The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-16

81
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the vegetables are carefully watered.
There are hundreds of square miles of
these underground truck gardens in
China
The watering of crops on the surface
is carried on in a very ingenious manner
The whole country is netted by small
canals bringing water from the Pei-Ho
river. A long pole is set up on the bank
of the canal, with a cross beam sluug
near the top. having a bucket at one end
and a counter weight at the other. BY
manipulating the weight a man can III
a great bucket Of water easily. The earth
IS divided off in small squares about the
size of room. with an earthen dixie
around each The farmer tips the bucket
enough to fill one of these squares NTH
ea inch Of water and then waters the
next square, and so on.
TIE farmhers start out in the morning
with two or three suits Of clothes on. As
the sun gets warmer they take them of.
until shortly after noon they have Moth
ing on. Then they begin TO put them on
again, and by sunset they are as COM
pletely clothed as when they started out
They never seem to be sweating or hus-
Ting. but they are always at work. They
Use ploughs so small that they can carry
them on their backs. Their fertilizers are
so strong that they can make crops grow
on any ground.
There are hardly any woods here, but
from time to time there are little thick
clumps Of trees. which give shade and
have a peculiarly Chinese appearance.
Small hamiets are scattered everywhere.
re landscape develops many strange feat
ures as one approaches the larger towns.
Chief among these are high poles with
decapitated human heads stuck on top Of
them. This is the commonest form OF
punishment in China, and the mandarin
puts the heads outside thecity to remind
travellers without delay of the fate that
awaits eyil-doers. Telegraph poles diver
sify the scenery with head poles. An
other curious feature consists OF rows Of
huge grotesque elephants. tigers and other
animals carved in soapstone. They form
a sort OF artificial menaeerie. There are
avenues OF these things leading 10 the en-
frances to sezeral cities. They are put
there as objects Of art, and not for any
rel1 slouS purpose.
In many places in the country there are
also colossal statues Of gods and warriors.
After Pelt-Sang the next place on the
march OF the army is Yang Tsun. elgh-
teen miles from Tien-Tsin. The houses
are bsilt o. mud brick made with straw.
They are quite comfortable inside and
very pretty in appearance on account Of
the vegetation around them. They often
turn TO mud completely IN rainy weather.
The rainy season f. Just over. hut tho
army IS likely TO find the country stgl
flooded in many places At Yang-Tsun.
rs at so many other towns. there IS n
canal, crossed by boat bridge The a.
lied army viii have 70 crosse these canals
continually. and ~ they are four or FIVE
feet deep they viii offer some difficulty.
expect that the troops viii cross them +
In the open country with PORTIONS. as
there would Re danger IN going through 4
the towns and VILLAGES. where there g. /.
generally a boat brilxs
Lola. about thirt miles from Tien-Tsin f.
IS a more important qlace than most OF .
the Others mentioned TIE country f-l
somewhat rolling here and Il s1u give a /
better opportunity 70 the Chinese 20 make 4
q good defence than az any previous T
stage. This pace is the seat o. an lrupor-
tsut mandarin. Ills headquarters. ~
yamen. = q big 5udius u bue brick. or
with dragons ard queer Ctf-
nese beasts Tire entrance ~ apor1prf-
atey decorated Eith The heads q arraai-
tated criminals. IN a pound s1onz lie 90
K ether criminals may be sea suas-eolng
yaTi0us forms d torture. \ common Eszn-
shrert that "a inflicted f1r the rr.st
trivial offences f. the cang1e. a hsre -
~ q wood. almost TOO haavs to - borne. +
-ui 20 arranged that s. prevents 81.
prisoner from l5irg Gown.
7 saolIs e2y that there ase 70 ftseuc-
-osdE through this c9gntry- TIE tramc
he worn ruts Fl places. 1aesa Is f7rts-
7afe.y uttI4 trueh y un9e-grou,a. sre
raTsilug e. Bot fiaicu!t.
Forty miles from Tif--Tr<8 s. sra fr1-
-7rtant vailed cay 60 I-arx Trn wares
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