Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-08-20


The subjoined extracts from pri-
vate letter from George L. DeForest Of |
this city, who is a member of Company
B in the Ninth Regiment, win be read
with interest:
$50 you would like to peek in this
ings are? think in one of my former
letters gave short description of the
city of Pekin. and perhaps little gos
sip in regard to the people who inhabit
it may be acceptable. In the first place,
the rich 'Chinks' wear costly silks,
while the poor ones are glad to wear
cotton. Numerically in this city the
proportion Of rich to poor is about one
in thousand, so you can see that cot
ton is king SO far as the poor are con-
cerned, and l am told that, although
the soil is very productive, there is
hardly enough cotton raised to supply
the demand. This is due, in great
measure, to the lack of tools in cultt-
waiting 1t and poorer machinery for cur
ing when harvested, as everything here
is done by hand.
''The Chinese are the most industri-
GUS people l ever saw, especially the
women. These latter are never idle.
They are great gossips, but do not neg
lect their work on that account, and it
is a common thing to see them chat
ting in the narrow alleyways between
their houses, but always at work,
either turning their reels or stitching
shoe sOles, which find ready sale, for
a Chinaman who went barefoot would
be Utterly disgraced. Why, even the
beggars here wear shoes, although the
rest of their apparel may be ever so
scanty.
Another thing worthy of mention is
the fact that nothing is wasted in this
land Of the 'Chinks.' Grass and all
kinds of roots are pulled up, washed
and dried, and used for fuel. Scraps Of
paper and cloth are pasted together to
make the insoles of shoes, and bits of
wood are glued together to build up
either post or board. The woman
spinners and straw platers earn 2 cents
a day. This may seem small pay, but
not so when l tell you that 1 am in
formed that S. year will clothe a
Chinaman and his wife. Such thing
as underwear is not known by them,
neither Is garment ever fitted, and a
Utica dressmaker would starve to
death here. The only measures that
are taken are from the hip to the
ground. Fashions never change. Take
two or three yards of material, sew it
together, run tape through the top.
and haul it together, and you have the
dress made.
'The 'Chinks' are very economical,
and l guess you will think that they
have need to be when tell you that
the unskilled laborers are only paid
1 upon an average of Z cents day. Ma
sons, carpenters and stonemasons are
the king-pins here In labor circles, re-
cefying the munifcent sum of % to 80
cents day. The work day here be-
but Notwithstanding all this the labor
ers seem contented and happy.
$50 much in regard to the people, and
now perhaps few words in regard to
the officials Of the city, particularly the
policemen, may interest you. In the
first place, Chinese policeman is a
wonderful creation; in fact, cross be-
tween q circus clown and a football
player. His breeches are always baggy
and heavily wadded; in fact, so clumsy
that you wonder how in the world be
ever gets around in them. He also
wears coat which is thick and clumsy
and comes well below the knee Dark
blue is the general color, which is sci
off with facings and bands of light
blue, red, green, maroon and brown
but no yellow is ever used, for that is
the sacred royal color, and no one but
those of high rank are allowed to weal
it. Policemen are thicker than huck
leberries in this city of Pekin, there
being, it Is said, between 1900 an6
10000 Of them within the walled city
..This walled city is two miles square
and has two great gates in each wal
base, about half mile from the cor
ners, and mile from each other. Th.
streets are broad and stretch straigh
from one to the other, making tn,
, space inside into big nine-block TIL,
police stations are scattered all aions
the nine squares. The head of th,
police has charge of all the city gates
they being nine in number. The DO
lieemen never carry any arms, no
even stick, but keep swords, spears
guns and cutlasses in racks at the sta
ton, and when signal gun is fret
make a rush for the station from
which the sound comes and grab tn
first weapon in sight. When on parad
or when they have a review, which i
quite often, is the only time they ar
armed, especially If they expect an,
foreign devils to be present. Th
weapons are funny looking, particular
ly savage looking three-hooked speal
j, which makes terrible, jagged wound
sBesides the 10000 policemen withil
the wall, I am Informed that Pekil
maintains 144,OOO more to regulat
matters in the outer CITY,. All thes
men are under the command Of on
head officer. The officers and the me
furnish their own uniforms, but tn
state furnishes their arms, and, eac
gets monthly allowance of rice i
addition to his pay. The chief gets
good salary, but those under him ge
: little pay, depending mostly for wha
they can squeeze out of the prisoner