The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-08-15
CHINESE OF PEKIN.
SOLDIER WRITES or THEIR LIFE
AND OCCUPATIONS.

| SOLDIER WRITES OF THEIR LIFE
AND OCCUPATIONS.
They Are Indastrious, Working Hard
for Little Pay-Lack Tosls for Gull
tivatinx the Land-Polics Of the City
and Their Characteristics.
The subjoined extracts from Z pri-
yate letter from George L. DeForest Of
this city, who is a member Of Company
B In the Ninth Regiment will be read
with interest:
$50 you would like to peek In this
sacred city and see what my surround
ings are? / think In one Of my former
letters gave a short description OF the
city Of Pekin, and perhaps little Cos
sip in regard to the people who inhabit
1t 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 10 about one
in thousand, so you can see that cot
ton is king so far as the poor are con-
cerned, and 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 cult
waiting it 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 1t
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 a ready sale, for
Chinaman who went barefoot would
be Utterly disgraced. Why. even the
beggars here wear shoes, although the
rest Of their apparel may be ever 80
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 a post or a board. The woman
spinners and straw platers earn 2 cents
day. This may seem small pay, but
not so when tell you that l am in
formed that s. a year will clothe q
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 1t
together, run a tape through the top.
and haul it together, and you have the
dress made.
1.-The 'Chinks' are very economical,
and l guess you will think that they
have need to be when l tell you that
the unskilled labOrers are only paid
upon an average Of cents day. Ma
sons, carpenters and stonemasons are
the king-pins here In labor circles, re-
ceiving the munificent sum of 25 to 30
cents day. The work day here be-
gins at sunrise and lasts until dark,
but notwithstanding all this the labor
ers seem contented and happy.
$50 much in regard to the people, and
now perhaps a 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, a cross be-
tween 2 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 set
of 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 wear
1t. Policemen are thicker than buck
leberries in this city of Pekin, there
being, It Is said, between 1900 and
10000 Of them within the walled city.
"This walled city is two miles square
and has two great gates in each wall
base, about half a mile from the cor
ners, and mile from each other. The
streets are broad and stretch straight
from one to the other, making the
space inside into big nine-block. The
police stations are scattered all along
the nine squares. The head of the
police has charge Of all the city gates,
they being nine In number. The DO
licemen never carry any arms, not
even a stick, but keep swords, spears,
guns and cutlasses in racks at the sta
ton, and when signal gun is fred
make a rush for the station from
which the sound comes and grab the
first weapon in sight. When on parade
or when they have a review, which is
quite often. is the only time they are
armed, especially II they expect any
foreign devils to be present. The
weapons are funny looking, particular
- a .ux,o 90 1roHfu<y <1rno hocl~,S