Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-08-27

missionary gave him a tract entitled
Good Words for Exhorting the Age,
written by a Chinese convert to Chris
tianity At this time he was studying
for his literary examinations, which all
Cinnamon must pass in order to rise
in the world. These studies consist OF
committing to memory the sayings Of
Chinese philosophers and poets, and
would tax the mind of the brightest
American boy Hung failed to pass
his literary examination. became sad
and gloomy, and was physically sick
also for about forty days.
During this time he said that he had
visions and that the Lord command
ed him to destroy all the Chinese idols.
Having learned from his tract some
thing about the Bible he began preach
ing, making the claim that he had been
appointed by Heaven to restore China
to the true God. He would fall into
a trance and when he came out Of it
would say that he had talked with God
and that God had given him seal and
sword and had commanded him an
his elder brother Jesus to subdue dev-
lis. He gave up the religion of Bud
dha, denounced the teachings of the
Chinese philosopher Confucius and or
ganized society known as God wor-
shippers. He said he was able to cure
the world of sin and disease, and he
made many converts. He called him.
self The Heavenly King.
afo+xy mol PG-
ligious no attemptwas made to inter
fere with it, but in 1850 Hung declared
that it was a part Of his mission to
overthrow the Manchu or Ta-tsing dy-
nasty, which still rules China. and set
up in it's place the Tai-Ping- Chow or
great peace dynasty This act placed
him in rebellion against the govern
ment.
All Cinnamon who are loyal to the
Manchu or reigning dynasty wear their
hair in a queue. That is the badge by
which the Manchu rulers know their
faithful subjects. The followers of
Hung discarded their queues and al
lowed their hair to hang down their
backs, for which reason they were
given the name Chang mas-tsch" or
long-haired rebels. Hungs followers
called the loyal Cinnamon 'imps," a
word that they had learned from
lungs tract.
Having decided to be the ruler Of
China, Hung, at the head of great
army. swept across the peaceful and
prosperous provinces, killing people as
he went, robbing their homes and burn
ing their property. So many barbara
ties and cruelties were practiced that
the whole civilized world demanded
that the rebellion be put down
The Shanghai merchants, who were
rich and in great danger, employed an
American to organize and equip an
army to fight the rebels. His name
was Frederick Townsend Ward. He was
born in Salem, Mass, had a military
education and became an adventurer.
knocking about the world in search of
excitement. Wards troops were about
the first Chinese ever organized, drilled
and armed according to European and
American methods. and they won vic
tory after victory until they were final
ly given the name of "the ever victo-
rious army" Ward was made high
grade mandarin and given the title Of
acknowledgement. He grew rich and
powerful and might himself have be-
come the real ruler of China had he
not been killed in battle with the
rebels near Ningpo in 1862 He was
succeeded by an American named Bur-