Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-02
CHRISTMAS M0RAlHG At PBAlgJG.
the south and southeast coasts are ex-
| hibited all the climatic characteristics

the south and southeast coasts are ex-
hibited all the climatic characteristics
of tropical regions"
The two seasons depend there upon
the monSoons. The wet season comes
with the monsoon from the southwest
and lasts from April to October. The
dry season, arriving with the northeast
monsoon, continues from October to
April. At Canton the average yearly
temperature is about ~ degrees F.. In
| January it is about SIS degrees and only
% at Peking. In July the average
for the southern city of Canton is 50
degrees and for the northern capital,
Picking, 70 degrees.
1t Is in the northern or most attract
i've region that Picking lies, in latitude
| II degrees north, and, while the sum-
mers are long and hot and the tempera-
1 ture ranges as high as 105 degrees, it
falls in the winter as low as degrees
below zero. A German diplomat is cred
tied with saying, You approach Pc
king in tears, but you leave it weep
ing" At first sight, and particularly on
! first experience of the filthy streets and
noisome odors. one is repealed, but on
further acquaintance it improves. espe-
cially in the opinion of the legationers.
who manage to extract a great deal of
1 enjoyment from their life within the
walls of the Chinese capital.
While the Picking summers are intol-
erably hot and the roads are enveloped
in clouds of dust, the winters are ex-
/ tremely enjoyable, provided one pro-
vides against the extremes of tempera-
ture. The air is brisk and exhilarating
and dry and sparkling as champagne.
But for this quality, in fact, contin-
ual pestilence might prevail in Picking,
owing to the almost total lack of SAM
tary arrangements. In spring and au-
tumn all agree that there is delicious
blending of frost and sun, and the keen
air braces the nerves like tonic" AT
the present time both Picking and the
1 great Pe-chi-li plain present their
brightest climatic attractions to Their
unlimited visitors from abroad.
While life in Picking was at first look
ed upon as sort of exile by foreign
ministers and the legation attaches and
while for several years after the CAPT
tai was invaded by them, they regarded
themselves in the light of martyrs tc
I. duty, there has been of late change
for the better. In summer they go ou1
to the western hills, where they occupy
the ancient temples and palaces of for
mer princes, or make excursions to thu
famous Ming tombs and the great wall
If any number of the troops are quar-
tered in or near Picking, they will prob
ably occupy portions of the vast ant
beautiful hunting park and the grounds
of the summer palace outside the walls
small attachments being kept within
on call for emergencies.
| bo tol, to- 0aly s,,,
this coming winter If the legations ar
re-established and the various com
mands are quartered within hail, 70
even in times when the legationers ar
thrown upon their own resources Their
are state dinners and balls, skating
carnivals and sledging parties. Thougl
snow does not fall to any great depth
the meats around the walls are frozel
over for several weeks. and in the cit
skating Kinks are made by flooding tn
legation tennis courts and roofing then
over with poles covered with bambo
mating.
1T was glorious winter, one to loo
back upon all ones life." wrote a.
English lady who had passed the sea
son there. Some way Picking was
place quite unique and different fror
anything one would ever meet else
where. NSociety was charming, bein
altogether diplomatic and consisting Q
SO many different legations of all ma
tionalities. The climate was magnifi
cent at that time, from October till tn
end of March-bright blue, cloudles
sky, fresh, keen air and not one drop 9
rain October and November were idea
months, just like the early autumn a
home. From December to the end c
February we had a covered rink in tn