The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28

break 1T except some sharp instrument.
and 1t could safely have been warranted
to wear for years. For this hat. of a quail
ity that would have cost 81 in New York,
my little versatile tailor charged me 20
cents.
did you make it yourself, Yung?" /
asked.
mo; cousin I'm Chufoo makee him. he
replied. bringing forward the inevitable
cousin-the infallible. omnipresent Chinese
Deus ex machina.
And as the tailors came from the SOUTH
/ then learned that the straw braiders
are a product of Chufoo; the silk growers
and cotton growers from Canbar, the tea
raisers from the middle districts and the
wood carvers from Ningpo, as have al
ready said
In Picking and other northern localities
much of the travel is done by mule litter.
where this expensive mode of conveyance
can be afforded. and these littermen, I
was told. were all from Shansi, and all
Mohammedans.
The religion and occupation are often
curiously allied; for example. / found
cloisonne makers in the north, whose an
cestors had been Roman Catholics for sew
eral generations In Shanghai, a large
part. If not all the operatives in the cot
ton mills, Roman Catholics.
IN A MODERN MILL.
/ went through one OF these mills and
found IL most interesting; at that time
the latter part of November. the crop was
being sent down the wassom river in
junks. Hundreds Of these passed before
my window daily-the awkward vessels
propelled by oars, or carried by the tide
at it's turn. Chinese cotton has a much
shorter staple than American cotton, even
I, of the poorest quality. but it serves for
such fabrics the Chinese require. For
better goods it is mixed with the Ameri-
can product. In this mill. which ran day
and night, over one thousand men, women
and children were employed. They readily
familiarized themselves with their duties
and showed themselves skillful and alert
in the management of their looms. The
Chinese hand is a very perfect tool in itself,
slender. delicate, shapely and supple, all
nerve and sinew, with no superfiuOus
tissue: 1t is at home in such work this.
and / watched the operatives mending the
broken threads. replacing spindles and
manipulating the looms as If they had done
| this work for ages, instead of very few
| years.
| In connection with the works, the firm,
| liberal and humane. maintained hospital,
| schools for the children, and within the
| compound was an entire Chinese village,
with shops and dwellings, as well as a
| general store maintained by the firm. The
| hospital was i'm charge of Catholic sis.
| terhood, who attended the sick with I'M
selfish devotion. while the school was man.
aged by two three young native tutors.
graduates of the Catholic college and COM
| municants of the church.
| When we arrived the children were mem
orizing their lesson-the catechism 1t hap
| pened to beat the top of their .shrill little
| voices.
| One little urchin swayed to and fro. re-
peating his task with half-closed eyes.
| What he was saying in Chinese 1 render ed
| into English, was:
They are three. They are three" From
| which it could be inferred that the baby
| was set at work to define the Trinity-a
| task that has taxed the intellect Of men old
| in years and wisdom. 1 felt what a waste
| Of time it was, and would have liked to
| turn the whole school loose to run out OF
doors and kick up their heels, like so many
! young colts. To be shut up in dark,
chilly room that lovely autumn day, under
any circumstances, was cruelty, and to add
| to the enforced captivity the perfunctory
labor of trying to solve mystery unsolva-
BILE was the refinement of cruelty.
The children. having learned submission
with their first breath, did not mind it.
was struck with the cheerfulness of the
faces of the operatives-whether this was
due to their awakened intelligence or to as
sured work and wages that promised bread
and necessary care when they were dis
abled or sick, could not tell. But Of one
| thing 1 felt certain. L stood face to face
in the flesh with one phase at least of the
fast-approaching new China.
| MARY III. KROUT.