The herald., 1896-12-04
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; QDEEREST Paper IN THE WORLD F.:
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,

| An emperor who rules over 400, 900 900
subjects is the editor-in- chief OF the old
| est newspaper in the world. Not only is
it the Oldest but it has tty. smallest ac-
tual circulation of any publication on tue
face of the globe, each daily issue con-
! sisting of a single copy.
The name of this unique journal is the
| Pekin Gazette. and it has been getting
out it's one copy day. with few inter
| ruptions, for about 800 years.
| The Pelsin Gazette is the organ of the
| Chinese imperial court. and each day the
| single copy Is tackled up on big board
| outside Of the Purple City, where the
| emperor lives. 1t averages sixteen
pages.
| The sheets are about seven inches long
and three wide, and the reader begins at
| the lower right hand corner and runs his
| eye up and down vertical columns. from
right to left, which is the Chinese way.
| The paper contains nothirs but strictly
| exclusive news, but not line is there of
| gossip about the Son of Heaven or SEN
| sational details about his corrupt court.
There is no advertising, and there never
has been an advertisement in its pages
Most Of the articles are dictated by the
| emperor himself. and they generally
consist of official acts and reports. The
! emperor's assistant in his editorial du-
| ties is his mother. All news relating to
| the condition of the kingdom, or any
| thing else that the emperor wishes to
| keep from his subjects, is of course rig
orously excluded, and no Chinese jour-
| naiist dares to draw any deductions or
make any comments on what appears in
this royal publication. After the paper
is printed the emperor sometimes makes
marginal notes on it with red pencil.
Here is a translation of an article
which appeared not long ago, and which
will serve as a sample of the features"
of this unique publication. Suicide, it
would seem from this, is virtue to be
extolled.
"Ying Ham, acknowledgements of
Anhwel, lauds the conduct of young
lady who committed suicide on hearing
of the death of her betrothed, and asks
permission to erect a memorial arch to
her memory She was the second daugh-
ter of Liu-Ching-tai, assistant magis-
trate at Hsun-cheng, Anhwel. She was
betrothed while a child to an undergrad
uate called Yien Wentso. belonging to
literary and official family at Huchow.
This young man and all the members of
his family committed suicide when their
city was disturbed by rebels. This lat
ter fact was in due course reported to
the throne by Ii Hung Chang, and per-
mission was given to erect temple to
their memory. But the young lady. be-
ing away from home. knew nothing of
the suicide of her betrothed until the
early part of the new year. and upon
hearing the news she straightway pois-
oned herself. She was just II at the time
of her deaht. Such a virtuous act on the
part of one so young deserves to be com
memorated. The memorialist finds that
the throne was pleased to allow the Gus
tomaly honors Ca memorial arch) to a
young lady belonging to Yungchow., who
poisoned herself on hearing of the death
of her betrothed, and is therefore led TO
hope that they will be granted in the
present case. Resides the arch the me-
,norialist would ask that the young
lady's tablet should be placed in the an
cestral temple of the Yien family, along
with that of her betrothed, that she may
enjoy with him the honor of sacrifice and
worship. The board of rites is directed
TO report"-N. Y. Journal.