The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-25
IN CHINA'S SACRED MOUNTAINS
REV. W.. d. KINGS LIFE AMONG THE
DISCIPLES OF CONFUCIUS.

Two of His Former stations CAPTURED
in a Province the Size OF GeorEia
with n Population More Than Half
That of the United Sfntes-He Hears
Little of the War With Japan Ex-
cept From American Newspapers.
: Climb Up the Mountain of Tai
Sau.
Rev. William D. King. who left savan-
nah in the fall of 1891 as a missionary to
China under the direction of the foreign
mission board of the Southern Baptist con
vention. writes an interesting letter to
his people here of his work and life
among the Chinese.
Mr. King is at the Tai Au Foo, in the
shanung province. He was formerly at
Tung Chow. one of the cities captured by
the japanese. His present address is
Shanghai, via San Francisco, where let
ters reach him through the Gospel mis-
sion. About a year and a half ago a dif-
ference arose as to the methods of work
among the missionaries at Tung Chow,
which resulted in the organization Of the
Gospel mission movement All of the
missionaries at Tung Chow cast their lot
with the movement, Mr.. King among the
number. He now derives his support from
the voluntary contributions of individuals
and such churches as believe the new
movement is doing more than was ac-
cOmplished under the old regime.
The province of Shanting, in which Tai
Au Foo is, has about the same area as
Georgia, with a population of 36OO0.0O0
more than half the population of the
United States.
Mr. Kings friends were somewhat anx-
ious about him for a time during the
movement of the Japanese army toward
the interior.
He writes, however, that he is not in
any danger and has experienced no in
convenience on account of the war save
in the delay of the mails. Were it not
for the news gathered from the American
and English papers, he says he would
hardly know that war is in progress.
Occasionally a regiment OF soldiers passes
through Tai Au Foo, and vague rumors
come to his ears, but that is all. He says
that We In America, know more of the
Incidents of the war than he does. Tung
Chow. where he formerly resided, and
Chefoo, his former postoffiee, have both
been captured by the Japs.
In a recent letter Mr.. King gives an
interesting description of Tai Sau, one of
the five sacred mountains of China, at
the foot of which Tai Au Foo lies.
Among the sacred mountains, he says
Tai Sau stands first. Its gods are most
willing to hear and most apt to perform.
II lies near the western end of an irregu-
lar range of mountains, which extends
nearly the length of Shanting Province
Forming the point of a slight southerly
projection from these mountains, IT gives
reputation to the city Of Tai Au Foo, which
lies al its base. Contrast with its lowly
companions, and the associations of his
tory, together with the superstitions of a
race which peoples all mountains with
gods bad or good, have given Tai Sau
a reputation among the worlds noun
tains quite disproportionate to its actual
hight. which is only said to be $3.50 feet.
Religious associations have been at
tached to Tai Sau from very ancient
times Emperor Shun is reputed TO have
offered sacrifice there to the Highest
Lord of the Heavens" more than 1900
years before Christ. And the sacredness
of its character is such that the son
of Heaven" deems it not unworthy of
his dignity to leave his throne at Pekin
and come here to worship. Special build |
ings are kept in readiness, but visits |
by the emperor are not often made.
Common report says that about once |
in a hundred years is as often as his |
majesty feels the need of such personal /
devotions. He makes annual visits, how /
ever, through a representative.
One visiting the mountain during the |
first four months of the native year, will |
find the stone paved roadway, which runs
to the summit from a point near the |
north gate of the city, quite crowded with /
pilgrims. At other seasons the mountain |
is deserted except by its many priests and |
the few miserable people who scrape a |
Ia
generally bare of trees, and its grandeur |
is rather barren and bleak in it's rocki- |
ness. Care has been taken to cultivate |
pretty groves here and there about the |
different temples and in places along the |
roadway, so that one becomes more inn |
pressed with the beauty of Tai Sau upon |
a close acquaintanceship. The way leads |
through gulches which would be grand If |
the scale were less diminutive. Here and !
there one catches sight of the results of |
one of natures sterner moods; the huge |
piles of rock look as IL some gigantic /
demon of madness had been spending his |
fury upon them. These wonderful mon |
uments of nature give use to thoughts of |
their Creator. And these thoughts are /
succeeded by a sense of pity for the poor I
souls who are deluded into thinking that |
the fiimsy creations of their own minds |
and hands can exert such powers. In /
other places glimpses are caught of the |
broad level valley spotted with villages, |
and marked with streams. This valley /
stretches east and west out of sight and |
southwark to distant hazy mountains. AS /
the summit is neared, range to the south
east running obliquely to this, appears as
hillocks.
There are temples and groups of temples !
IN various places upon the sides and points I
OF Tai Sau but along the roadway they /
are numerous enough to give 1t the APP
pearance of a street throughout several |
considerable portions. These temples rep |
[sent almost every phase of belief held
1y China, which can be called religious.
Here that mysterious inconsistency which I
can blend mutually hostile schemes as
buddhism, Toaism and Confucianism into /
practical oneness is markedly conspic-
uous. At the beginning of the roadway
Is the First Gate to Heaven" about half |
way up is the Middle Gate to Heaven
ana at the top is the South Gate to
Heaven," all of which gates consist of |
stone arches, the last being the most
neavy and elaborate. Carved stone me-
MORALS in honor of ancient and modern
worthless are numerous. and in various
PAGES, carved upon the rocks, are in
ScfDtiOnS evbortfpo~ tn vic lfvac