Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-23
LOOPING.


 Chinaman, but if he happened to be one of the dominant races he went with revolver drawn and plenty of room. Up one side ran solid stream of Chinese eager eyed, empty handed, panting and hurried. Down the other side struggled a mob loaded with arms full of bales of cloth, rolls of beautiful silks, Satins, brocades, coats of silk lined with fur-otter, fox, sable, lamb, wool, mink. They ran in gangs with heaps of plunder tied with ropes and slung from bars over their shoulders. They came alone, struggling under loads that Over-covetouSneSS had made too great to carry. They were in pairs, dragging huge chests they had filled with stuffs they could not estimate in value. And in the e9middle of the way stood those who had no care for, se- lection, but took what they liked from those who came along, ready with fist or knife or club to enforce the demand.
 This was the working of the first principles. Those who liked went to the treasure houses and took what they chose, and those who were not minded for this energy took what they would in the street with no more trouble than fight for it. The once strong merchant had become the weak ling fugitive. The covering coolie who
 
 goods, and ransacked and robbed at his will. Then the stronger fighting man impartially and without toll rob- bed the cOolic. .-.
 The cross of St George flying above the north gate threw a shadow over the street of the silk merchants and the bowling, struggling. fighting mob. Inside the gate half dozen buildings on fire sent up masses of black smoke .l 1D ,,Dl-S o1~ .I had obscured the sun and turned the day a dull gray, and the color of the city. Bundles and bales of silk torn open in the incessant street sQuabbles added their bright hueS to the gorgeous colors of the rich clothing strewn about by those whose first greed had been satisfied, and now were captious In choosing. Whole bolts of brilliant red or deep blue brocades, stiff and heavy and rustling, were strung about where they had been unrolled for the casual inspection of a passing coolie. Into the midst of this scramble the jack tars of her gracious majesty the Queen of England, rifles in the slings over their shoulders, both hands free, straw hats on the back of their heads, eyes of amazement and grins of pure delight. Silk in rolls was new to them, but the first torn bundle was the clue. Instantly the Chinese recognized the new element, the advent of the mas ter spirit. Coolie after coolie. hurrying to his hatch as fast. as he could, paused to offer part or all of his load to the first white man he met. The sailormen filled their arms and piled it up about their feet. calling to their fellows to go get q cart or bring some of their mates to help carry the stuff away. They chose it without regard to color or quality or condition. A green roll of silk was as good as yellow coat, and white fur or black made no difference to them. This was the street of the silk merchants, on the afternoon of the day that Tien Tsin was taken.
 Everywhere throughout the city it was the same-the Chinese were the first to find the loot; they knew the way. Then came the soldiers and took it from them. Not all; that was impos- sble. There were not men enough in the allied forces to do that. here and there little, selection of this and a sample of that. and of it all great pile, but only the fraction of little part of the whole. Hundreds of l Chinese who had been slaves all their | lives got plundef enough to make them | independent, and their families after | them. The foreigners only nibbled at l the edge of the pie; the natives gob- bled it all and licked up the last crumb. | Among the foreigners there was | little difference in method at the start. All seemed more or less dittident, mind | full that footing is not recognized in modern articles of war. If there had been men enough to establish guards all about the city it is probable that riot or robbery. But it was a Chinese city after all: and when the Chinese were footing it themselves, why should not the men who | had fought to take it have chance? Tommy probably did not think it out for himself along such lines. He merely saw a mob of coolies running off with stuff he would like, and he took it. simply and direct | ly, because he wanted it and could get it. From this general rule there were only two exceptions, the British footed officially, and the Japanese hardly at all. Everywhere through the city yes terday afternoon and this morning where plunder was to be had, British officers wandered about with stretchel parties of their men, gathering III what goods they could find. Tie Jap
 anese looked on but held aloof; onl,
 now and then would a man be seer
 with loot, and even then rarely O
 any value.
 It was in the afternoon of yesterda, . that it got into the blood of the sol diers. The civilians from the settle : ments who had been hiding while tn
 fighting was going on, now came ou
 boldly and sought to ''recompense oul
 selves for our losses" They know tn
 city as well as the Chinese, and tn soldiers soon learned to follow then ? Gun butt, hammer nose and axe hea l were the working tools, and not door
 nor locks withstood the assault. Lii : tie by little, by this squeeze and tha . a few dollars here. a few cents there : a few dollars in some other place, tn
 Chinese had wen their store 1nostl
 from the foreigners. Now at on 9 swoop the foreigners were getting r back. At the yamens and officis ] treasuries the official guards wer
 posted. In due time official accountin r will be made for the treasure thu '- taken, and it will help to pay the e, S penses of the taking. It was the il
 dividual among the takers who wa Il paying his individual expenses now.