The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-16
GREAT WEALTH IN MANCHURIA.
Inhabited by the Most Conservative
People ON the Globe.
Nineteenth Century.

1NlneteeuJn century.
Away on the extremely opposite end to
ours OF the great Eurasian continent is a
country to which only too little attention
mas as yet been paid, and which on account
or It's wealth, its favorable natural position
ana the intelligence Of its inhabitants will
attract to itself yearly increasing notice
from europe and play no insignificant part
IN the next few decades The recent march
OF events has shown two rising powers
pressing around Manchuria and threatening
70 contest its possession with the seemy
such a wretchedly poor country as for in
stance, khiva, Merv and Turkestan and
otners which have fallen to the lot of Rus
SLAMS comparatively little attention need be
paid to the progress of events in that dis
tant quarter of the globe. 1t would matter
put little to other European nations whether
the Russians or Japanese did or did not take
the country. But Manchuria is no desert
country. 1t Is, on the contrary, a country
or exceeding richness and of promise scarce
ly less than that of the Transvaal itself and
compared to which the whole of central
tru [rom Uganda to khartum is OF pal
=; Try TN tnsi e. u a; The timber alone
mllsides over thousands of square miles
must be worth many millions for this tim
Der Is of the most valuable kind and be-
sides the ordinary pines, which are common
all over the world, and which being fast
growing, are easily replaced when cut down
there are immense quantities of hard tim
Der-or oak and elm and walnut-to replace
which century Is required, and the quanti-
" OF which in the world is rapidly dimln-
in its production of cereals, and in the
southern portion of such crops as indigo and
Such being the climate the nature of the
country. its soil and productions, the inhabi-
tantS. as might be expected are a strong
marcy, vigorous race. and from the glens
OF Mancnur1a nave issued three successive
waves OF conquest which have overrun the
whole of China The number of the original
~ apl.aHls mas Deen augmented by streams
CT immigrants from China proper, and
these though slightly less robust than the
oTlglnai Manchus. are yet of good and sound
PHYSIQUE. They are the very reverse Of
impulse-cool, calculating. provident, and so
economical that not even the manure from
on the roads is allowed to be wasted. and
purposes is carefully utilized by means OF
f1ueS TO warm the whole house. Their in
dustry Is apparent in the care bestowed
upon their fields. In the summer they work
from dawn till sunset, with brief interval
for the midday meal and in the winter
they start hours before daybreak on their
long carrying Journeys. they are grave
and little given to mirth; on the whole, law
abiding, amenable to control and to the re-
warm In their devotion to their children
and to their parents. at any rate not abso-
lutely callous; and though any active be-
leVOience Is not very apparent. there are.
on the other hand, few symptoms of active
malevolence. But the most important trait
to notice is their strong conservatism. What
was good enough for their fathers the pres
ent day inhabitants think must be good
enough for them. They are intelligent and
HuiSh 10 grasp simple IDEAS, DuC SuperSu-
uous and ignorant of natural causation;
very lacking in imagination, with high pow
ers OF imitation. but no capacity for inven-
ton They all dress alike and in the same
way in which they have dressed for CEN
turtles past: there is no difference between
one house and another. and even their carts
are all of the same pattern. The rigid fixity
OF ideas Is a concomitant of their strong
conservative proclivities. They have, as
rule, little regard for truth but in business
matters once their word is given, it may
be relied on Honesty is not a pronounced
trait in their characters, nor are they re-
markable for morality And these defects
must, therefore. be set against their strik-
ing Industry and thrift. Their religion sell
dom shows itself. and has little effect upon
their practical conduct.