Rock Island Argus., 1900-06-30
METROPOLIS OF CHINA.
Peking, the Chinese Capital, Is
Divided Into Two Great Parts.
ESSENTIALLY A DOMESTIC CITY.
Ii Has No Foreign QuRrter-Nearly
All Houses of Foreigner Are ON
Legation street-WaIIs of the City.
Army of China-The TsunE-H-ya-


Legation street-WaIIs of the City.
Army of China-The TsunE-Ii-ya-
men.
Peking, the capital and metropolis of
China, is one of the most ancient cities
on the globe. Practically it is in the
same condition now as it was hundreds
of years ago, no progress having been
made by the Chinese either in modern
izing the city or developing it as a
trade center. says the New York Press.
The same old style houses and the
same old streets, badly laid out and
wretchedly paved, bear silent witness
TO the backwardness of the Chinese ma
tion. While other cities in the far east
have taken steps to keep pace with
the times, Peking has lain dormant.
No foreign capital has been permitted
within it's walls, and no suggestions for
the amelioration of its condition have
been accepted Lying within the great
walls that encompass it, it has slept
for years, while the rest Of the world
has been taking gigantic strides TO
keep up with the march OF progress
and civilization.
Peking is divided into two great cit
les, the northern part being known as
the Tartar city and the southern as the
Chinese city. The former has an area
Of II square miles and the latter an
area of about 10 square miles. The
Tartar city is surrounded by a wall 60
feet high, 80 feet thick at the base and
40 feet at the top, and the Chinese city
is encircled by n wall so feet high, %
feet thick at the base and II feet at
the top. Outside these walls the suburbs
include, with the cities, an area of
nearly % miles in circumference.
Within the Tartar city lies the I'M
perial, or Yellow City. which in turn
contains the Purple. or Forbidden City,
encircling the emperor's palace.
With a population of nearly 100000
and growing fast Peking has plodded
along on the same old antiquated lines
for centuries. 1t has not even made
provisions for sanitation, SO necessary
to the health and welfare of a large
community, and the conditions as they
exist today are unusually filthy. Stand
ing on an extremely sandy plain, it has
no water supply, and what water it
does get is never pure. Through many
of it's streets 1t would be impossible
TO drive a vehicle, and after nightfall
progress is difficult even for pedes-
trians, the thoroughfares being lit only
by lanterns swung from the doors OF
houses.
In dry weather its streets are COW
cred with dust. and in rainy weather
they are knee deep in mud. The houses
are of brick, usually one story, and
are rooted with tiles. All the neces-
saries OF life are exceedingly dear, and
the great majority of the inhabitants
are miserably poor. Its manufactures
are triflinG. and the trade of the city
Is confined principally to supplying
the wants of its citizens.
Peking is essentially a domestic city
in that it has no foreign quarter, as
have nearly all of the larger cities of
the world. Its foreign element con-
sists mostly Of members of legations.
and few merchants. The
houses of foreigners are nearly all in
Legation street, one of the city's prin
cipal thoroughfares. and they are built
some distance from each other. 1t is
said that this portion of Peking is the
cleanest part of the great city
Whatever else is permitted to decay
and go to waste in Peking, the walls
the city are kept in good
repair. They were built, tradition has
it, to keep out invaders, and to this
day the inhabitants believe that behind
these massive piles of brick and stone
they are safe from any enemy which
may want TO attack them.
On the outer faces of these walls at
buttresseS. and on top of these there
are guardhouses occupied by troops.
Sixteen gates, each surmounted by a
tall tower, lead into the city. These
towers are built in tiers, or galleries,
and are provided with many loopholes
from which fire can be directed toward
any quarter.
Kwang-Hsu, the present emperor Of
China, was born on Aug. ., 1872. He
is a son of Prince Chan and succeeded
to the throne by proclamation at the
death OF Emperor Tung-Chi on Jan. %,
1879. He was married on Feb. %,
1889. KwangHsu is the ninth emper-
or of China of the Mantchoo dynasty
of Using, which overthrew the native
dynasty of Ming in 1914. There is no
hereditary succession to the throne,
but each sovereign appoints his sue
cessor from among the members Of his
family OF younger generation than
his own. kwang-Hsu was made the
nominal occupant OF the throne when
he was 3 years old by arrangements
made by the empress dowager, and he
assumed control OF the government in
February, 1889. On Sept 80, 1898. an
imperial edict was issued stating that
the emperor had resigned power to the
empress dowager, who has since re-
tanned the direction OF affairs The
death OF Hwang Hsu has been report
ed many times. but 1t is believed that
he still is alive. On Jan. "a. 1900. 1t
was declared by decree that Pu Using,
n SON NJ rho Prince of Trran ms ar1,-