Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-04-12

limb from limb.
AS the seat of the Chinese govern
ment Pekin is also the location OF the
great examinations, by passing which
the ambitious young Chinaman may
earn title OF nobility and high gov
ernment Office.
Though China is practically an ab-
solute monarchy, there is no such
thing in the empire as an hereditary
title of nobility. Even the son of the
great Ii Hung Chang stands by birth
no higher than the offspring OF COO.
lie. In order to reach fame and great
ness he must pass the national exami-
nations. These examinations are a
sort of burlesque on the civil service
examinations of this country. All the
candidates are examined in the same
way and on the same themes. The
subjects are the writings OF the an
cient sages and philosophers. the his
tory OF China and the composition OF
Chinese poetry. If a young man is
proficient in these directions it is
taken for granted that he knows
everything else, so that boy who has
never seen ship may be placed in
command of a fleet because he is
thoroughly acquainted with the writ.
ings of Buddha, who was not an ex-
pert on navigation.
1t is the ambition of every Chinese
youth to pass these government ex-
aminations, and every month thous-
ands of young men come from all over
the country to Pekin to take them.
For the purpose a great section of the
city has been set apart. At one end
is the so-called palace of the official in
charge OF the work. Running almost
out of sight in every direction are the
little cells to be occupied by the can
didates who come TO be examined.
These cells are little more than four
feet in height and less than three feet
wide. Each contains a board seat
and writing materials. On arriving at
Pekin the young men are assigned to
these cells, each having one occupant.
Once inside they are not allowed to
come out for any purpose until the
examination is completed, matter of
fourteen days. Even their meals are
cooked on the outside and served to
them as they sit inside their cells.
The first examination is not particu.
larly hard, and a majority of the can
didates are likely to pass. A few
months later the second examination
takes place. This is extremely diff
cult, and it is said that not more than
one out OF a hundred is successful in
passing it. Aud even after this ordeal
the young Chinaman is not given q
patent of nobility or even . govern.
ment Office. He has simply won the
right to wear a gold button on his cap
and to have put over his house a sign
reading Promoted Man." which is
the same thing as if every college
graduate in this country should hang
out banner announcing that he is a
bachelor of arts or philosophy, as the
case may be.
Only the few who have passed the
second examination are eligible to try
the third, and those who succeed in
passing it at once become mandarins,
and are given titles of nobility and
high Office under the government.
So great is the interest in these ex-
aminations that often more than half
the 1000 examination cells are filled
with candidates when one of the regu-
lar'monthly examinations begins.
If the traveller can bribe sentry to
let him climb TO the top OF the city
wall he will get the most favorable
view OF Pekin. He will see an almost
even expanse of fiat roofs, half con-
cealed by foliage, with here and there
the top of pagoda projecting above
the trees. Also he will notice that the
hundreds OF what seemed to be huge
cannon frowning down from the en-
brasures in the wall are nothing more
than black and white circles painted
on boards, and he will get in this way
new idea of the Chinese character.
Close to the wall the traveller may
also find astronomical instruments
which were set up by Tartar astrono-
mers thousands of years ago, and
which throw startling flood of light
on the early prevalence OF learning
among the Orientals.
Legation street, on which the en-
bassies of the foreign powers are To-
Gated lies close to the main gateway
leading into the Tartar city. 1t is q
perfectly fiat and level lane half a
mile long and lined on either side
with the miserable little one-story
Chinese houses. Here and there at
the edge of the street heavy gatewsys
of stone or iron break the monotony,
with stone lions or other figures set
up on either hand. These are the en-
frances to the foreign legations.
Within are often large and handsome
gardens and decent houses after the
European fashion, either built from
the ground up or re-modeled with an
ancient temple as the foundation
Here, and so long as they stay within