The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-20
Circulation stnte,mens.


mey serves TO clear up some OF the doubt
concerning the battle in Pekin and the
bonbardment of The Forbidden City re-
ported from Chefoo last night. Remey
says that he has authentic information
from Lieutenant Latimer, L. S. n, who is
attached to the staff of Major General
Chaffee. that the allied troops were in Pc
kin on August -, and had begun an at
tack upon the Imperial City. at the same
time engaging in clearing out the Tartar
City"
This appears to be sufficient evidence
that the Chinese forces We're giving bat
tie and making a determined stand in at
least two important intra- mural positions,
and suggests the probable authenticity Of
the japanese information upon which the
message of the British Rear Admiral
Bruce was based 1t is not unlikely, there
fore. that Pekin in truth may be in flames
and its destruction in whole or in part
probable.
The later reports. taken in connection
with intelligence said TO be in possession
of the State Department, appears TO dis
credit the statement that the Empress
Dowager is stin - the pa.ace. Neverthe-
less. IS the japanese reports. hitherto
have baen generally accurate, it Is possible
that she may have been Ejndered from
leaving the capital b. Prince Yung La as
ALLEGED The story Of her departure with the
Prince Of Tuar. the court and the palace
treasure may have been sent out with the
idea that the allies would lot be so eager
10 take and perhaps to dem0lish Pekiu. if
4
recent atrocities had fed from it. That is
2 matter which viii doubtless be cleared
up shortly Il : 10 be regretted that tsIe-
graphic communication between Pekin and
Tientsia IS interrupted. The wires proba-
bly, have been cut by the Chinese. But
this much is plain. The battle which has
beer fought in Pellin and may be stiil in
progress represents exactly the condition
which, only few days ago, the Admins
traticn conceded that it would be Gem
pe.led to regard IS "a state OF war"
Humane Treatment eff Employees.
A Chicago reporter has been investizat-
ing the condition Of the employees Of the
big steam lauadries. as an appropriate
subject for midsummer discussion. and
finds that, contrary to the general impress
sion. these IaunGries are among the cool
est places in the city. The heat there
used to be uRbearable. AMI it was a COM
mon occurrence for women and girls to
become Frustrated on account Of it. In
TACT, it was necessary 10 keep some one
At hand all the time merely to care for
The people overcome by the heat.
ManifestIy this old not pay. Aside from
The sentiment OF common humanity in
volyed. it was ineonveEient not to be able
TO depend On the entire force at any hour
Of the day. The laundry firms therefore
set themselves TO remedy the trouble They
tried ice packs on the heads of the work
ers; they tried allowing them to go and
sit in the cool rooms whenever the work
became too burdcnscme; they tried giving
them cracked ice TO eat. and none of these
things did any good. Then the humane So
ciecy began investigating the condition of
the ironers. and customers presently en-
quired if it were really true that the iron
ing killed the girls.
The end of il was that electric fans were
put in and row the big ironing-rooms are
cool and comfortable. and in spite of the
long hours and heavy manual labor, the
women engaged in this work are strong
and well. To a dispassionate observer the
wonder is that the improvements were
not made before It certainly pays bet
ter to have a force of workers active,
alert, and in good condition all the time
than 20 have TO depend on a lot of
anaeuic. Hfeless. exhausted creatures who
are liable to faint away at any minute.
Wherever improvements have been made
in workrooms, in any business, the same
results have followed. Better work has
been done and more Of it, and there is
still another gain in the increased con-
tentmcnt and loyalty of the employees. II
pays just as well to treat a man prop
erly as to give horse good food and
shelter No thoroughbred can be kept in
proper condition when housed in a leaky
ill-ventlated stable and fed on inferior
food and no man can do his best work
without the right sort of treatment It is
true that in all ages magnificent work ha:
been done in all lines of business wher
tie conditions were most unfayorabIe, bu
that does not prove that it might not have
Dcth uOlt EVEN bCbitI III more ltOpiNtOus
circumstances There is a subtle, sub-con
scious feeling among certain class o.
people that il is bad for workman to be
treated too well. that he should not be
pamrered and encouraged to enrich hi.
lffe that he Will be better laborer if h
has no Ideas above his station and i:
obliged to endure privation and hardship
There is modicum of truth in all this
No man IS worth much who does moi
think more about the success of his worl
than about his personal comfort while do
ing it. If he must endure hardship. dan.
ger. and discomfort to accomplish his task
he is less than a man if he frets about it
The greatest men have thought little
about their own ease or convenience, 81
that the object nearest their hearts was
accomplished, Carlyle's dyspepsia. Scots
lameness, did not prevent their being
great. But that does not prove that tt
destroy mans digestion or cripple hin
for life viii help him in any way 10 be
great philosopher or novelist. On the con
trary.. The sanest. most helpful, and Ecs
brilliant minds of the age have beer