davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

noises, like the pounding Of gongs and
firing of firecrackers.
At new years every house is cleared
of ghosts by a sort of spirit house
cleaning, which, as is said of the Chi
naman and his bath. is done once every
year. whether needed or not. The
ghosts thus driven out from every
house fill the streets--the colfrtyards
and doorways opposite being protected
by screens-for devils move only in
straight lines, Every year there is an
all souls day. when offerings are made
to homeless and hungry ghosts who
have none to care for them.
| 1t is this belief in the necessity
| of caring for the ghosts of friends and
ancestors that prevents the Chinaman,
! 1t is said, from permanently settling in
a foreign country and causes him to
stipulate that If he dies his corpse
shall be sent back to the land of his
birth. The spirit Chinaman, like his
relative in the flesh. wants a noise, and
plenty of 1t. Even the sick are cured
or killed-by the same heroic measures,
for musicians" fill the house with ter
rife and discordant sounds until the
devil is driven out or the patient gives
up the ghost.
There is certain temple the chief
god of which is supposed to be a
mighty policeman, who keeps watch on
people and decides when, how and
where they ought to die. AS the soul is
about to leave the body he sends out
two or three of his spiritual policemen
lwho seize and bring it before him for
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

roads are very antagonistic to the
"feng- shui," because they are generally
straight, while good spirits, as is well
known, always travel on curves. One
company of wealthy Chinese merchants
bought an English railroad at Shanghai
IL miles long and destroyed 1t to pla-
cate those same spirits. In several cit
les whole streets of houses are shown
only two stories high which were orig
inally intended to be three. but had
their construction stopped on account
Of those opposite being no higher and
consequently provocative of a very bad
"feng-shui." 1t Is said that the real
cause, of the terrible massacre of Euro
peans at Tien-tsin in 1870 was owing
to the erection of a high tower for the
French cathedral, which, as it over
| looked all other structures in It's vicin-
| ity, was peculiarly bad "feng- shui" for
that part of the city and religiously re-
| Sented
| AS to the so called religion of China,
| it may be said, as an old writer declar-
ed of its history, IF you wish.to be ac-
| quainted with it, you must read five
carloads of books There are two
recognized religions Taoism or RAJ
tionalism and Buddhism-besides Con-
| fucianism, which is political and
moral rather than religious. One writer
has called the Chinaman the religious
triangle" because of his three sided be-
4 lief, for in this respect he really suffers
from an embarrassment of riches. The
result is that he has more gods" than
J any other people on the face of the
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
UREsaUE SCENES IN THE DISTURBED CHINESE EMPIRE

ligion and what it implies, 1t might be
inferred that Chinese fanaticism is
confined chiefly to the lower and ig-
noraat classes; but, on the contrary,
1t is said to be to the "litterati,' or ed
ucated officials, and disappointed office
seekers that the last outburst is due.
They have recently published and pro-
mulgated book Of denunciation
against all Christians which has oper-
ated upon the vulgar mind to the extent
of causing the flames of fanaticism to
sweep the land. Here are few things
they charge Christians with doing:
They make use of occult and devilish
arts and bewitch the ignorant by mag
ical lamentations, so they joyfully enter
the sect. When a person enters this
1.-THE Christianl religion, the teacher
gives him four ounces of silver and a
pill When he has taken this pill, his
whole mind is confused and darkened.
so that he destroys his ancestral tab
lets and only worships the image of a
naked child which points one finger
toward heaven and another toward the
earth.
I'm case of funerals the religious
teachers eject all the relatives and
friends from the house. and the corpse
is put intosthe coffin with closed doors.
Both eyes are then secretly taken out
and the orifices sealed UP with plaster.
The reason for extracting the eyes is
this: From 100 pounds of Chinese lead
can be extracted eight pounds of silver,
and the remaining s2spounds of lead
can be sold at the original cost But
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
Peculiar Beliefs That Inc Missionaries
Have TO Combat Strange
Ideas and Practices

heard of an instance Where a man
quarreled with his neighbor and killed
himself in order to wreak vengeance on
his enemy" Belief in the malign pow
ers of the dead is universal. If one is
in trouble of any sort whatever, it is
the work of the dead. If one succeeds
in business or any undertaking, it is
with the assistance of the spirits. But
the means of placating the spirits are
very simple. You have only to secure
or cut out paper representations of
money, houses, clothing or other desir-
able things, which are burned with reli-
gious rites and become real in the spirit
world.
A learned Chinese mandarin says:
I'm England they have the art of cut
ting out paper men and horses, and by
burning charms and repeating incanta-
lions Transforming them into real men
and horses. They may, however, be
dissolved by beating a gong. by dis
charging large guns or by spouting wa
ter over them"
Hungry ghosts, furnishing for the
souls of men, lie in wait on all roads
and funerals, weddings, ETC., must be
protected by offerings, en- route, to the
devils and spirits, who may also be
temporarily frightened away by loud
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

he cannot give protection and that the
"yamen" is sure to be stormed by tho
mob. Then the missionary takes refuge
in the house of some convert and is
hidden there until he can be safely sptr-
tied away, or is discovered and dragged
out to torture, from the contemplation
of which the mind shrinks appalled,.
At the beginning of this last great
disruption the missionaries were al
ready expecting disturbance. One OF
them wrote, just before they were at
tackled by the mobs: 1.-THE condition OF
affairs remains about the same, and
rumors still wildly float around. Our
guard of Chinese soldiers still comes
at night, but they will be of small scrv-
ice in case of actual outbreak. The
morale of their presence here is the
only justification for keeping them"
How futile, alas, was their hope OF
protection from this source the se-
quence of recent events has shown.
Coniding in their mistaken trust in the
Chinese government, with its false
guarantees of protection, the mission
aries were caught while peacefully pur-
suing their javocations Of mercy and
good will
! Those who were inland, including
some who, like the Rev. DIR. Martin,
had labored in China for nearly DO years
and were at distant stations, fled to the
cities of Picking and Tien-tsin, only to
share in the horrors that have awaken
ed the Indignation and resentment OF
the entire civilized world
The Chinese have saying: First
comes the missionary, then the consul.
and then the general" 1t would
seem, indeed, that the attack upon
A foreigners and native Christians had
1 long been contemplated, and that
/ the sufrerings they have endured and
the blood they have SO freely shed have
only whetted the appetite of the drag
on, who is implacably determined upon
their determination.
FREDERICK A. ODER.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
three daughters. son and seven others

three daughters, son and seven others
were murdered
Referring to the sneers OF Chinese
diplomats at the treatment of the 10o,-
900 low class coolies in the United
States, who invariably intend to go
back home with their earnings, and to
the accusation that many of the so
called converts are rice Christians"
one who is well informed says: "On the
other hand, there are but 1000 Amer
leans in all China, half of them women,
children and missionaries, all respecta-
BILE, self supporting people, most of
them well educated, many with large
capital, all of them bringing something
to improve the civilization of China.
but how is this handful of Ameri-
cans, as we'll as other foreigners in
China, treated? They are called for
eign devils;' missionaries and their con-
verts are persecuted; merchants have
their trade hampered and restricted by
oppressive taxation; foreign residence
is officially confined to- few sea and
river ports, and foreigners go into the
lives and property are never entirely
Isafe; anti-foreign riots often occur, and
the government rarely interferes until
the mischief is done"
Missionaries only fight when their
lives are actually in danger. In the
first place, when rumors of trouble are
rife, they flee to the nearest important
"yamen" and claim the protection OF
the official. Usually the mandarin dare
mot refuse it, but it may happen tha :
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
its members shall turn and rend them

its members shall turn and rend them
selves?
To fight fire with fire, is an axiom of
war; to combat superstition with SUI
perstition may prove the legitimate CO.
rollary which shall bring the foreign
devil" in China out of his difficulties.
But, to be perfectly fair with the Chi
nese, let us inquire If they are open to
the charge of being superstitious and
fanatical. Two definitions of the term
superstition" will establish that, one
OF which is IAN excessive reverence for
or fear of that which is unknown or
mysterious and ''the worship of a
false god or gods, false religion, reli-
gious veneration for unworthy objects"
From the loins of these two spring ia
naticism-"a state of high wrought and
self confident excitement"
II the Chinaman were called wor-
shipper Of false gods, he might retort
that this was mere matter OF opinion;
but he most assuredly is. If the consen-
sus of our highest civilization is of any
value. That portion of the world which
has made the greatest advancement no
longer recognizes a belief or trust in
inanimate objects. such as idols OF wood
or stone, prayer machines or paper
ghosts.
AS to the other part of the definition
fear of that which is unknown or mys-
terlous"--says a writer who resided in
China for many years: Fear is at the
root of all Chinese religion. When a
man dies, his ghost acquires great pow
srs and,is to he feared and placated.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
RAW MEAT roR cossuMpr1vEs.

The juice of raw meat is the newest
cure for consumption. Zomotherapy is
the scientific name for the new treat
ment, which has been formally app
proved by the French Academy of Sci
ences. It's inventors are DR.. Hericourt
and Dr. Richet, two learned men who
have devoted Is years to the study of
tuberculosis alone. tuberculosis, rea-
soned Drs. Hericourt and Richet some
years ago, is wasting of the tissues
that mean life. In such conditions
drugs or any ordinary methods of treat
ment are useless. The imperative thing
is to repair these tissues. But rapidly
disappearing animal tissues cannot be
repaired with vegetable matter. More
animal tissues are needed, and they
should be supplied to the patient as
quickly and in as large quantities as
possible.
Raw beef taken as food seemed the
most feasible way of introducing the
needed healthy organic life into the
body as a substitute for the organism
being consumed by disease. AS cooking
would weaken, if not destroy, this or.
ganic life, it seemed necessary that the
meat should be eaten raw. The theory
was tested on animals suffering from
4 tuberculosis. 1t worked marvelously.
The patients recovered rapidly. The
doctors next tried separating the juice
from the muscular portion of the meat
on the theory that 1t was the juice
alone-in other words, the animals
/ blood-which was beneficial, and this
theory was sustained by the experi-
ment
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
SOME POPULAR CHINESE 6UPER6T|T|0N61

the only way to obtain this silver Is by
compromising the lead with the eyes Of
Cinnamon. The eyes of foreigners are
of no use for this purpose.
1T is: impossible to enumerate all
their evil practices. If we seek for the
general motive which leads them 1.-THE
ChristiansL 1t is a fixed determination
utterly to befool our people and under
false pretenses of religion to extermi-
nate them. Thus they wish to take
possession of the middle kingdom"
This book, say the translators, is d.
rected against foreigners generally and
all intercourse with them-social, COM
mercial and national. Religion only is
the point of attack, because religion.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

earth, ranging from the deities of sun.
moon, stars, clouds, thunder, noun
tains, seas and rivers down to those of
flags, cannon, gates and streets, even of
the kitchen and dust pan.
The three sects combined have over
a million temples, containing at least
100000 idols and ancestral tablets,
and it may be said of China as it once
was of Athens, that there are more
statues of gods than there are men now
living. 1t is estimated that there are
60, 00O0 900 families in the Chinese empire
most of which have from three to five
tablets OF near or remote ancestors
which they virtually worship.
| Having such confused notion of re-
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

temple tomb. known as the Baby
Tower, with an opening in one wall,
into which infants unfortunate enough
to have been born girls are thrust, to
die amid horrors unspeakable.
So thoroughly is woman's inferiority
believed in that many infant daughters
are destroyed by their parents. Such
is the wretched condition of the Chinese
girl that many times the mother herself
assents to her murder in infancy.
What them" she asks. would you
have her grow up as wretched as
am?"
The wretched practice Of foot binding,
| with it's terrible tortures, is in itself
enough to destroy all love for life or
hope of happiness in the world. Yet
how many millions are compelled to do
it? That the poor resort to the selling
of their female children as slaves to
relieve in some small measure their
cruel poverty, is not SO much refiec-
ton upon their Individual acts as upon
the system that not only tolerates, but
compels it.
| 1t was to combat the glazing evils of
Chinese superstition that the many
missionaries of various sects have TAX
en- their lives in their hands and gone
tianity. The first to enter China were
the HISTORIANS, more than LOO years
ago, and 800 years later the Roman
catholics had fourishing stations there
They were received at first with toll
erance, but eventually were driven out
with bloodshed, and in the museum OF
the Prado at Madrid is a painting de-
Ipicting the tortures inflicted upon early
missionaries in the sixteenth century.
The lowest estimates of converts tc
Christianity places them at nearly Oh
lquite million, of which the Protes.
tants of different denominations claim
about 100000, with 2,460 missionarie:
and more than 1000 stations. The frs
Protestant mission in China was es
tablished in 1907 by the London Mis-
sionary society, and during the 80 years
and more since then the field has beef
the favorite for those who choose lif
devoted to labor and self sacrifice.
All sects and denominations, says al
English paper, have undergone sor
trials, and persecution is not by an.
means at an end. 1t seldom comes from
the uninstructed impulse of popular fu
ry, but as rule is inspired by som
mandarin or his hangers on. Such wer
the massacres OF 1870 and 1895, in whicl
latter the Rev. r. w. Stewart, his wife
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

sentence. The saying that a peoples
gods will be very much like themselves
is exemplified in the Chinese conception
of this police judge. for the Chinese
never knew of judge who could not
be bribed. so they argue that this spirit
judge is open to conviction only
through the means of cash" For this
purpose they make or buy peck or. so
of paper money and burn 1t before his
god in the temple, and thus for few
cents purchase exemption from spir-
itual punishment.
In one of the last letters received
from the missionaries before they were
cut off from the outside world, written
at Lin-ching, is an allusion to the cele-
brated sacred tablet, which is brought
out in times of drought. This is the
time of year." he writes. when we get
little or no rain, but the need is SO
great that the local officials are visiting
the temple of the war god twice day
and prostrating themselves before an
iron tablet brought from famous we'll
some go miles to the west. The custom
is to keep the tablet five days in one
temple. when. failing to get an answer
in rainfall, it is moved to another"
One of the vexatious things which the
foreigner IN emma mas TO encounter is
the "feng-shui," a peculiar geomantic
superstition by which the good luck of
sites and buildings is determined. The
literal rendering Of the term is wind
and water" but its real meaning is the
harmony of the air and water spirits
with buildings and the circumjacent re-
gion. If ones house is not on the right
spot, the 'feng-shui'' will be bad. and
oil rtS 0f To- 4 will hnf re
Ecupants. If on the right spot, it will be
good, etc.
Il AS only the geomancers or soothsay-
ers can determine this point, the appli-
4 cation is rather arbitrary. The rail
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24
rHERE is certain Greek legend
that might be recalled at this

THERE is a certain Greek legend
that might be recalled at this
juncture of affairs in China
which relates to the founding of
Thebes by King Cadmus, who went
about looking for a suitable site for his
future capital guided by a vagrant
heifer.
When, having selected his site, Cad
mus sent some of his party to draw wa
ter from a well sacred to Mars, there
uprose great dragon, which slew them
all, but was itself slain by the king,
who was directed by Minerva to sow
its teeth in the soil about the city. He
had no sooner done so than up sprang
a host of men armed to the teeth, who
were about to attack Cadmus, when he
cast stone into their midst and di-
verified their attention SO successfully
that they fell upon each other and
fought until only five were left. These
five had had enough of fighting by that
time and so turned to and helped the
king build his new city.
There are indubitable signs that the
long dormant Chinese dragon has at
last awakened from his sleep Of centu-
ries and, like some giant saurian of the
Nile, is bursting the cerements of clay
Which nave luCdSSu Allll. vi o6oAi
of superstition now threatens, like his
prototype of old, to devour the intrud-
ing foreigner and to exterminate the
invaders of his sacred soil. Should he
be slain by some modern Cadmus, rep
resented by the armies of the allied
powers, there will doubtless be, as an
aftermath, plentiful crop of dragons
teeth, which already, indeed, have
shown signs of existence in the per-
nicious Boxers and hundreds of other
secret societies. with their innumerable
ramifications.
1t will not be the yellow dragon
alone which the allied overs will have
to combat, but the millions of dragons
teeth, wide scattered over territory
larger than that of the United States
Armed and perfectly equipped as the
powers may be, with the latest appli
ances and the most destructive death
dealing weapons invented by modern
science, 1t must be remembered tina
their foe is a great and terrible hydra
whose Topped off heads are Immediately
replaced by hurrying millions pressing
from the rear. The arm that strikes
may eventually fall from sheer weari
ness, and may it not be necessary t,
employ the Cadmian tactics and cas-
some stone Of contention into the mids
Of the million headed throng, by which
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-24

Switzerland imported 15,O27 bicycles
in 1898. the highest priced ones-S83.5 So
coming from Belgium, and the lowest
$421G--coming from America. The
American wheel is admitted to be the
best as well as the cheapest Only 81
wheels We're imported in 1895.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-01-11
GOES TO PARIS.
John 0. lyman. of This city, to be an AS
sistart in the American Department

A letter was received in this city
this morning announcing that John Q.
Lyman, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank
H. LYsaan, of this city, has been APP
pointedsto a position in the American
building at the Paris Exposition. The
appointment came as a great surprise
to the friends of Mr.. Lyman in this
city, as he had not told any one that he
was making an effort to secure the po-
sition. For the past two years Mr..
Lyman has been in the State Univer-
sity and he has made a most enviab1e
record. He has made a special study
of French and has always been a
leader in the class room. Some time
ago he made an application for the
position at the great exposition and on
last Tuesday he was called to Chicago
to take an examination in converse
tional French. He passed the exam
ination with great honor and yester-
day he received the notice of his ap-
pointment to the coveted position.
The work in which Mr.. Lyman will be
employed has not as yet been marked
out, but he will be in the American
department.
Mr.. Lyman is one of the best known
of the younger students of the Stat
University. Since he entered college
he has taken an important part in the
life of the institution. He has been
one Of the editors of the Cardinal, the
University daily paper, for two years.
His greatest success has been found
in his connection with the University
crews. When he first entered the Uni
versity ne was chosen as a member OF
the Freshman crew and last year he
was one of the members of the famous
Wisconsin crew which made the
p1ucky. fight against Yale at New
Haven. Mr.. Lyman is thoroughly
representative of the young men of
Wisconsin and Commissioner Peck
could have made no better selection
for the duties at the Exposition. The
Kenosha man will leave for Paris
withir the next two weeks. He will be
absent from the country for over a
year, as he has planned TO make tour
of the continent after his work at the
Exposition closes.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-01-11

An Effort Will be Made to save Frank
Langan From Serving Life Sentence.

Attorney John G. Slater has received
from Fond du Lac the papers in the
trial of Frank Langan, of this city,
who was recently convicted of murder
in that city under the name of James
Lonegran. An effort will at once be
made to have the case taken to the
supreme court. Justice Slater has
been connected with the case since it
vas brought up in the court and he is
firmly convinced that the jury caused
the sentence of an innocent man and
every effort will be made to have the
verdict reversed in the highest court
of the state. The case was a most
peculiar one and the evidence, a copy
of which has also been sent to this
city, is exceedingly weak in regard to
the connection with the Kenosha man.
The appeal to the court, however, will
not be based entirely upon the fact
that the verdict was not in accordance
with the evidence il the case but a
long list of exceptions has been filed
to the instructions given the jury by
Judge Kerwin.