The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-21

IN battle saey show sae szaatscai bravery
g A szva-s
Their orlxia * vsgef IN sAs mystery az
iegen5ry. Many theories hare been al
vaace&. ard many works wr1tssn ny re
Chinese an TIE snhtsss, bat nons q them
oeaT ne STAMP CT authenticity. \ fzvc-sss
explanation - shas sAsv are the descend
ans q 50 settlers left t. the mountains
az 4 cerIa-a Gsa. Ma. same % years ags
O. AIS return 10 the north after vlcforl-
Gus can r1-gu n india Tae fast tA4t they
are Eoz Or never could hsxe been Cana
men ard that isis Sa-re story Il told %
several Chinese tribes throws AZ least a
shadow % 6c1ss upon II. In al pretaasi-
tEy they are the remnants 81 the onea
great Lao nation s1aat long before tire
Christian era lardSa II al over Central
Asia That they were once IN = cornpAra-
lively high state q civilization ts&re -
abundant proof. As fer instance they SIN
have > number OF very cd parchment
manuscripts and books which the Chinese
positively assert none % Ire present Mao
Tss can read. TIE characters are ueScrto-
81 As resembling twisted worms and AZ
terry uainseilaglelc" In 81 the clans rec
oras OF events. ges and accounts one
man kept by notching sticks Although
there never appears 20 Rave Deem any
egvt war or serious discerd among ths
MEao-Ts- there IS a most pronounced CON
trast in the manner OF life % the various
classes. Some OF them sklli retain traces
Of that ancient civilization which has SO
nearly become ohllterated. and use me-
chanlcaI devices and iron and steel inapie-
fuents that are far and away aheaa OF
ANYTHING that the Mongoisans ever lad.
while ether clans IN close proximity nave
retrograded 10 the depths OF o@roarisfn-
In some sections cannioaltsfn - openly
nrartfced on all enemies with the iae. Satt
bv eating the body the soul IS also destroy
I'd. This belief, DR.. Baslian says, Is neid
by no other eannibals IN the world except
the natives OF New Zealand.
TIE contrast in burial customs - 5nst
as great The Blacks" TIE most evil
sxss and regarded as the leaders OF the
nation. spend a great deal OF money 0poA
funerals with elaborate professions, long
r,erioas OF mourning, and entoino their
dead in stone graves. Other tribes resort
"a the primitive methods Of placing Their
dead in baskets in trees. custom Whaea
would show that there must De some az
Unity between these overlooked 9en4Sens
of Central Asia and our Western aoo-
rhymes There is one curious funeral Gus
tom. however. that is universally observed
all over the land OF the Miao-Tse. Wnesi-
ever a married man dies IL - the proper
thing TO delay the funeral rites unill the
widow can renaarry. Otherwise * -
known as "a funeral without master.
AMI that is considered GROWING cis-
grace as IL reflects upon the widow as a
Desirable spouse. However. II she remar-
ries within a few hours after her nus
hands death II stamps her AZ once as one
OF the Mtao-Tse ''ioG' and a leader OF so
cieiy.
Old maids are almost unknown. WAen
by any chance a maid passes her Foutn3u'
dsys without securing husband there -
only one thing left for her 10 DO X she
nj ~
solute degradation and want That - 70
Zee to one OF the outlying clans where
polygamy exists and attach hefseil 20
some train of concubines. Nevertheless
polvgamy is by no means popular among
the people, and is countenaneed simply as
a safeguard against the so-caiiea soSial
evil. which by the way does not exist az
all and as a resort for superfuous fe-
males. Children born TO polygamous
wife are not recognized as heirs IN any
sense 10 the male parents estate or ms
name Names, though, count Tor hoth-
ing. There are no family names hailasa
down. Each man is known by some peeo-
liarity Of his personal appearance, 49, - -
mind or experience. His wife and dausn-
ters take their name from him. Were
there a society paper published in Mao
Use a wedding announcement would read
something like this.
ssThe wife of Small Legs announces the
marriage or her daughter No. 90 Mr..
Pig Killer. the son of Mr.. Squeaky Voice"
There IS another peculiar burial custom,
which even the Chinese students, with
their vivid imaginations and ancient his
tories 10 draw upon, have been unable 10
account for Whenever a grave lie selected
an egg is tossed upon the ground. III II
breaks Il is considered an unlucky omen
for the deceased and some other spot Is
tried. And SO IL the land happens TO be
stony or the hens have neglected their
duty in respect 20 shells cemetery pros
pecting party viii roam around for days
smashing eggs all oyer the surrounding
country until good soft spot is found.
Therearelots OF customs among the Mao
Is which are entirely un-Asiatic and sug-
gest a European origin. As our holiday
season is at the end OF the year. So too. Is
theirs. They devote ths whole OF the
eleventh month. which IS the last. 20
pleasure. Their idea Of pleasure IS feast
ing and sleeping. So for a month they