Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-07-26
HOW rEKIN Is FED.
Conditions Affecting the Possible star
walton OF the Legation Inmates.

walton OF the Legation Inmates
Among the dangers to which the
foreign population of Pekin is exposed
must be included that OF its supplies
being entirely cut of by the insurg-
ents says the London News,
At ordinary times the city is greatly
dependent upon frozen meats brought
in from Mongolia on the backs OF
cames The Mongol market adjoln-
ing the British legation. Is the rem
dezyous for inuumerable strings"
Of camels and the half-sayage drivers,
and on this unshetered plot may be
seen exposed for sale the carcasses OF
sheep, strangely cont0rted, which
have been skinned while warm and
left out to harden in the severe frost
Of a Monaghan night prior 20 trans
| portatiun to the Chinese capital Par
tridges and other game are similarly
prepared for transit to Pekin and
are purchaseable in the frozen state
throughout the long north China win
ter and well into spring. In the hot
/ season live animals are driven into
Pekin and slaughtered according to
demand, but the bulk of the food sup
ply Is at all times derived from places
at a distance even from beyond the
Great Wall there being but little pro-
duced within the confines Of the vast
city itself save root crops, and those
on a small scale, derived from the
fields that occupy part of the space
known as the Watching, l. G., the
Chinese portion, and separated by
cross wall from the Nui-chung or
Tartar city
How important Is the uaily supply
by camel caravan of the necessaries
of life to the Pekinese may be
gagged from the fact that over ten
thousand ships of the desert on an
average, enter and leave the gates OF
the capital every twenty-four hours
Ride out at whatever time one may
choose it is certain that long
strings OF these useful beasts OF
burden, the leading Quadruped bear
ing between it's humps a Manchurian
driver and at Its throat a bell, and
followed by score or SO Of IT'S fell
lows. the head Of each ANNA roped
to the tail Of the preceding enc, viii
be met with beyond the walls, either
bound inward 90 market or bound out
ward TO the hills The last OF the
string likewise bears a bell and It's
tinkle assures the leading driver that
none Of his charges have broken loose
In the plight OF the Chinese capital
today 1t is almost certain that the or
binary traffic cannot be carried on.
The roads 10 the northward, as well
as those entering from the east and
south, are In the possession OF the
boxers as witness the destruction, re-
ported some days ago, Of the British
ambassadors sumner residence,
which was situated a little to the
northwest Of Pekin al the base Of the
nearest range Of hills
It is true that tho camel traffic has
~ late years been appreclably dlmln-
shed By the facility with which sup
plies could be brought up from the
coast by railway, but It has by no
means been abolished and the railway
not having been available for some
time past owing 10 the operations of
the boxers. the probability Is that the
Inhabitants OF the capital have had 10
rely more than ever upon their Non
eoliau market for the means Of eve
istence
u # be true that the rebels secured
the approaches 70 Legation street
and the quarter In which am the
foreign residents we're congregated,
il is certain that many provisions
cannot have been conveyed 10 The
beleaguered garrisons, and save for
the tr.ding stocks that may have been
accumulated within the compounds
OF The various embassies there Is
nothing. unless relief comes. bot star
walton or submission to look forward
TO- Submission % a Chinese mob ~
IS almost needless 70 say, would be
only another form Of extinction
So 1ng as the ammunition Tor the
Maxims held out, however and 50
long IS the Chinese we're unable To
mount cannon upon the city walls %
play upon the legations from the ad-
jacent and commanding heights there
| ~. fl "a certain that a stout resistance
10 the 9usiauRhis 81 the bowling ra0-
bic VII have been offered Beyond
this all lg conjecture, aud the possi-
b.ht.os are t01 apparent 70 " con-
templa.ed with calmness.