The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-10
WRAPPING CHINESE "a.
STRANGE CUSTOM ON THE CALI
FORNIA COAST.
Ming Jung. the High Priestcss of
the Art-HumRne society Cannot

the Art-Humane society Cannot
Interfere.
Los Angeles CCal) Spec. Chicago Record
There is "a wide ocean OF difference be-
tween the social worlds OF the Chinese
woman with feet no larger than those Of a
newborn babe and Others Of her sex
and race who walk on two feet of natural
size. Among all classes of Chinese the
woman with little feet has rank and pres
tige that a woman with a foot nodded and
fashioned by nature cannot hope 70
achieve. The art OF the professional foot
binder is a necessity in all Chinese famil-
lies where there is any desire for social
recognition.
The woman OF the tiny feet tolls not
neither does she spin. and. as Chinese
style goes. she is arrayed in the hight OF
fashion. She Tolls in luNury's lap. her
body is clothed in silken raiment Of the
finest texture and most delicate hue. while
her jewels are diamonds and rubies set
in soft, beaten gold; bracelets of jade and
jasped encircle her wrists and arms. II
she leaves her house she rides or is sup
ported on either side with women with
natural feet.
The woman with natural foot is in
marked contrast with her Ittle-foot sis
dress il the cheap, coarse Stunts Of Chi
nese looms, and her hair IS dressed with
unscented lard instead OF the perfumcd
oils. She is beaten with stripes when she
faus i'm any Of her duties Worst of all
she is cheap. any Chinese OF saving dis
position may buy a natural-foot wife
several Of them, If he cares for that sort
of investment-but IL takes rich man
to buy small-foot woman and keep her
in proper style.
There are about a half dozen Chinese
n Los "a a
the process of fOOt-mOlding. and there are
many more who are going through the
same experience in their homes in San
Francisco. The most experienced and best
known fOOt-binder in California is "a wO-
man of the name Of Ming Jung. She is
more than 80 years old, but she has calls
for her services in every fair-sized city
on the Pacific coast from san Deigo 10
Victoria. She makes her headquarters IN
San Francisco, where she is employed
more than half the time. Her services are
required principally in the fOot-bindlng
process on an infant, and then in advising
as to the best modes Of binding after the
growth arrested, Among the Weather
Chinese, who can afford TO employ Ming
Jung to undertake the supervision and
responsibility Of the whole operation OF
toOt-binding, she makes weekly visits
through the greater part of FIVE years. For
such services she receives from $500 TO ST.
Ming Jung is very rich. The assessors in
San Francisco say that she has an in
y
taxes no more than $4,000 worth of wish
BILE property. Like many others Of her race
on the Pacific coast, she is a great gam
bier. Her own feet are each two and one
half inches long and little more than an
inch wide. while the ankles are II inches
in circumference.
Ming Jung came down to Los Angeles
from San Francisco the other day to be-
gin the fOot-bnding process on several in
tants and to inspect the progress of sim
liar work which she had started here
cOTTpEnOuQenf
companied her on part of her rounds.
The feet of four infants between the
ages of to Z months were started on the
binding process and the feet Of two girls
We're critically examined and further
methods of binding were advised For
each OF the first named operations a fee
of So was paid, and for the examination
and advice in the last named cases IS
was the price.
well-tO-do merchant In the Chinatown of
Los Angeles, neighbors and friends of the
parents to the number of about sixty
squeezed into two small, no.some apart
ments to witness the great event i'm the
Sing family. and see the famous profess
siOnal foOt-binder OF the Pacific coast start
nursing child on career of certain So
cal distinction among her sisters. The
child was lifted on the lap Of its mother
who held it's hands and body still. while
another woman held its left foot leaving
the right foot free for the fOot-binder to
work on.
Taking from her capacious pocket a
roll OF Wnlte tape ABOUT ndtL an men IN
width, the professional woman began her
work. Two or three turns were taken
around the ball of the foot at the joint
of the great toe and after this %, ght" or
fastening had been fixed the tape was
drawn closely around the heel. which
was pressed downward and forward to-
ward the hollow Of the foot beneath the
instep. The heel securely fastened, the
tape was carried forward 10 the toes
which were neatly. tucked under close to
! the foot and then bound together and
!
toe. This accomplished, a piece of cloth
of peculiar texture, without particle of
give" to it. was bound lightly about the
foot and fastened with heavy thread, the
seams being whipped over again and
again. Then the other foot was treated
in the same way, and the ba be was ready
pointed slippers, with solid wooden soles
and fitted the bandaged feet SO closely
that they had to be put on with some little
force. over this shoe bandage Of red
webbing was wrapped.
During this seemingly painful process
the babe. beyond struggling little In pro-
appeared 70 enjoy the proceeding.
The sisters in the upstairs rooms of Vim
Chungs laundry establishment, on Ala
| media street, were next taken in hand by
the foot binder There were very few
spectators there. One of the girls was
years of age, and had undergone the OPP
Grafton 5 nee sine was but q few months
old. 1t was the end of the six months
period in which first bandages are usually
I II
awaiting the coming of the professional
foot-bnder for several weeks. when the
hard unyieldlng shoes had been removed
from the older sisters feet the bandages
were found TO be loose. The feet had
shTiveled. Instead of growing with the
body, they had become smaller until
shoes or coverings almost as small as
those put upon the babes feet were found
to fit the feet of the 12-year-od girl The
foot itself was wthered and useless when
unbound. The heel was drawn into the
center OF the foot, and the child could
not move ner toes No dainty miss ever
watched with more concern and anxiety
the piercing of her ears or the fitting Of
a new dress than did that Chinese child
the applying of the bandages hat had
made her a cripple-and a fine lady-for
life. She even suggested the pulling of
the tapes q little tighter when it was
that the foot was still too large for her
10 wear a pair Of beautifully embroider-
ed silk sandles that not one American g.
year-oid in a hundred could have forced
upon its foot She was pacfi fled by being
told by the old woman that when she next
rebound her feet they would have wither-
ed enough for her to wear the tiny shoes
1t is easy to understand that to bind the
feet ana cut off just enough Of blood to
wither the muscles and retard all growth
is quite an arr, for if the feet are Starved
49, 4 10 ..1-A .r..