have no
surgery. They use snake skins and
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