The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-09-01

nave replaced the old Chinese frat
"oIk and paper windows, while chin
NY , nave been built in every ayaila bile
oorlef- The winters in Pekin are cold
anu where the Chinese find comfort
~! ~ wearing additional suits of clothes
! lhe white man insists on his fires IN
Aeep warm and the many chimnev,
t puIil IN these old palaces have so dis
Iped the spirits of their former oc-
55u; lG5 mat they have caused more
discussion than affairs of state.
How the Legations Were Defended
The heavy walls which surround
ehese legations have proved effective
means of defense. while the Chinese
method OF building houses up again ST
edch other and their numerous aIavs
dhu courts and narrow passages. and
l!IeIi many pack gates offer such IA
C!lIIIes Tor underground" communica-
.lohS as can be found in no other CITY
IN the world. The British legation. in
when sucn a small band of marines
mas Deen able to defy Chinesea bordac
numbering tens of thousands is ad-
Joined on both the north and eontb
py the compounds of friendly Chinese
~ lne northwest corner were the i'm
perlaI carriage yards on the west
we're sui other enclosures of friendly
Il
southwest corner of the legation
opened into large Chinese market
Inc walls around the lega ton. almost
Ihree feet thick, have been cut and
from the Chinese market it was an
easy matter to smuggle supplies and
provisions, and also to spv on +be
Desleglng mobs around them. These
legations are in IacJ little cities within
themselves. The English legation has
on us premises no less than eight or
ten dlfferent wells, and covers. an area
of about six acres. There are senarata
Establishments for the minister and for
uhe HfsI and second secretaries of le-
Sdllon, extensive quarters and bar
racks FOR consular students and mil
ltary escorts, private stables for the
minister and general stables for others
OF the legation, a doctors house and
hospital, a parsonage and a chapel.
d School and homes for teachers, be-
SIDE extensive quarters for servants
Inc other legations, except the
american, are maintained on the same
general plan. though none of them on
SO elaborate scale as that maintained
by the English.
The American Legation.
The American legation occupies the
most humble quarters of any foreign
embassy. On the south side of Lega-
tlon street, just beyond an old marble
Drldge that crosses the canal it lies
IN the shadow of the great wall of the
Tartar city. The Chinese cannot I'M
derstand and have never ceased to
wonder and speculate on how one who
lives so simply as the American min
lister can exact such consideration and
respect from the ambassadors of the
other powers. who maintain court with
Oriental splendor in the magnificent old
palaces of the ManChu prices
Some have complained that life in
Pekin was almost exile. For many
years it was comparatively quiet. The
ministers had little to do looking after
The interests of their governments and
there were few complaints from their
citizens engaged in trade throughout
The empire. The delightful summers
we're spent in the old temples on the
iamous western hills overlooking the
plain surrounding Pekin. Excursions
md side trips to the great wall, the !
Wing tombs, the summer palace, the |
beautiful deer park or to the royal |
lotteries. where the beautiful yellow, |
green and blue porcelain which adOrn |
he imperial palaces are made under |
he direction of a descendant of the |
original inventor furnished about all |
he excitement that was to be found. |
n the winter time the succession of |
tate dinners and legation balls were
-aried with ice carnivals held in the
kating Kinks, which were made by
ooding the tennis courts in the lega-
ion grounds and housing them over
With sheds of bamboo mating.
Ever since the outbreak of the Jap
nese war. when the moving armies of
'hinese soldiers from provinces where
oreigners were unknown began. to
make it dangerous to wander about the
ity as the legation people had former
' done there have been secret trea-
les. waves of reform and great re-
ctfons, riots, beheadings, hurried
lights, rumors of uprising, abdica
ions. the coming and going of legation
yards, and now at last the deluge.
GUY MORRISON WALKER.