Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
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There are hardly any maps available Oh
China and those that are published are
very old and very Incomplete, explained
map maker in the Navy Department to
Star reporter THE fact of the matter is
China has not made any maps of the en-
pire, as far as outsiders know, certainly
has not furnished any information for map
makers outside. for many years. over
twenty-five years ago some map 1nforma-
ton was furnished a London map concern,
which was published and this is about all
the world has had since The various maps
issued by other concerns since have been
based the publication of the London
concern. and 1t has been frequently n2ted
by travellers that this map is grossly in
correct. cities being placed in some in
stances hundreds of miles nearer to each
other. and in other cases as distant from
each other as laid down on the map.
China regards development of any kind as
an evil. and prefers to do nothing that
looks in that direction, being satisfied with
what it has Even the coast charts are
seriously imperfect. and nine-tenths of the
coast is not charted at all. There are hun
dreds of settlements or villages along the
coast that are not indicated on any map
that has been published and it Is doubtful
even if the Chinese government has any
of the empire. Some of the British ship
owners associations have coast maps
which they have had prepared at their own
expense for the Information of their own
ships. but these have never been published.
They are not entirely accurate, either for
had case some years ago under investi-
CATION where found certain city of over
TWO hundred thousand population then, and
much larger since, was not within twenty
eight miles of the point indicated the
most reliable English maps. As far as the
Interior of the country is concerned. it is
all blank. The map publishers. to make
the maps as attractive as possible. have
drawn number of lines through their
maps, and some have gone far as to
Indicate hills, mountains and streams. but
they are all gueSSwOrk, and where actual
investigation has been made it has been
demonstrated time and time again that in
many instances they are far from being
correct This government has no maps of
its own of China. and. strange as 1t may
appear. neither has England for We have
had some requests for information lately
from the British government, and an adj
mission that 1t had scarcely any. Rus
SIa II more liable to have accurate maDS
than any other government. but if it has
1t has never published them. The maps of
emma published IN the average school
Biographies are really more up to date than
some OF the Dretentfuus maps issued by
British publishing houses 1t can be stated
without any exposure of official secrets
that the Navy Department has recently
had the series of letters printed in The Star
SeN al years ago, ana written by
respondent Frank G. Carpenter. carefully
read and the Information contained therein
plated as accurately as possible for such
future use as may be necessary. Books of
travel by careful writer's. missionary re-
ports and other publications of that char
acter are also being carefully read in the
desire 10 get the information plated But
as far the interior of China is cnDcar,ad
II is all blank for no one has been allowed
% 90 into it. and the Chinese government
mas furnished no Information of its own on
the subject This lack of accurate infor-
nation Is calculated II make a war of in
NaSl"n terribly expensive operation. for
the invaders to be prepared for all the
emergencies of invasion would have TO take
an enormous amount of material with them
on chance, and for which there may be no
necessity whatever. but which it would he
criminal if they did not take"
Il do not know how the thing originated
or where 1t came from" observed an old
resident to a Star reporter but 1 do know
OF custom in my boyhood days in Wash
hSton. say fifty years ago. that, as far as
can learn. does not exist now 1t was of
draplng street door knobs with purple or
gold-coiored ribbons the day a wedding was
10 be celebrated in a house 1t was the Gus
tom certainly in the old first ward-all of
the city lying between 18th street and Rock
creek-and / am sure in some other seq
tons. if not all over the city 1 was told
many years ago. but had fallen into dis,,se
there Very often if the occupants of the
mouse, the parents Of the bride or others
did not provide the outside door dacoration
friends furnished it The mark was hung
ike the ordinary funeral crepe from the
outside door knob. In the great ma ioritv
OF the cases a purple ribbon was used but
nave seen a gOld-cOlored ribbon used
me ends hung long always. reaching to the
level OF the bottom of the door I have
known of this decoration being placed on
b.
parties who were to be married and under
stood that it was done by Instruction of
the clergyman who to perform the
marriage, and who did il for his own pro-
lection in cases where the marriage hans
had not been regularly made public in the
GLurch The custom of reading out mar
FEtge pans was almost universal in the
early DAYS of Washington all denonfna-
ions joining in it In some churches they
were READ on three successive SUNDAYS In
others on two Sundays. while in Others on
otC one sunday In cases where the peouIe
WHO were 10 be married were NOT church
goers, or who did not desire that their bans
should be published in the churches, some
Clergymen demanded that nubIic no+ica
should be given Of the wedding by the door
Knob decoration. which was hung at early
pItaKtast time. and remained on the knob
uh'l after the wedding was celebrated In
Eases "here there Were to be weddings AT
churches l have known of a similar sian
oeing gwen Some ministers objected very
seriously to the custom. though others were
anything, or. indeed, heard any one talk
even. OF the custom for at least fifty wears
put II was very generally observed n half
century ago here. and for all l know. in
other Cities - "
me no coat movement which sprang
INTO life again last week, having for its
excuse the extremely warm weather. is NOT
particularly new idea, though a. good
one explained Navy Department clerk
7
have some followers. but Just the same II
will not win out. and office COATS csp sim
be made on the idea that they will he
bought In an experience of thirty wears
as a government clerk in this country and
hVe years in a similar position on The