Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-05-23
LIFE IN CATION.
The People ard the Customs of a Famous
aChinese City.

There are Europeans at Canton, but
they live il a settlement outside the
native city. Their influence, like their
place of aboo e, is merely upon the out
ermost edge Of the community. Our
ideals Of civ l~ization have not touched
the people. They are today as they
have been Or centuries past. They
sheer at institutions and consider
themselves il every way superior to the
white "barbf- 'ian." Casual visitors to
the crowded ity visit the various points
of interest y means Of sedan chairs.
They are {. companied by Il native
guide, who cSnscientiously goes through
a long catalogue of things, wonderful
or horrible, ii English, which is fluent
ly spoken but imperfectly understood
by those to whom it is addressed. The
guide is very attentive to those in his
care, very pdite in his manners, and
often possessel Of a fair amount of hui
NOR.
The streets bf the city are of a pattern
Of immcmorial antiquity. None is more
than ten feet wide. The houses lean i'll
Nalu lIOll UP Dds6 ulAl ulilloSu llloco
overhead, shu ting out all but the mar
rowest strip Of daylight. S%ignboards
are hung perpandicularly outside every
house. They are deliberately carved and
gayly decorated with abundance Of gold
leaf and scarlet Or black lacquer. The
mystic looking symbols inform the curl
GUS that one particular shop is "Prosper-
ed by Heaven" another has "Never
Ending Good Luck" while yet another
is 1.-The Market of Golden Protits'-tho
said profits, be it known, going into the
pocket Of the dealer.
Among the most interesting sights Of
this Interchangeable city arc the pawn
shops, They are often great, square,
solid granite structures, which look
more like old border keeps than the
residences Of accommodating 'uncles. J"
The pawnsllop fultills a double pur-
pose. 1t advances money at ar interest
varying from 20 to SO per cent, and it
torres in safety within its massive walls
those articles Of fincry and adornmont
which are only required at special times
and seasons. On the fiat roofs Of these
citadcls are piles Of stones and jars Of
vitriol, ready to repel any attack that
may be made by thieves, whose methods
Of plundor arc less refined than those Of
the pawnbrCkers.
In the jade stone market we meet
with the Chinese parallel to the western
diamond, The best tones are very val
liable and are brought from Turkestan,
the only place in the world whore mines
Of this stone are worked. Every well to
do Chinanan wears a ring, brooch or
bracelet of jade, and the poor, who are
unable to purchase the real article, wear
ornaments CT glass, which are colored
in imitation Of the more expensive Jade.
Shaggy dogs with coal black tongues arc
disposed Ct in another market. Fried rat
and boiled frog, not to mention fricas-
seed puppy, tempt the hungry into the
native restaurant. The LEGAL "rledicine
man., " adhcring to the prescriptions of
his ancestors, makes pills and potions,
of which the chief ingredients are wax,
decrs' hcrns, petrifiod bones, petritied
crabs, snakes, scales Of the Grlnadillo,
tigers bones and lime. When the medi-
cines do not cure, they kill, and whether
the patient lives or dies he does SO
knowing that at any ratio no hated for
eigner has had anything to do with tho
strength CT quality of his medical diet,
European Magazine, London.