The age-herald., 1900-07-21
THE IMPERIAL CITY
 OF CHINESE EMPIRE

Minister Denby in Golfers Weekly
 The city of Pekin is situate upon sandy plain in latitude 30 degrees 54 minutes and 3e seconds north, and longitude 1l6 degrees 27 minutes east This is nearly on the par allel of Samarcand. Naples and Philadel- phia. The population of Pekdn is something less than a million.
 The usual route to Pekin from Tien Tsin was. until 1898, up the Peiho river about 12O miles to Tungcho. Tungcho is about F miles southwest of Pekin. Here the fine college of the American Board of Commis- sioners for Foreign Missions was recently destroyed by the Boxers. It is a pity The president of the college, Dr. Sheffield, was nearly murdered some years ago by assas-f sins He has devoted his life to building up the college He is fine Chinese scholar. , He invented Chinese type writer
 Until the railroad from Tien Tsin to Pe- kin was built the traveller was pulled up the Peiho by men. Progress was often slow When the river was so high on one occasion that there was no towpath lett it took me six days to go to Tungcho from Tien Tsin. On another occasion my house. boat was being lowed by steam launch The launch turned suddenly to the leit' and the boat struck small promontory and turned over. My wife and l were sub merged but escaped with our lives, losing much of our property. Now the time be- tween Tien Tsin and Pekin is four hours.
 On approaching Pekin the traveller sees the great wall surrounding the city. The south wall of the Tartar city is the north wall of the Chinese city. The entire cir cult around both cities is 24.25 miles; l4.25 for the Manchu city and 10 for the Chi nese. The wall around the Manchu city is 50 feet high and 40 feet wide at the top, and 60 at the bottom. It is Of earth faced with brick, each of which weigns oo pounds. The wall around the outer or Chinese city, is 90 feet high, 25 feet thick at the bottom and 15 at the top.
 There is a crenellated parapet and 16 gates. Near the gates the wall is faced with stone. Towers surmount the gates, and buttresses occur every GO yards. The arches of the gates are of solid granite, and the massive doors are locked at lit- tie after sundown.
 The Tartar city is occupied by the court the princes, the legations and stores and business houses, but the important busi- ness of the city is done in the Chinese city. Here are the theaters, the clubs and the great wholesale houses. The Tartar city was laid out in a grand style, with broad streets and avenues. Long ago It was sew cred, but the sewers have been gradually filled up and are only used as cesspools. The only work that Is ever done on the streets is just before the emperor goes to one of the temples. Then light yellow dirt is scattered on them.
 In general the diplomatic representatives have their residences on Legation street, which the Chinese call the street "of the SlIhiart nations On etr ha Dufp legation is the first you pass after en- tering the Chsn-Men, or Meridian Gate. A hundred yards farther is the American lega- tfon, and opposite is the Russian then come in their order, on either side of the street, the Spanish, Japanese, German, French and Italian legations. Along tbe moat on a side street close to Legation street there is the British legation, and some distance away the Belgian and Austrian. The inn perfal maritime customs under Sir Robert Hart has it's chief office here.
 Inside the Tartar city is the Imperial city, surrounded also by wall. In this inclos- ure is located the great Catholic Mission or Peh Yang.
 Inside of the Imperial city is the walled and moated Forbidden City" Here are the Imperial dwellings and halls and offices -hfty or more. This inner inclosure meas ures about two and a quarter miles in cir cult, and is called Tag Kin Ching, or Car nation Prohibited City"
 Here lives the Emperor, who is we'll called the Solitary Man" All the other men in the Prohibited City are eunuchs, of whom there are probably 1000. They do all the menial work. The chief eunuch is man of great fmportance-who has sometimes played an influential part in political af- fairs.
 In 1894 the foreign representatives were admitted for the first time into the pre- cincts of the Prohibited City, There had been long contest to secure this right, and on the occa sion of the presentation of complimentary letters written by the Chiefs of State in honor of the attainment of 60 years of age by the Empress Regent it was first put in force. Since that time the for eign Ministers have always been received by the Emperor in hall in the Prohibited City.
 A residence under the shadow of the Inn perial City was thought to be the safest place in the empire. In the summer nearly all the foreign residents scattered in the country or passed several months 10 15 or 20 miles from the capital, or at the water ing-place called Peitaho, with not the least fear or dread of attack. For nearly forty years no attack came. The women and the children roamed unattended allaev the country. There were picnics in the old temples, on the hills and beside the streams, and idle summer life went on on the borders of the great plain in which dwelt 100, GOO of people, My family and
 
 12 miles from Pekin The doors were rarely locked. No precautions were taken. We lived with the denizens of the temple and the country people. We bought their vege- tables, eggs. chickens, ducks, fruits, meats and all that they had to sell. When there was sickness in the neighborhood we did what we could to alleviate it. Many dose of quinine was administered by us. Unat- tended except by a single mafoo we rode every day for miles through the villages and fields. We exercised some charity among the poor, and we. distributed boxes of American seeds among the farmers Ev- erybody knew us, and not once did we re- ceive the slightest insult injury. Per- haps I ought to mention that the Russian minister, who was sojourning at my tenn pie while his legation was being built, was robbed of some money, but 1t was strongly suspected that the thief was one of his own servants.
 It is all changed now. These people are sayages. It Is certain that many men, ha nIp har with