The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-01

are old Picking residents who have in days
gone by entered the precincts in Chinese
dress, one, in particular, being Ii Hung
Changes popular secretary, Mr.. Pethick,
an American gentleman who has lived in
China for many years. An exception was
made in the case Of Prince Henry of
Prussia, but, unhappily, the result has
been. according to Chinese logic, to in
sure continuance of last years drought.
and to hold up the rain clouds to the ut
ter impoverishment of the land. The con-
nection between cause and effect does
not seem very close, but not less so than
the popular belief reported recently from
Persia that a like failure was due to the
setting up of a stone by foreign sur
veyor.
Beyond the area Of temples a random
aggregation of wooden shops leads up
to one of the principal gates, pierced in
the Tartar wall, the second and famous
wall of Picking In ALL this wall is twelve
miles round, flanked by protruding bas-
tions and solidly faced with broad baked
bricks, the twenty feet of space between
the sides being filled up with mud re-
duced to the consistency of cement. The
storied towers above the gates are TERED
with inclined openings, made to look as
if they masked cannon, and actually
painted with white and black circles to
cheat the god of war as he passes by
These painted bricks are a good example
of Chinese civilization. Even though they
be but simulacra, ii is the natural duty
of a Chinaman to respect them as If
they contained the finest of artillery. The
appearance is right and the appearance
is everything. No gate in China admits
direct TO an Enclosure, and inside the
great gate of Peking there is a curve and
then another gate. similar to the first,
leading to the most important and busiest
thoroughfare in which are to be found
the principal trades and hostelries.
A great difference exists between the
imperial capital and the provincial cities,
in that the main streets of Peking are of
adequate width, although stalls and booths
have been set up between the frontage
and the roadway on either side. The
buildings are rarely two stories high;
most of them have fiat roof, protected
by carved wooden parapet. Another diff
ference between the north and the mid
lands is that the cold of the Monaghan
desert and the high ATTITUDES made the
people close in the fronts with boards
and paper windows, while a wadded por-
there keeps out the wind. Signboards,
scrolls. banners and trade emblems are
in front of every shop or place of bust
ness. Scarlet, brown. yellow and black,
with characters of brightest gold, they
make a striking show of color that is a
relief from the uniform monotony of
Chinese costume, and the gold is partic-
ularly effective as a means of distinction.
Amid trade signs, some, notably those
of the barber and the pawnbroker, are not
unlike the old signs of the West; the
bootmakers have the same as can be seen
in Nuremberg to-day; others, with many
colored paper scraps and strips. are less
ineligible.
A certain amount OF fantastic carving
in wood is used for external decoration
inclosing the widest carlcatures of man
and beast, and on the wooden doors of
the houses are painted the figures OF Chi
nese gods and heroes, designed to strike
terror into the unwelcome intruder. The
infamy Of the paving and roadmaking OF
PelSin has passed into a proverb. Origi-
nally the stone tagged passways that lead
from the Chinese to the Tartar Wall, and
to and from the several gates must have
been grand achi =vements. made up as
they are of substantial blocks OF lime
stone. clamped with iron bolts, but no.
body has ever troubled to keep them in
the slightest semblance of repair, al
though a large sum of money is annually
paid over to the officials for tho pur-
pose. The consequence Is that they are
broken up by deep ruts and cavities.
which testify to the enormous length and
weight of the traffic that has passed and
to the inanimate stupidity and corrup-
ton Of the authorities in letting the mis-
chief go so far. Apart from the flags
the roads and lanes are formed and main
tanned with a composition that is enoush
to bring MacAdam from his grave. on the
Chinese principle of waste not want
not" the roads are made up and repair
ed with the contents of the drains and
cesspools. and in the dry climate of Chin
Ii the dust is ankle deep--I had almost
said knee deep-of so delightful a mix
ture. This does not exhaust the ingen-
uity of The local authority. In order to
keep the dust within the bounds OF res
piration the roads are plentifully wa
tered with the liquid contents of the sew
ers, ladled out at every hour OF the day
in enormous wooden spoons. The sort OF
smell emanating from this Road material
would require the pen OF NJ. lola ade-
quately TO describe
Language Difficulties.
OF a grand Chinese house OF the old
style the English legation formerly
princely palace, Is not a bad example,
and it's tiled pavilions are kept in a con-
dillon of repair and spick-and-spa or
Ger which mark the extra-territoriality
better even Than fer ign flag. In the
compound live not only the minister and
the subordinate officials. but also some
twenty student interpreters, who spend
two years In learning the elem nts OF the