The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-15
Mr.. M'HENRYS ODD DEVICE
CAN BE TRACED BACK 5000
YEARS ON THE MONGOLS'
SOIL.
HE SAYS 1T WAS AN ACCIDENT
And That He Didn't Know He Was
Violating the Traditions of
the CeIestiaIs.

anu Dldch advertising device winch or
naments everything belonging to the
Northern Pacific from caboose to
debenture bond turns out not to be SO
unique after all. The Portland Ore
gonian has discovered that for the
Chinese there is more history, divinity
and spiritual potency in that symbol
than in any possessed by the English
speaking people. The sign, appearing
on the window of the Northern Pacific
office, is today an object of generation
to 40O,O0O,O00r people. The Oregonian
says: *
The meaning Of the symbol was re-
vealed in a peculiar manner. Rev. w.
S. Holt, who has charge Of the Presby-
terrain Chinese mission on Second and
Salmon streets, in this city, was pass
ing the office of the Northern Pacific
one day when he noticed the sign. He
Immediately recognized it as being Of
Chinese origin and stepped into the
Office and asked Mr.. Charlton if he
KNEW IT'S SIGNIFICANCE.
This led Mr.. Charlton to request Rev.
Mr.. Holt to investigate the matter thor
oughly and furnish him the informa-
ton.
The definition Of the character Rev.
Mr.. Holt was already familiar with,
as he is a thorough scholar Of the Chi
nese language, having been for twelve
! years in China and student Of the
/ language and habits Of the pepole for
| tWenty-three years. But wishing to get
| a knowledge Of every detail he wrote
to the most learned sinologueS in China
and other eminent authorities. The re-
plies have not been received yet, as
some Of them are to be from Canton,
Hong Kong, Picking, Hang Chow and
other cities in China, many Of which
are remote and difficult of access. In
speaking Of the occurrence of noticing
the sign, Rev. Mr.. Holt said:
81 knew the sign was of Chinese
origin as soon as I saw 1t, and was
prompted to inquire about it, as I am
interested in the study Of that peo-
pie. Mr.. Charlton asked me what
knew about it, and I wrote him out a
statement containing all the Informal
ton to be derived from what books
have in my possession. Wishing to
learn what I could in regard to it,
| have written to those various places to
furnish me full particulars as to it's
| origin, date, name, relation to Chinese
cosmogony and the modern use of it
among the Chinese. I expect replies
before a great time .
| while at Hang Chow, which is To-
Gated at the southern terminus of the
Grand Canal, I found the diagrams
usually accompanying this symbol en-
graved on eight large stones, within
the city limits. The stones
INDICATED GREAT AGE,
and from their position ON the en-
rAr INN sc+ix
Elective mind. 1t is possible for ages
upon ages they have occupied that
place, and been a superstitious guard
against evil spirits for the inhabitants
of the city.
THE names Of the two principles rep
resented are Yin and Yang, Yin being
the female and Yang the male princi-
pie. This is the foundation of Chinese
cosmogony, and constitutes the system
of their reasoning. The Chinese say:
The illimitable produced the great ex-
| IRENE; the great extreme produced the
two principles; the two principles pro
duced the four figures and from the
four figures were developed what the
Chinese call the eight diagrams of
Feuh-hi, 5000 years ago.
The character used by the Northern
Pacific is common throughout the en-
pire, and one comes across 1t everv-
where. Judge o. N. Denny tells me
that it appears on the Corean flag. I
will quote you authorities On the sub
ject:
The Great Extreme-one Of the
most familiar objects seen anywhere in
picture and engraving is the Great
MOnad fhe name this author gives the
SYMBOL, "Cyum mundi." The phiIoso-
pher Choofootsze thus speaks of it.:
The great extreme is merely the i'm
material principles; it is found in the
male and female principles of nature
/ re- in
the time the great extreme came into
operation all things were produced by
transformation.
THE GREAT EXTREME
has neither residence. nor form. nor
place, which you can assign to it, If
you speak Of it before its DEVELOPMENT
then previous to that emanation it was
perfect stiffness; motion and rest. with
the male and female principles Of
nature, are only the descent and en-
bodiment Of this principle"
The Great MOnad is divided into
the dark and light, with a white eye
in the dark and a black eye in the light
These white and black spots show there
is a male germ in the female, and a fe-
male germ in the male principle
The Dragon, Image and Demon, by
Rev. Hampden G. DuBose.
This symbol often occurs surrounded
by circle, which is divided into sixty
equal pafts, representing the sixty
years Of the Chinese cycle and in each
of the divisions is a character repre-
senting each year Of the cycle and the
cyclic period.
ut is most commonly seen. though.
on board from six to eighteen and
twenty inches square, or one foot wide
by two feet long, having the
eight diagrams printed around it,
so as to leave the greater extreme
In the center, which is used as a
charm to ward off evil spirits In this
country these charms can be found in
great numbers in some Of the mercantile
houses en- Second street, in Portland
and similar establishments in San
Francisco. The small ones can be car
ried around while the larger are placed
ever doors and at other conspicuous
places as a guard against evil spirits.
''The Chinese delight in the study of
ahStruSe and speculative subjects Some
of their writings are difficult to compre-
bend, and it will probably require some
little time to get full information from
the various sources I have written
: about this symbol. That it is very an
Gent is known, but whether it dates
further back than 5000 years will re-
, qufre research into many Of their writ
1ngs. When l have obtained all partic-
ulars I will furnish the information to
MT. Charlton, at whose request I insti-
tuted the investigation"
The dual principle Of nature as Illus
trated by the Great Monad, has caused
philosophers to speculate as to whether
the cosmOgonies and theoIogies of
Western nations did not originate in
the Orient. The theory of the Persians
4 OH 1o+ -