davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
QUAINT PHASES OF LIFE IN CENTRAL CHINA.

British interests, while as many have
done the same for French. Prince Hen
~ OF Orleans was the last OF the latter
a year and half ago.
They determined that the wonderful
tin and gold belt OF the Malay penin-
sula travcrses Yunnan, and that tho
deposits are OF extraordinary quality
and quantity They also found giant
seams OF tho purest anthracite, indica-
tions OF large petroleum fields. Besides
these they discovered iron, copper, zinc,
lead, silver. quicksilver. rubies. sap
phires, emeralds. Jade. plumbago. plat
mum and nickel. The mountain streams
furnish measurelcss water power. the
climate ~ healthful and the people.
though ignorant. are ttactahlo ana In
dustrious. Under modern civilized con-
troll the district Is a vertable bic bo-
nanEa. At the present moment John
Bulls Burma railway r. z5J miles
nearer the Yunnan mining country than
the rival roadof France inTonquin. The
FORMER az the present rate OF building
Will reach Yunnan-foo. the capital. I'm
1899 while the latter will not arrive
until 1905 or thereafter.
The moment china Is thown open 90
the world. there will be n noble field for
mining enterprise. Where the precious
metals can be extracted from quartz
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

of them have stump tails three and four
inches long.
Another odd human type is found I'm
the polyandrous villages IN the high
lands and mountain valleys Of Yunnan
and Szechuen. The men are brown.
about half way between Malays and
Papuans. They till small farms but
depend for subsistence chiefly upon
their hocks and herds. Unlike the
Buddhists. both Mongoilan and Indian,
they are great meat eaters. There are
bears. wolves and tigers i'm their coun-
try, and the natives keep huge blood
hounds To fight the Carnivora. Their
polyandry seems based on their mode
OF living. one OF the husbands stays
home with the wife and attends 10 the
farm. The other husbands go or I'm
the spring 20 distant high valleys aud
return in the fan. IL rs believed that
these people arc related 10 the hin
tribes OF India, which have similar
custom.
The most interesting Of these aboriF-
inal peoples arc the Io-los OF Szechuen.
They are tall. strong. brave and often
and are feared blythe Chinese
very much as our redskins are by their
white neighbors. They claim that they
once owned the western half OF the
great plain OF the Ysng-tse and were
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

or two are usually chary about commit
ting a second ofrense.
Conspicuous throughout China are
hundreds OF memorial arches erected 10
widows who committed suicide because
OF srlef over the deaths Of their hus-
bands Such acts OF fidelity to the de-
parted win the hearty applause OF the
multitude in China. and many OF the
memorial arches erected 90 the heroines
are OF very elaborate and impressive
character. The Chinese cemeteries, with
their rows OF quaint and ofttimes ugly
memorial statues. are also OF great in
tcrest Co the European tourist.
The idea OF the Indian reservation is
not original with Uncle sam I'm the
twelfth century the Chinese authorit les
had trouble with large tribe I'm Quang-si.
ln southern China. known az the Iu.
Ihe- -matlcr- -Laz- -alaL4s2nG- -IAA.- +l44--e.-,-
crnment and one fine day a strong army
marched Into the Ia country and with
out delay deported the entire population
Into an uninhabited and almost inacess-
ible mountain district in northern
Quang- Tong and southern Human. They
were forbidden 80 leave their district
and all Chinese 20 enter n under pain
Of death. The law has been slightly re-
laxed during the last eight centuries, and
few la are permitted 10 go outside and
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
Scarlet Hard To hit.

Scarlet has always been regarded as
the worst possible color for the pur-
poses OF soldiers on the field of battle.
The statement has been reiterated with
so much frequency of late that nobody
has cared TO dispute IL. It is owing to
some very practical experiments car
ried on I'm Germany that the question
has now been put on more satisfac-
tory basis. a squad of ten men. two
dressed I'm light gray, two i'm scarlet,
two in blue and two i'm green, were
lately ordered 20 march across an open
country. Their movements were close
ly watched. The first men to disappear
from sight were those i'm light gray,
Immediately afterward the scarlet, then
the dark gray and finally the blue and
the green.
Here we have all well worn theories
upset. Experiments carried out on the
rife range showed that the British ma
tional color possesses even distinct
merits. The idea was this time 10 as
certain which color gave the worst
mark for the rife. Twenty men, all
good shots. were used for the purpose
OF the experiment. After they had fired
n given number OF rounds It was dis
covered the scarlet was far the most
difficult color 60 hit. For every miss at
the other colors there were three in
favor of the scarlet. We will not assert
that these experiments were conclusive.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
Ills Death Propbrsied.

Lieutenant Marcus D. Russell was
one OF the first OF the rough riders to
be killed in Cuba. Recently a peculiar
circumstance connected with his death
has come 60 light. a short while before
the lieutenants death Mr.. Denison, an
uncle, whose home on Lake George was
celebrated as one of the show places
there. fell, breaking his collar bone and
leg. from which accident he eventually
died. No one bat his wife. the. nurses
and his physician. Dr. Gillespie. was
allowed with him. and one day while
the latter was sitting by him he opened
his eyes and said
II see Marx going up n hill. lie has
l-+---l ut rrCTTIf NM
the third. hut the fourth he missed.
Poor fellow! lie has been killed."
Mr. Denison sank back In n state Of
unconsciousness, and i'm short while
after the papers announced Lieutenant
Russelrs death.
Colonel Roosevelt and scvcral other
officers have written 90 the widow of
Lieutenant Russell, and all they say
goes to confirm what Mr.. Denison saw
I'm his deliriums
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
The Almost Boundless Resources Of Land Which
Needs but the Touch of the Wand Of Civilization
to Cause 1t to Blossom as the Rose

use imported coal at Sc, IS and even $40
per ton.
The secret OF the seizure OF Kiao-
Chou and the adjacent territory by
Germany is To be found not i'm war
maps or trade reports, but in Baron Won
Richtofen's great volume on China, i'm
which he gives an account Of mining
discoveries in that part OF the empire.
The province (Shangtung) has mex
haustible deposits of iron and coal,
cheap labor and incalculable water
power. Other valuable minerals are
gold, silver, copper, zinc. lead. arsenic,
antimony, sulphur, cement rock, stea-
tite, asbestus and mica. With Kiao
bay opened TO commerce, the new colo
ny of Emperor William is bound To be
one of the great manufacturing centers
of the far east, IL not OF the world.
The same state of facts underlies the
costly race and determined diplomacy
between France and Great Britain for
the possession of Yunnan, the most
southwesterly province Of the empire.
At first sight the international contest
appears 10 be unjustified by the value
of the thing at stake. Yunnan is noun
famous, it's soil not overfertie, its roads
vile, its streams unnavigable, it's cities
poor and its population sparse. hetero-
gcneous and often degraded. but IL is
famous i'm Chinese literature for its
buried wealth, and both the riva. gov
ernments have surveyed the territory
and reported upon it's endless treasures
Anderson, Colquhoun, Margary, Browne
and other eminent experts have acted in
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

few Chinese 70 go inside for corsmer-
cial purposes. Foreigners, however, are
not allowed 70 enter the district even
today.
The Ia number about so. 600 and are
short, muscular, light hearted and in
dpstrious. They are orderly and peace
able, but when irritated beyond endur-
ance they are bloodthirsty ana
cruel. on one occasion they nailed a
dishonest and grasping taxgatherer TO
the door of his home and after leaving
him i'm agony "a hours cut him into
quarters. on another occasion they
buried some unpopular officials in quick
lime up TO the neck. Ii ought to be add
ed, however. that punishments like
these are not uncommon even among
the Chinese. Both Wallace and Won
Richtofen believe that southeastern
Asia was either the birthplace or the
cradle OF the human race. and that the
multiplicity OF types. yellow, brown and
black represents early stages of devel-
opment as well as interminable wars
and convulsions OF nature.
Much OF the Chinese industrial world
concerns Christendom The origin and
preparation Of the Fuchau LACQUER.
which has no rival Of the Ningpo var
nish, which is preferred by steamship
men 60 the costliest European product:
OF the Tongan chenarn, cement which
replaces pitch and oalSum i'm the calking
of vessels; OF the Honan peppermint oil.
so rich i'm flavor and medicinal action;
OF the Canton imperial snuff. OF the
peachblow, dragons blood and imperial
blue glazes in pottery: OF the Chao-
Chao-fu porcelain: OF the Jade carvings
OF Quang-si; OF the clay figurines of
Tientsin and score of, other famous
creations are guild mysteries or family
secrets, which If made public would b.
utilized in the corresponding American
industries with large benefit and profit.
China can also teach invaluable les
sons IN filigree making, in the produce
tion of fine enamels, in glass and ivory
carving, i'm high class embroidery, in
feather work the furrier's art, i'm mat
and rug weaving and In bronze smith
cry. In thespast the land OF Confucius
taught us about tea. porcelain, china
silk, velvet, gunpowder, the mariners
compass. printing and paper making
Perhaps in the near future 1t may again
serve Christendom as a teacher i'm many
of the arts and industries OF peace.
At some time the fate Of nations will
not depend upon battle and destruction
btt Upon industry and thrift When
that day arrives, the Middle Kingdom
with its tireless 4O0, 900, 900 workers, will
again take her rank among the great
powers Of the world.
WILLIAM r. S. FALES.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
THE UNKNOWN CHINA:
A MODERN - DORADO.

driven westward and southwark by
Chinese armies from the north, four or
hVe thousand years ago. They were re-
peatedly defeated, but never subjugated,
and even today hold and exercise ex-
elusive control over many mountainous
districts They preserve their ancient
language, which Is Dravidlan and not
Mongolian in structure, and strangest
or all they have their own system OF
writing. Their buildings are of stone
ana timber and are like those OF the
Afghans rather than those OF their
Chinese neighbors.
In the lower part OF Yunnan and the
Shan states there is a bewildering va
riety OF races and dialects. The district
is like an island i'm a food, covered with
creatures from every dctrict. Their
coming together represents the pressure
of Chinese forces on the north and east.
Indian on the west and Burmese and
Siamese, Anamlte and Cambodian on
the south. Nearly every tribe has leg
ends concerning its former home and
the wars which forced IL to migrate.
Among them are the Losolos. Iu.
Li-siis, Mu-sus Man-tZus. Miao-tzus.
Li-mus Kakyens, Shans. Laos Prince
Henry Of Orleans found 2S different
languages and Colburn Baber over go
The latest accessible lists give 20 dis
tricts and seemingly nonrelated tribes
ranging in numbers from "A few hun
dreds up to several thousands.
Many queer sights greet the eyes OF
the European visitor TO the interior OF
China. familiar figure is the criminal
who wears the cangue. The cangue is
a wooden collar worn by criminals con-
victed of petty offenses that in the Unit
ed states would call for a punishment
OF from 80 10 GO days I'm the county
jail When the unfortunate Chinaman
has the cangue around his neck he is
unable 60 feed himself or procure
drink OF water without assistance. and
he cannot even lie down TO take a nap.
Not for moment during his term of
punishment can he remove the cangue.
and it is said that prisoners who carry
the wooden collar around for a month
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

his counselors. or that Of conservatism
and the old order, led by the wonder
ful empress dowager, Tsf An, and her
loyal servitor, Ii Hung Chang, prevail
in the exciting struggle now In action.
In the former case China will enter
upon new era of development as
united country; in the latter as a series
OF fseparate and often antagonistic ter
ritories and protectorates.
Whatever the way IL come the new
condition will be of benefit to both the
Chinese and the outside world What
is Of equal IL not greater interest 1t
VIII give the public much valuable
knowledge. Strangelysenough, the Mid
die Kingdom, though civilized 1000
years, is i'm many respects an unknown
country. IL possesses mineral resources
so enormous as to threaten many
American and European Industries in
the war of competition, yet OF these
even the Chinese themselves know next
10 nothing. Most OF the facts in this
field were gathered by foreigners, espe-
cially by consuls, missionaries and
travellers.
a second subject. which promises 10
he Of rare interest. Is the population IT.
self This instead Of being homoee-
neous, as is popularity supposed. is
singular composite of races and types
In each Of the rs provinces and states
OF China proper ard those OF Man
churia. Mongolia. H. Kokonoy Tibet
and tho shan territory are the rem
nants o. earlier peoples. some who have
been drivcn BY arms from their ances-
tral homes and others who appear 10 be
aborigines.
a third s1bjecl is the industrial life
Of the people. Many trades and manu-
fac;uies are kept secret processes
arc transmitted from father To son more
sacfedly than helrlooms; inventions and
discoveries are boarded by their owners
so th0t scarcely any one reaps their ad-
vantaees.
AZ least one half OF the country is still
Unknown 20 the outside world. No two
maps agree upon any district In the in
teiior aud or numerous large areas
slf-at'-A ~ ~, ebert .rhateeer.
That 50 little should be known os the
Middle Kingdom Is MOI O. he Wondered
al, when its vast size is remembered.
Even today IL is larger than Canada,
Brazil Australia or tho United states.
including AlasLa. Porto Rico and Ha-
wai. Sixty yoers aco the Chinese en-
pirc WAS estimated 90 cover ;. 400 600
square miles,. and although Rursla has
robbed hes OF great area on the north.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

rock prohtably without the use Of ma
chinery, high explosives and improved
reduction processes, it is self evident
that with the latter there will be profit
Of from rs TO 100 per cent on the capital
invested.
Beyond this result is one of far great
er Importance to the statesman. Under
these new conditions, China instead Of
importing coal, oil, iron. steel. copper,
brass and machinery will be able 10 ex-
port and on account OF the extreme
cheapness OF its labor will be able to
compete seriously with the most en-
lightened nations in the markets OF the
world.
When the door OF China is opened
wide, il Will be easy TO answer the ques-
tion whether or not there are human
beings With short tails in the provinces
OF Quang-si and Yunnan Several al
legged specimens have been shown in
Canton. They had a small round pro-
lection I'm the small of the back at the
foot OF the spinai column. OF those
seen and examined by Europeans one
was declared TO have no rudimentary
tail, but a small tumor; a second had
a protuberance which resulted from an
accident or was made with a view to
impose on the public, while a third had
an elevation which seemed genuine.
These people are referred TO by the
Cantonese as monkey men, tailed Mao
tsze and tailed Iu. The Cantonese say
that these creatures come from a COM
munity in the mountains between
Quang-s! and Yunnan and that some
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
Fired "A Million Bullets.

Have you any idea Of the hailstorm
of bullets we went through on San Juan
hillY' said one OF the officers OF the
Sixth Ohio volunteers the other evening
while at supper with several of his fell
low officers who had been In the battle.
This started the discussion. and Cap
tain Kcnnon figured out approximately
now many bullets were fired at the
Sixth on that eventful day.
Gathered up on the top OF the hill
were 1900 Spaniards, and with their
Mausers they could fire ten shots per
minute with the greatest ease. and this
makes 1900 bullets which were rained
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

land and Hainan To Venezuela or Mo-
rocco. The coast line is 4. 900 miles and
the three chief rivers. the Yang-tse,
Hoang and Canton or Pearl. are the first
I'm the world so far as travel and traffic
are concerned. each having "a floating
population OF more than million souls.
The mineral resources are the first In
Importance IL not In interest. They are
so great that IL is no marvel that Pc
King is now crowded with Vcnturous
seekers after mining concessions The
British merchants who obtained the ex-
elusive right 90 open and work the coal
deposits OF Shen-Si now inform the
world that the beds contain 10.0O0 OO0.-
600 tons of anthracite and 100. 600 O0O.-
600 tons OF bituminous coat practically
In sight and that the mining engineers
estimate that the supply Is sufficient TO
provide the world with fuel for 20 cen-
turtles.
In the Annoy dlstrio; there Is a similar
formation. which was discovered bv
General Ie Gendre. the United States
consul at that port He traced the
basin over 30 square miles and figured
the fed 60 contain at least 600 900.
600 tons. Scarcely n pound hos been
mined by the natives. They have a
superstitious fear I'm the province OF
Fotien that delving in the earth dis
turos the rcpose OF the dead. who forth
with haunt. torment and harass the
miner. on account OF this foolish fancy
mining Is prohibited by custom and by
law. which rs merely custom crystal
lized. Yet in Annoy fuel is so scarce
that the poor dig up the roots OF the
grass and dry them, and The well to do
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

down on the Sixth every minute. The
battle lasted Tor an hour and a half.
which is 90 minutes, and there were 30
times $1,000 bullets fred, for the firing
was steady and did not slack up al any
time. This makes i350,O0O bullets which
were fred at the Sixth during the en-
gagement. and with these figures before
one il is easy to understand why only
some 80 Of the brave boys who marched
out last April returned.
The estimate OF the number OF bullets
fred given above is conservative, as the
Mausers can easily fire 20 shots per
minute. and it is probable that nearly
100000 bullets were i'm the storm Of
lead which the Sixth weathered.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
Ixecpipw sand on the Troc,...

ON tho new Russian military railway
from Europe 90 Andljan. ON the borders
OF the Chinese empire. a treelke shrub
called The sascaOul has had 10 be plant
cd all along the line through the desert
to prevent the rails being covered by
sand. For further protection a ribbon
OF wild oats also runs along both sides
OF the railway.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22
The DOgged Opposition OF Its
People to the March Of
Progress.

France on the south, Great Britain on
the southwest and Germany on the
northeast, she still retains at least
4,5OO,0O0 square miles. The climate has
wider range than that OF Europe and
North America, northern Mongolia
being comparable to Manitoba or Fin
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

Burglary no longer pays In London.
The police reports for last wear show
that thc whole fraternity OF burglars
earned only $4,000.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-22

tcory, light, 1885, by ". L. s. Falesl
The wave OF progress has at last
reached the Flowery Kingdom, and that
great land is In deep water. 1t mat
ters but little whether the party OF
progress and European civilization led
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-25
THE SITUATION

Cerveras squadron is believed be still in the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba Sampson is guarding the to
the harbor and Schley is far away Orders for the
bombardment of Santiago said to have been issued
Dewey patiently holds the fort and the Spanish quarter of
Manila is experiencing starvation The Oregon reached
JUPITER Fla, yesterday. The volunteer army num-
bers men, 10000 of whom camp Chickamauga
Park The City Of Peking the Australia and Sydney
with 128 officers and 82 ready sail for Manila
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-25
The Advance on Manila

SAN FRANCISCO May 2The comprising the first ex
petition to the Philippines sleeping tonight transport shps
out the bay awaiting the order expected thew would de-
part tonight or early tomorrow but delay occurred loading some of the
stores However the pilots have been ordered board at o'clock
row and in twenty -four hours the three big ves-Ausa Ctv
Pkg and City of Sydney will surely through the Golden Gate with
their pows turned toward Manila.
The display patriotism today scarcely exceeded by that of
ted the occasion being the embaon 1900 more men,
comprised five companies Of the Fourteenth States infantry as well
tine Second regiment Oregon volunteers heavy artillery
Captain Murphy senior captain charge of the Fourteenth
infantry battalion Major Robe behind The companies of the
Fourteenth are Captain Eaman c. Lieut. Bdde D. Lieut. asagn
in commando E. Captain Miles, Captain Murphy There is an average
20 men to the company $50 men, gen band Of
twenty pieces
The Oregon battalion command of COL Summers Il comnses
companies B. E. D. c. X and the Australia and COM
panes and on the City Of Sydney are 1920 men in tbs
regiment The last of the troops from camp to the steamer
was the detachment of fifty heavy aymen command of
Ceary They embarked the City Sydney As the California voun
teers nhused the multitude and moved them continual cheering 81 the
departure Of their nhbo from Oregon regulars was the for
oupoung citizens who waved them hearty the wav from
their camps to the waters edge joining heartily than the
members OF the Sixth and Seventh regiments hope soon to fellow
And at the wharvs the crowd yelled itself as the soldiers arrived
The final h1a when the last blue coat had the scene was %
M soldiers Will long remember was dusk when CITY of sydney
and Australia t their docks and took their stream near the
Peg AS they moved out into the stream bells np whistles
blown throughout the city Tonight the bay alive small craft and
all vessels and buildings along the water front brilliantly illuminated
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-25
The Right or searoh

KINGSTON Jamaica, May pm(Copyighed 1893 bv the
Associated Pes The Spanish consul here acting the neutrality
proclamation asks Of official colonial authorities right search the
steamer Adu when she arrives from Cnuegos tomorrow with Ae
other who have taken passage to leave that
city, He is in search of dispatches from the American bockadng to
the department and Of communications from sps that on
her previous trip from Cenfuegos the Adu brought from the United
States cruiser Mbeead and he cites the neutrality laws declaring
that official dispatches conaband.
Inc colonial authorities after inquiry replied that proof existed of
the existence the official dispatches from Marbehead but onv of
personal letters Of officers and which accepted as an act of cou
tesy for mailing here.
The Spanish consul perng his demand for the privilege search
all packages sealed useaed and the the passengers the colo
NAL government replied that such thing could not be without
proof OF reasonable probability The colonial understood TO
nave inquired OF London for advice They reluctant do anything
dspeasng the United States determined enforce neutrality