The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29

The customs st'll in vogue IN Ohfna, me
form OF worship Is not ID much a religion
as q morality. The other religions have
their chief strongholds In separate portfons
of the country.
1t Is through religious manie largely thar
the Chinese object to the introduction Of
new highways and the railroad They have
the greatest reverence for the Rrayee ~
their ancestors. and as the country n ono
huge cemetery, bodies being buried any
where. II would be impossible to erect new
highways or a railroad without disturbing
some dead bodies. The attempt TO do this
mas always met with violent opposition
from the Chinese. and IN consequence the
roads or China are little more than paths
worn down by centuries OF travel. Wheeled
vehicles are useless in most places and IN
some instances the road has been worn 30
FAR below the level Of the ground that II
becomes merely a water course IN rainy
weather. numberless persons having been
drowned In Chinese roadwaya As for rail-
ways. there was one built In The northern
part or Chlna at one time. but II was
bought w by the Government mt great cost
and then allowed to rust in disuse.
The government OF tho entire Empfra 4.
directed from the capital, the Emperor Tor
probably II should be said the late EN-
peror) holding a meeting with the Grand
Cabinet. composed OF the grandees daily be-
tween the hours OF 4 and s each mornine
~ present lileTe seems 10 De no government
in China, but rather some governing power
directing the actions of the Boxers
In conclusion II may be added that IN "a.
dition TO other curiosities China possesveo
Its full quota OF curious professions. In q
land where superstition 10 rampant II In
only natural that priests Of all sorts. rep
resenting every phase Of idolatry should
have a strong following. Fortune tellers
exist in great numbers and will predict any,
thing eve-rthing. Doctors of the ouacls
variety ahous their principal drugs being
dried frogs. ground lizards and other things
of the sort. and a good living is made by
the BARRIERS. who shave the head and neck
Of the patient. clean HIS teeth and ears and
scrape the inside OF his eyelids with a little
bone instrument. this last opera ton being
supposed to sharpen the eyesight. Still an
other profession Is that of the men with
cormorants trained to catch fish. the birds
having metal ring around their necks to
prevent their swallowing their catch.
Possibly the most curious and yet the
most practical custom OF all that exist in
China is the habit of holdiDt; yearly ex-
aminatlons open TO every one In the King
dom. the successful candidates being an
pointed to various offices throughout the
Kingdom. The examinations are conducted
at Pekisi. each candidates being inclosed in
little shed and carefully guarded by SOL
diers to prevent his cheating. He is re-
quired TO answer a list of questions and to
write an essay upon some topic, the sue
cessfui ones going through a second exam
nation, and those who pass taking a third
Those who pass the last examination re-
ceive high hOnors and great pecuniary re-
ward. besides having word In the govern
ment of the country. Thus, to great ex-
tent. the aristocracy OF China is based ON
intellectual superiority.
What the future of China will be In q
question which no one can answer. but
developments are following one another ran
idly in the Far East. and there will doubt
less soon come a time when the question
can be answered one way or the other.