The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-26
Nations of Small Adjoining Provinces
Do Not Understand Each other
Better Than Forei2ners.
'PIDGIN ENGLISH" RELIED ON
AS A COMMON SPEECH 1T Is EVERY
WHERE USED By ALI CLASSES.
Many Chinese Use IL Among Them
selves and in Seaport Towns some
Know No other Language.

A different language for every day in the
year. is the way the pathological situation
in China has been put, and II comes pretty
rear expressing the status in true nutshell
fashion. There are not. as a matter OF
course. actually s65 languages existent In
the empire; dialects would be the more
plausible manner OF phrasing; still dialect.
as we usually understand the term. is In
dicative of the manner Of speech OF the in
ferior class and not of the people of any
given locality as a whole. In other words
the mode of oral communication In vogue
between those OF the lower grade OF men,
tality, the upper or better class speaking
a recognized language. Especially would
this be supposed 10 prevail i'm an empire.
the much vaunted civilization OF which
antedates the Christian era, and has 50
often been declared by enthusiasts Of tho
antique as superior 10 our own.
The division between the superior and the
inferior classes. the former speaking a
language and the latter a dialect, is not
known in China. The main body and staple
Of the spoken language OF the most re-
fined and learned classes is the same as
that OF the coolies, laborers and boatmen.
\ section Of a province. often a locality
not much. IL in fact any, greater in area
that an ordinary township with us. has
its own vernacular which everybody
speaks. and to use any other
means of oral communication would
simply be as attempting il with a mere
self-invented gibberish. Practically every
man. woman and child in the place knows
nothing else than the one lingo TO which
/ fhQy ara horn DrOn opa ~ fhopa HaUr
in another village twenty miles distant.
and, nine times in ten. he could no more
comprehend. or be c~omprehended. through
speech than If suddenly transported 10
Berlin. Paris or New York. Some words in
one place. and possibly parts of sentences.
might ~perchance have a familiar sound
in the other, but while the Chinaman is. OF
all human creatures. the most indirect. he
is at the same time the hardest individual
imaginable to attempt to make understand
anything by inference. He has TO be APP
preached with every regard for d~irectness
of expression, and will misconceive a
meaning upon the slightest pretense. This.
true of him in his intercourse with for
eigners, is equally so as to his own kind.
A Chinaman, no matter what his stand
ing and accomplishments, who could travel
a nunQTSQ miles III Ills OWL county, diC
be able to hold converse with the people
in the various villages through which he
passed, would be a rara avis surely.
A CHINESE BOY"
Upon my arrival In Hong-Kong from
Australia, DESTROYS of securing a good Chi
nese servant, the wish was made known TO
an European official to whom letters had
been presented, and who had been aware
| of my coming through cable advices some
| time previously. Anticipating some such re-
quest, inquiry had been made with the
| result that a boy had been engaged,
conditionally, upon his proving acceptable.
He turned out TO be the twenty-year-old
son Of one of the richest Chinese merchants
in the colony. Doubtful that a boy of such
parentage would fill the bill there was a
reluctance TO taking him. At this the
father presented himself. A large and
fine looking person, in imposing attire. he
was the last sort Of a man, judging from
appearances, one would suppose actuated
by the desire TO place his son and heir in a
position Of personal servitude. especially
to a foreigner. But he was. and very ear
nest about it. The assurances were pro-
fuse that Whan would prove all that any
master could possibly expect. Should there.
however, be any dereliction. authority was
freely accorded TO club him, or In any other
way suggesting bring him to a prope.
sense Of his duty. The father spoke Eng
lish fuently, was so persuasive and per-
sistent that the bargain was struck: the
terms 81 a month and Wnan find himself.
That is sleeping quarters and food. None
Of the ships plying the eastern seas charge
for the Transporting Of native servants,
and as they have native crews there ia
always a plenitude OF native food TO bd
had. The European master, as a rule, tips
the cooks galley for such as his boy
may need on a voyage, and the ~sleepina
place is on deck or below with the steer
age passengers. Ashore, the boy" an at
tending upon his masters wants makes
himself solid with the culinary depart-
ment and sleeps everywhere. on a mat in
front Of his masters bedchamber, as like
~ as anywhere.
TO LEARN ENGLISH.
1t was the opportunity for assimilating
the English language through months Of
contact with Europeans-all are Europeans
who are not natives-that was the fathers
object in placing his son i'm nay service.
Imbibing. not only the speech. but the man
ners OF those with whom he would have
much to do in coming years. for whan was
to succeed his father In a business no IN
common items of which were the purchase
of American -four and American oil by the
ship load.
Whan speedily demonstrated an aptitude
and capability rendering him perfectly
fitted for the place he filled with me. and
during the long time he served IN * there
never was an occasion to reprove him But.
aside from his being invaluable as an at
tendant in anticipating and providing for
my personal comfort. he was OF no use
whatever. We left Hong-Kong by steamer
one day and arrived at Annoy the next. and
whan could no more communicate with the
natives in their own tongue than could we.
This holding good as 10 the higher class of
which he was by birth. as well as the coons
or lower class of which he. In a certain
sense had. by occupation become
"Pidgin" English. which was our sole
means OF Intercourse with the Amoyans.
was whan's only recourse in holding COM