Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-11-12
CHINESE POLICEMEN.
Curious Regulations of the Force of
10000 on Duty at Pekin.

SSySOS va ~ - S'NaaH
In costume a Chinese policeman is
something between a circus clown and
a football player. His breeches are
always baggy and very well wadded-
so clumsy you wonder how he gets
around in them, particularly when, as
is often the case, he wears coat, also
thick and clumsy, coming well below
the knees. Dark blue is the prevailing
color, set off with bands and facings
of lighter blue, red, green, maroon, and
brown, but never yellow. That is the
sacred or royal hue, permitted to no
| body below the rank of viceroy.
In the treaty ports, that is to say,
those open to foreign influence and
commerce, the police force is largely
made up of Sikhs from northern India.
The reason, perhaps, is that the Chi
nese themselves are essentially unWar-
| like; they have a proverb to the effect
| that mo good man is ever a soldier
AS men in the pay of the Chinese gov
eminent, whether natives or not, they
have taken an active part in the pres
ent trouble in China
The police rank officially as gendarm-
erie. In Pekin the head of them is al
ways Manchu. Policemen must be
plentier than blackberries in the Chi
nese capital. The sacred or imperial
walled city keeps beween $4,000 and
10000 of them. This walled city is
two miles square, with two great gates
in each wall face, half mile from the
corners, and mile from each other.
Broad streets stretch straight from one
to another, thus cutting the space in
side into a big nine-block. Police sta
tions are scattered all along the nine
edges, which face upon the passway in
side the wall. The head of the police
has charge of all the city gates. They
are nine in number-since the side
next the palace proper has an extra
gate in the exact middle of the two
mile wall Policemen in this, the Tar
tar City, belong to what is known as
the Eight Banner corps. They do not
carry arms, not even so much as the
baton of the civilized officer, but keep
swords, spears, guns and cutlasses in
racks at the stations and make rush
for them when they hear the signal
gun. This is fired by an officer whose
special charge it is, either upon orders
or if in his own judgment it is neces-
sary. The penalty for firing it at the
wrong time is severe-it may be degra-
dation and Punishment or strangula-
ton.
Upon parades and reviews the police
men are always armed, especially if
foreign devils are to witness the re-
view or the parade. The weapons are
curious looking but wicked in the ex-
IRENE three-hooked spears they
all carry in particular make jagged and
CHASTITY wounds. Besides the 10000
within the wall Pekin maintains a
force of $4,000 with which to regulate
affairs in the outer city. They are I'M
der command of the same general Off
Ger and governed by the same regula-
lions, though there are variations aris-
ing from the differences of situation.
Men and officers alike furnish their
own uniforms, but are armed by the
state and receive a monthly rice allow
ance in addition to their pay. The
chief gets fair salary, but the men
and subordinate officers are meagerly
paid. Notwithstanding they make and
save money enough to retire after mod
crate terms of service. Influence in
the shape of cold cash stands the pris-
or's friend in China even more than
anywhere else in the world. In fact,
but for the presents" the force is al
lowed to squeeze out of natives and for
eigners alike there might be difficulty
in getting men for the service even
though humanity is cheaper than dirt
cheap all over the Celestial empire.