The Topeka state journal., 1899-01-16
KANSAS news.
An Usage City Woman Writes
From Pekin, China.
Is There Acting as a Presby-
terian Missionary.
CHEAPNESS OF FOOD
Is Largely Her Theme - But
Butter is 95 Cents.
Three Cents Buys Enough
Mushrooms For Six.


lengthy letter from Mrs. John IN
giles, formerly of that city but now Of
China. Tt is interesting. Below an ex-
tract is given. 1t was written from Pc
kin, November 20:
"Our fifth Sunday IN China and a
bright beautiful day. The trees are
turning yellow and the ground is COW
cred with fallen leaves. but the roses
are still blooming in spite of occasional
frosts and here are to be found beauti-
full chrysanthemums. We still have
fresh grapes, pears, apples, small or
anges, persimmons the size of large to-
matoes, fresh tomatoes. beets, sweet
and Irish potatoes, cabbage, onions,
squash, carrots, ever so many palatable
Chinese vegetables whose names have
forgotten, also a sort of celery which
looks like a wild onion. In summer
they have fine apricots and fair (very
large) peaches. The grapes are kept
fresh all winter by sticking the stems
into pears, but the pears and apples
lack flavor. They have also fields OF
delicious mushrooms Ghree cents gold
buys enough for six perSons) almost as
cheap as other vegetables. At Gunner
we often have served mushrooms, egg
plant, potatoes, cabbage, parsnips. The
only thing that the cook does is to COOK.
and if not watched he will always pre-
dishes of them will not cost as much as
two at home. The expensive things are
the foreign stores that they order from
San Francisco and Chicago.
We are now eating fine, sweet, Eng
lish butter that has been sealed up In
cans for two years. 1t sells in Pekln
for 95 cents (Mexican) per pound. the
very finest sweet potatoes grow here
and are peddled steaming hot IN the
street. They also have fine cucumbers
and parsley and delicious tart red
fruit dixie a crabapple in appearance
that takes the place of cranberr1es, nne
peanuts and chestnuts. In meats we
have nice mutton, but not very gooo
beef, razor-back hogs furnish pork:
Ali the milk and water is boiled before
we taste it. Chickens and fish are
plenty and cheap, two fowls for less
than ten Gems (gold) but they are not
fat and juicy like ours but the eggs are
very good. The native flour paKes a; d
good brownish bread; the native salt Is
coarse; the sugar is coarse but abso-
lutely pure; tea fine but coffee very
poor. All good coffee is from the United
States flour and salt also. There are
foreign pears and fruits raised in the
Chu Foo district, 200 miles from mere,
and a big canning factory, where they
can really good jellies and preserves.
Coal is very expensive. To run three
heating stoves costs about $l5 (gold)
per year, the kitchen coal-ballS extra
The coal-balls are made of coal dust
and clay of some sort. Wood for houses
and furniture is also very expensive.
There are two good foreign stores here
but it is cheaper to order from home.
Karif's Russian store carries the finest
clocks ever saw, as the Chinese mobiles
have a great fad for them, often having
six or seven in one room and all on
different ticks. Three servants cost
less than $40 (gold) per month. A
Chinese carpenter gets Is cents (Mext-
CAM per day. Cart hire costs one tiao
or IL cents (Mexican) per hour and it
takes from three to four hours to make
a visit of almost any kind, as we are
three and four miles from each other,
except our own other mission, one and
one-third miles. And unless we remain
at our stopping place for two or three
hours we keep our cartman and cart
and pay for them. The carts are COW
cred and some have windows of glass
or gauze in the sides and in the front
curtains.
We, the Presbyterians, have two COM
pounds in Pekin. In this one. Mr.. and
Mrs. Cunningham, Mr.. Whiting, twenty
eight years here and DR.. Leonard besides
pound. Mr.: and Mrs. Fem, Miss Newton
and Miss Mccoy, Rev. DR.. Wheny. Ad-
Joining our court is the boys school, con-
Quoted by Mr.. Cunningham. In Miss New
so. They can board, lodge and teach a
girl for two taels or about 81 (goldl per
month-elothing g e1tra: The The yssar(s (soidT H1
Every missionary here is caring for from
one to four girls or boys. They are called
dry sons and daughters. If you find any
Ed missionary % soGiety +be e euO anT Tith r
will send it to US we will volunteer
to bring a stray heather girl or boy into
a school where the influence is the best
Chinese teachers and country pastors in
both places.