Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-01-23
IN GLOOMY CANTON.
The City From Which Most Chi
neSe Come.
BL0ODIEST SPOT IT THE WORLD" f."
Tortures Not as Common Now as For-
merly-The Two Most Common
Death Penalties.
BLO0DIEsT SPOT IT THE WORLD"

over the plain of the city, covered with
the low -gabled houses, unrelieved by
towers or any massive piles. Here and
there the roof of temple will raise
itself slightly above its fellows. but
architecturally there is little of inter-
est in Canton. The most interesting
temple in the city is the pagoda of
Five Hundred Genii. An old Chinese
legend says that one day the Great
Buddha Vii Lui Foo, in passing through
wood, saw 500 bats "crouching on
large trunk of trees" (as Chinese
translator puts it). and by fasting and
prayer he succeeded in converting them
into genii and allotted to each of them
place of worship in this temple.
And here they sit in silent conclave,
carved from wood, no two alike, and
before each is an incence pot to receive
the burning joss sticks of the wor-
shippers.
The Temple of Horrors faces a
crowded open market square. Along
one side of it. open to the square, are
displayed life-size wax figures repre-
senting scenes from the Chinese hell.
The hell is nothing if not interesting.
and the pleasure of novelty there must
almost make up for the torture. In
ore scene are men immersed in boiling
oil, in another women standing
serenely while they are being sawn in
two lengthwise.
The execution ground is called "the
bloodiest spot in the world" Chinese
criminals fare worse than those Of any
other country. The prisons are dark,
unhealthy, unclean, and crowded.
Many of the prisoners wear the "can
gue." q heavy square made of boards,
with a hole in the center through
which the head is thrust. Wearing
this the prisoner can neither lie down
nor, in sitting, lean back against any
thing, nor can he convey food or drink
to his mouth, but must depend upon
the aid of his fellow prisoners. Tor
lures are not as common now as form
erly, though in the interior they are
used to some extent. The two most
common death penalties are the Little
Cut and the Ling Chez or Big Cut
The first is for murderers Of the ordi.
nary kind. They are gashed in thirty
one places before the final stroke. In
the Big Cut, used for parent murderers,
the skillful executioner keeps his VIC
tim conscious of his suffering till the
sixty fourth stroke of the sword.
Gradually he is dismembered, till his
head is finally severed. The tortures
of other kinds are too horrible to de-
scribe, and victims are kept in agony
| for days before merciful death drops the
bars and the agonized soul passes from
the dreadful highway into the quiet
pasture Of death.
Outside the city is large Enclosure
in which are long rows of what look
like lighthouses, except that they are
built of stone. This inclosure is called
Examination Hall" and hither come
students aspiring to pass the second
degree. 1t is sort of national univer-
sity, smacking little of civil service
requirements. The first degree IS
passed elsewhere by young men Of in
telleotual training, who then zealously
try to fit themselves for this more diff
cult one. There are GIG cells, each
containing one student, who is impris
oned here during the three days of his
examination; and out of these only 124
are passed. The examinations are
biennial, and so great is the honor for
the successful and so deep the chagrin
of those who fail that suicide is not
uncommon among the latter. In each
cell is stone slab for seat, and an
other for table, and in each row is
guard to prevent all egress from the
cells. For three days the candidates
work on their theses. then depart to
await Judgment. Later in life, when
those who have passed have risen to
positions Of importance, they go to
Pekin to attempt the third degree,
which is the highest in the land of
great honor and prestige.
The queue is national institution.
political necessity as we'll as a thing
of social custom. Young boys, whose
queues are growing. have them pieced
out with interbraided black or red silk.
With the adult the braid. when un-
done, as often seen in the barber shops,
is surprisingly luxuriant and glossy.
The BARRIERS shave the face, head. eye
brows. nostrils. and ears of their GUS
toners. Girls wear their haiI in
braids. and when they are grown
arrange it with oil in a stiff design be-
hind, fastened with green jade pins.
By using porcelain or carved wood
neck rests at night in place of pillows,
the hairdressing will suffice for an en-
tire week.
Throughout the city one sees only
darkness ind gloom. There are no
smiles upon the faces Of the people. no
merriment or light.heartedness, few
games among the children. The streets
are dark. and 30 are the houses. and 90.