The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-09-01
THE METROPOLIS OF CHINA
An Ancient City That 10 Nest Of Ig-
*noFanoe.

An Ancient City That 10 . Nest Of Ig
i noranoe.
Rkin, the%capita1 and metropolis Of
fChha, says the New York Press, il
one Of the most ancient cities on the
| globe. Practically itFts In the same
condition now aan was hundreds OF
years ago, no progress haSing been
made by the Chinese eitiler in modern
izing the city or developing 1t as q
trade centre. The salflea old-style
houses and the same old streets. bad
IL laid out and wrctchedly paved, bear
| silent witness to the Dackwardncss
tsof the Chinese nation.e.
Willie other cities in the Far East
have taken steps to, keep pace with
the times. rekin has ,lain dormant.
No foreign capital has been permitted
within its walls and no Suggestions
for the ameIiofa ton oH9its condition
have been accepted. Lying within the
great walls TINT encompass IL, ut has
slept for years. while the rest tof the
world has been taking gAaatic strides
to keep up with the march, OF progress
| ald civilization. 4
Peilin is divided into two great Cit.
ies--the nothern part bdng known as
the Tartar City. and the southern as
the Chinese City. The former has an
area Of twelve square miles and the
latter an area OF about fifteen square
miles The Tartar City Is surrounded
~ wall sixty feet~Ligh. fifty feet
ihch at the base md forty feet at the
top, and the Chinese City is encircled
hy avail thirty feet high. twenty five
feet thick at the base and twelve feet
at the top. Outside these walls the
suburbs include, with the cities, an
area OF nearly twenty miles in cir.
conference. Within the Tartar City
lies the Imperial or Yellow City. which
In turn contains the Purple or Forbid.
den City. encircling the Emperor's
palace.
With population Of nearly 1909
vo and CROWN; fast, Pekin has plod.
d"d along on the same old antiquatcd
lines for centuries. 1t has not even
made provisions for sanitation, so nee.
essary to the health and welfare of
large community. and the conditions
rs they exist to-day are unusually
filthy. Standing on an unusually
sandy plain, it has no water supply,
and what water It does get is never
pure. Through many Of its streets 1t
would be impossible to drive a vehicle,
ana after nightfall progress is difficult
even for pedestrians. the thorough
fares being lit only by lanterns swung
from the doors of houses.
In dry weather It's streets are COW
cred with dust, and In rainy weather
they are knee deep in mud. The houses
are of brick, usually one story, and
are rooted with tiles. All the neces-
saries Of life are exceedingly dear, and |
the great majority Of the inhabitants |
are miserably poor. Its manufactures
are triflng and the trade of the city
is confined principally to supplying
the wants of Its citizens.
Fekin is essentially a domestic city
In that 1t has no foreign quarters, as
have nearly oil Of the larger cities OF
the world. Its foreign element con-
'ists mostly Of members Of legations,
and a few merchants.
The houses Of foreigners are nearly
I'll In Legation street. one Of the c.ty's
principal thoroughfares, and they are
quilt some distance from each other
e IS said that this portion of Pekin is
ne cleanest part OF the great city.
Whatever else is permitted to decay
md 60 to waste In Pekin, the walls
surrounding the city are kept in good
epair. They We're built, tradition has
t, to keep out invaders, and to this
lay the inhabitants believe that be-
IND these massive piles Of brick and
tone they are safe from any enemy
which might want to attack them.
On the outer faces Of these walls Mt
OF sixty feet are built square
'nttresses and on top of these there
re guardhouses occupied by troops.
sixteen gates, each surmounted by a
all tower. lead into the city. These
overs are built in tiers or galleries.
nd are provided with many loopholes
rom which fire can be directed toward
ny quarter.