The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-09
THE TRIENNiAL EXAMINATIONS
The Educational Condition of China
Two Hundred Thousa nd Students
at Work for n Literary Degree

North China Daily News.
, AS this paper passes into the hanG
OF our readers stupendous scene
being enacted. About 200, 900 student
are being gathered into the great e,
ANIMATION halls of the various prC
vincial capitals to compete for thei
second literary degree which woul
ehtltle them to be called Cnujeu
preferred men, equivalent to ou
master of Arts. These are all from
the body OF liter 'ry licentiates-
Hsiuts'ai or b. A.-who have alread,
passed a preliminary examination be
lore the Literary Chancellor Of th,
province called the Lu Yih. The
ooJect OF this preliminary examination
IS 10 weed out all cand dates who are
hoC FAMILIAR with proper usage o.
characters so as to be able to elevate &
character when needed for respect, OF
70 refrain from using characters which
occur In the names OF previous Em.
| perors. Ihis preliminary eXamina.
tlon Is sometimes taken in the pre-
iectual city, but is often delayed until
the candidate reaches the provincial
capital, where the Literary Chancellor
Always spends the month preceding
Cne examinations in conducting these
OCSJS. IL our CIV DrOVlD-
clal capital OF Marking larger num-
Der of students assemble than in anv
oCher provincial capital, for the reason
Chat the two provinces Of Kingsu and
Ahhul are united whereas in all other
places only the students Of one pro-
vince assembls Thus at the lowest
calculation there are now in Marking
more than 100000 of these anxious
candidates entering the examination
halls.
Great preparations are made. The
Governor of this province alternates
Win the Governor OF Anhui in taking
charge OF the examinations as General
Director. This year it falls to the lot
OF Governor Chao, of Soochow, who
went more than three weeks ago to- as
sumo his duties. Two examiners are
sGht from Peking who are me IN be rs OF
the Hanlin Academy to look over the
papers and make the eward to sue
cessful candidates. These men are
supposed to travel in sealed chairs
from Peking an to meet no visitors
on tbe way. No one receives them
"hen they enter the city aud they are
usual quartcred in some il lated place
Illl thcy enter the hall. Two days
oeiorc the students enter procession
Is formed from the prefectual yamen
anu 'he nigh officials are carried in
IaIe through the streets to enter their
quarters inside the precincts. Each
SITS on chair placed on platform
covered with tigers skin and carried
oy men, exposed TO The view of the
crowds. The local officials escort the
procession in their ordinary sedan
chalrs so that the whole presents
very spectacular effect, such as inn
presses the oriental mind.
On this day the students enter the
nails and the work of registration is
ehecteo. From midnight the Direc.
.or General sits in the gate surrounded
ny MS attendants, before whom the
candidates pass in a file Of three. The
name OIL each candidate is called and
the stamped essay paper which he is
10 use Is handed him. This is ne
cessarlly q time OF great confusion and
usually lasts till after dark before all
Ihe students have entered. 1t is not
uncommon Tor students to send Il SER
want 10 answer to their names, take up
their paper and carry in their bedding,
lood and other necessary articles. They
themselves enter late in the afternoon,
ana are thus saved the wearincss OF
Standing In the corridors for a whole
uay. AS soon as all the students have
oeeh registered outsiders are excluded,
ana the doors are sealed so as to allow
no communication with the outer world.
ne chlei examiner then gives out the
theme, one character at a time to the
printers, who cut them on separate
wooden blocks. These are then
brought together and arranged in their
Pi"ces so as to form connected mean
ing, when they are given to the printer
10 De struck of. One copy is furnished
TO each student through the proctor
VINO has charge of one row of stalls,
ana the students are then ready to
commence their work.
we have spoken OF the place where
the examinations are held as q hall,
but really it is nothing more than u
large number OF rows Of stalls such as
thosc In which animals are exhibited
IN western lands. Each row is about
ten leet wide and contains forty or
my stalls averaging five feet in width.
IL Is only covered partially with roof
so that In time Of hot sunshine or
heavy raihs the students suffer untold
miserles. The stall is furnished with
lew rough boards which serve as u
table and rude bench. Here the
student must spend three periods of
thlrty-six hours each, so that he is
Obliged to carry with him his bedding
and food. He can only curl himself up
Ia mis- narrow quarters on the damp
orlck moor or stretch out upon his
small table. He carries some char
coal or spirit lamp with him with
wAlch he sleeps his tea and cooks his
iood, all of which must be done by
himself. For although food and water
are supposed to be furnished ready for
use, they are never iii to be used and
are refused even by the poorest. The
sway OF mandarindom Is seen in the
TACT that separate quarters are provid-
ed for the sons OF officials, who hold
substantive rank OF tho third or higher
class. They live in proper houses,
each candidate having two small rooms
to himself, food being served to him
and being allowed to take with him
| two servants. Each year thee or
four hundred of these favored official
youths gather In Marking, and their
w8y is made easier in still another
respect. Whereas only one in every
one hundred and fifty or 80 can obtain
a degree from the ranks of the people
! one In twenty OF these young men car
obtain degree, and they are thus or
the same footing with Manchu youths
They are saved from the severe suffer
ings which attend the ordinary can
didate. Often students succumb t,
the privations and die. Their bodie
are not placed In collins and taken ou
through the usual gates, but small
scatfolding Is erected by the side o
the outer wall from which by tn
means of ropes and Dulleys the bOdy [