West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1898-09-03
LIFE IN CANTON.
Phc People and the Customs Of n Famous
Chinese City.

Chinese City.
There are Europeans at Canton, bnt
they live in Il settlement outside the
native city. Their influence. like their
place OF abode Is merely upon the out
| ermoSt edge of the community. Our
| ideals of civilization have not touched
the people. They are today rs they
have been for centuries past They
snccr ut our institutions and consider
themselves III every way superior TO the
white barbarian. Casual visitors To
the crowded city visit the various points
of interest by means of sedan chairs.
They are accompanied by Il native
guide, who COnSCicutiOuSly goes through
Il long catalogue of things, wonderful
or horrible, i'll English. which is fluent
ly spoken but imperfcctly understood
by those to whom it is addressed. The
guido is very attentive to those in his
care, very polite in his manners, and
often possessed of Il fair amount of hu.
NOR
The streets of the city are of a pattern
OF immGmorial antiquity. Meme is moro
than tcn feet wide. The houses ican in.
ward from the base and almost moot
overhead, shutting out all but the mar.
rowcSt strip of daylight. Standards
are hung pcrpCndicularly outside ovcrv
house They are clabOratoly carved and
gayly decorated with abundance OF cold
leaf and scarlet OF black lacquer The
mystic looking symbols inform the curl.
Gus that one particular shop is ''ProSprr-
ed by Heaven" another has "NCvrr
Ending Good Luck, while vet another
is"Thc Market of Golden Protits'-thc
said profits be it known, going into the
pocket of the dealer
Among the most interesting sights OF
this interchangeable city are the pawr.
shops, They arc often great, square,
solid granite structures, which look
more like old border keeps than the
residences of accommodating "unclcs. "
The pawnshOp fultills double pur.
pose. 1t advances money ut an interest
varying from 20 to 36 per cent. and il
stores i'll safety within its massive walls
those articles of tinery and adornmcnC
which are only required at special times
and seasons On the fat roofs of these
cltadClS are piles of stones and lars OF
Vltrlol, ready TO repel any attack thaS
may be made by thieves, whose methods
of plumber are less refined than those of
the pawnbrokcrs.
In the jade stone market we meet
with the Chinese parallel to the western
diamond. The best stones are very val
liable and are brought from Turkrst;n.
the only place i'll the world whore mines
OF this stone are worked Every we'll to
do Cinnamon wears Il ring brooch or
bracelet of Jade, and the poor who are
unable TO purchase the real article, wear
ornaments Of glass, which are colCrcd
III imitation OF the more expensive Jade.
Shaggy dogs with coal black tongues are
disposed OF in another market. Fried rat
and boiled frog, not to mention fricas-
seed puppy, tempt the hungry into the
native restaurant. The local medicine
man, adhcring To the prescriptions of
his ancestors, makes pills and potions,
OF which the chief ingredients are wax,
dGcrS' horns, pctritied bones, petriticd
crabs, snakes, scales of the ar1nadillo
tigers bones and lime. When the medi-
clnes do not cure, they kill, and whether
the patient lives or dies he does 50
knowing that at any rate no hated for
cigncr has had anything to do with tho
strength CIR quality Of his medical diet
European Magazine, London.