The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28

graves-the cone-shaped mounds with
which China is ''pimpIed." TO quote Julian
Ralphs graphic term. Here there Is a
ghastliness not TO be seen I'm the Horth-
collins sitting out in the open field. wrapped
with mating or left naked to the elements
A few have been rooted over or enclosed
In brick Mr.. Archibald Little has called
attention TO the enormous waste that has
ensued. in thus devoting thousands upon
thousands Of acres to such burial places. in
this over-populated land where every foot
of the soil is required TO feed the throngs
that are more than wing TO cultivate it
and this with perseverance and industry
hat has never been surpassed.
He believes that an imperial edict might
10 much to reform the burial abuse in
china, vested though 1t is in the very
sence of Confucianism and ancestry
worship. and cites the influence of the
Manchus, the present reigning family. in
fixing the custom of the foolish and incon-
venient queue upon the race. That the more
enlightened detest 1t is potent to all who
knows them. and that this. too. would go
well with the precedent furnished in high
places. there is little reason to doubt. But
II the Chinese ever do abridge the extrava-
gance of their burial customs 1t will be by
slow degrees-as is their nature in every
thing
PROGRESSIVE JAPANESE.
The japanese have adopted cremation
with the readiness that these initiative
people display in borrowing manners and
customs of the West; but the Chinese make
haste more slowly This is not from any
lack of appreciating the merits of new in
ventions. but from that mental inertia
which is so strangely at variance with their
persistence in customs that have been
sanctioned by ages of heredity. Their pro-
motion from a primitive native dwelling,
with its brick floor. smoking k'ang and
paper windows, TO the comfort and conven-
fence of a European dwelling. has been
thus described. When Chinese house is
burned IL is rebuilt with few modern
features; If this burns, the next is still
more modern. Should the Chinese be
burned out a third time. he will rebuild
upon the American or English plan. with
all the conveniences that go to make life
easy and comfortable in the West The one
source OF never-failing wonder to the Chi
nese In the foreigner is his cleanliness; his
white underclothing. frequently changed;
his white table linen and bed linen. this
also renewed at short intervals, are spoken
Of almost with awe. Even the rich man.
DARN, who has represented China in Euro
pean courts, has never cultivated the art
of bathing. and his silk sable-lined coat
hides multitude OF hygienic sins. If his
nails are not curled into the palm of the
hand, indicating that he is a gentleman of
leisure, they are bristling claws crying
he bnu off Of
manicure.
The pupils Of the missionary are a cheer
full exception; they have acquired the art
Of cleanliness. and in their homes are tidi-
ness and order. such the Emperor's pal
ace lacks.
Shanghai is girdIed by factories-enor-
nous cotton mills. silk mills. paper mills
snd other western industries, their tall
smokestaoks sending forth inky streams.
recalling the suburbs of Chicago.
1t Is singular fact that in China every
Thing tends to organization and centraliza-
lion. both of capital and labor; 1t is the
land par excellence of the monopolist and
the trades union; every industry, almost, is
welded together in an organization which
more than holds its own against the Chi
nese monopolist as merciless and rapacious
here as he Is everywhere, and even more
so. since the human being where there is
such an overplus, is the least to be consid-
cred OF all animated creatures. AS an ex-
ample it may be said that the public wells
from which the water is sold by the buck
etful liz Peking all are controlled by one
man who secured this privilege from the
government for a good round sum; this
we'll monopolist controls the price of water
to q certain point that Is as far as the
Chinese will submit TO being taxed; for
bering as they are, there is a limit to
their endurance, beyond which the wise
will not go.
A TAILORs' UNION.
All the tailors are from the south, and
here is the center Of the tailors' union
a most powerful OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES it's
mandates, fixes the hours of work. the
scale OF wages. the number of men to be
employed or laid off, All this is done with
out the Intervention of steam or tele-
graph. the procIamations from headquar-
tiers reaching the remotest regions with a
speed and unerringness that suggests some
occult Oriental system of telepathy. Re-
Gently the tailors in Tien-Tsin struck for
an eight hours system. showing that. con-
cCtouSiy uiiCOhSClOuSly, lnSy ndu come
within the sphere of Western influence;
and this, in a country where people or
dinarely work from break of day far into
the night, IL a few extra cash are TO be
earned thereby. In this case, the employer,
foreigner, could not expostuate;
10 do so meant the exodus of his whole
staff. his shop blacklisted and forcibly
closed in the midst OF the season.
The number Of workmen is scrupulously
kept down that there may always
be work for the membership of the
union. which is recruited as
vacancies occur by death or from any other
cause. from regularly trained apprentices.
1t may be said. in passing that they are
wonderfully skillful. and these in Shang-
hal. at least scorn nothing that comes in
their way, from making a brocade ball
gown. sable cape. or darning a pair of
almost hopelessly ragged hose. My little
tailor, lung Tuch Kee, and do not think
In this remote quarter of the world he will
be begrudged this small gratuitous adver-
tisement, was slender little man, very
kind and gentle. scrupously honest, and
wonderfully clever. He made q gown fol-
me OF beautiful crinkly white china silk
copying the skirt from one model and the
waist from another. He was given an old
pattern and with one trying on" the dress
was sent home complete beautifully fn.