The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-20
TAXING A CHINESE DECREE.


? IN the scholar are focused all Chinese
ideas OF honor and greatness ~Chu ham
2 Jln neng - Employ the able and promote
the worthy lis the keynote OF the sys-
TEN whereby for some thousand years
ali the posts il the Government Of the
r Celestial Empire have been fllsd bv com
peti'ive examination By this knowledge
ana success II the imperial examinations
: Tor the triple degree the poorest boy IN
emma may become q Mandarin. The sys-
TEN comprises series Of examl1a tons
. the eres test il The world Beside The i'm
r perial examinations OF Chine q
to'al OF university examinations il the
western world sink into insignincauce.
both IN number and in character
they are open 70 all Chinese. save
, / monks actors, and menials The tests
are Ihreefoid. roughly CORES oading 10
the western matriculatioa. intermediate
and unal examinations. The subjects OF
the papers comprise the world recognized
OhineSe literature And The extent OF
Chinese classics is sufficient TO stagger
humanity when confronted with Them
or setting forth 20 become master there
or The whole Of these the student is
required or supposed to commit a. mem
CRY. The first examinations is held in
about 90 centers Of each Of the Is pro-
Vinces Of the empire. At each center
/ between 100 and 2.o09 candidates present
themselves for examination Tor the 0e-
gree OF Budding Genius. OF the 2.0g-
100 candidates, only l per cent success
fully pass the ordeal. This examination
I IS held annually; the second and much
/ more difficult examination Tor the regree
! or Promoted Scholar is held every
three years in the capital Of each pro
! vince.
The like Of such trials IS unknown and
( undreaned Of ont of China. To the el,-
] amiuatlop city fiOw the competitors If
! the province. As the day draws near the
streets are throngcd with long-robcd
( large spectacled gentlemen. 10 the num-
/ Der OF 10000 or 1880 IN the wake fol
low armies of Observation-Disclosures
( tea-vendcrs, candle merchants. spectacle
makers, servants. and relatives and
friends The capital of the provincial
+ capital IS sweled for the examination
period by fully $1,000 strangers. While !
/ the names OF the competitors are heiug4
/ received by the authorities great preDar-
atoms are being made in the examination /
hall Ii is IN reality a miniature city !
enclosed by a lofty wall topped with /
prickly thorns. Coolies are employed to /
put water into great tanks. herds Of !
pigs are stalled. and provisions IN vast /
quantities stored Butchers. cooks doc
tors tailors, printers. undertakers, take /
up their quarters IN the various lodges /
OF the examination arena. The thousands I
of narrow cells, about as big as horse /
0tdi-Ss 4hL Atlr EaisHlA4NtS are GltdNEQ Tor
their coming inmates. The furniture Is
simple-a board for a seat and a sloping
board for desk
With great pomp and ceremony the ex-
aiming Mandarius from PckIn enter the /
carital of the province. After an Official
reception at the yamen they are duly in
stalled in the examination hall Then
follows a wild mad rush of the competi-
tors for entrance. The ten or fifteen thou
sand rush and crush to get inside and
secure cell The candidates Of az ages
the sanguine stripping up for his first
attempt Jostles and rushos the old scholar
whose head is gray with lifelong study
and score OF failures to win the coveted
degree. Gradually the candidates distrb-
ute themselves and settle Gown. each IN
his narrow cell. All the necessary Off
Gals and attendants having taken up
their quarters the doors are locked and
the examination hall is cut of from the
outer world for a day and q night. Ar &
bitrary laws is proclaimed. the examiner /
atty for scribbling-hence the presence
Of executioners and undertakers. The S
printers are busy turning of thousands
of Sins Of paper stating the subjects on I I
which ESSAYS are to be written. The
having been identified and \
are locked in their cells The {
themes are handed out and the contest {
begins. For thirty-six hours two nights a
selves 10 their tasks. food being brought &
TO them al intervals. On the morning OF
The second day the papers are collected ,
and the inmates OF the hall go out for a D.
lays well-earned rest.
After an interval OF twelve hours an y
are back again in their places. Doors
are again locked fresh questions handed )
INT. and thirtv-siN more hours toll fol-
ows. Again there is a break Of a day q
md then another, and the final spell OF
he thirtv-siX hours scrihbliug and
bought In these three sections the con- Il
est is comprehcnded The physical and q
mental strain is terrible ard candidates %
ave been known % die in their cells iT
The examination comprises essays on
ne sacred books history. poetry. and the q
Whole ganut of Chinese writings Orig %
n1liy the subjects were the six arts" r
music archery. horsemanship writing. %
and the rites and ceremonies
( public and social life. Candidates had
hen 10 be expert horsemen. crack shots. "a
nd poets who could sing their own / IL
erses on guitars 0f their own making
oday the examiners are satisfied with
ssays on these subjects for crarumine oi
g 10y ne means an English monopoly h'
How 10 DO the rival schools at Wang rf
nd Chang differ in respect % the expo m
uon ~ tho meaning and criticism ri
be- Book ~ Charges NAV hs taken as
question exempt fling thu extent and .
apth ~ the knowledge required from the i,
lmpetitors. -
on the eve of the combinations the ran sr
dates seek On uropifste Fate Tor possi- IL
c mental deficiencies hv moral sunrr- -
Sceueuce. Where the Christian uiefr ~
lplore divine biessiues TIE Confucian d.
PCS ont ~ his way % rescue ants f-om --.
muddy crossing. mice from traps which
'ev have straved. or purchase fi-h.-iu
hina thcv are sold alive from fanFs-f
order 70 return them f0 ponds and
yers such an act inspires tt- caad.-
.te with firm confidence tg tis rove rs Z
~ hope OF success o.
Three weeks lapse between the conriu- -
on az The elauinafir- and The ar- ~
.rncemcut ~ the results Tho eitr ro- t'
aims Quiet and wakes rich GA tie rhoa- y.
nds ~ careworn. arxiOus scfetsle
hose fate s. hanging in The balance 70
last Tie f-nf1 far arrives and ire
q s. puh.shc o. The 1ftcr1 thousarf 1nf
rdidate7. not more than sfxtv are sfc-
sEf1i and receive The coveted degree
eNer or rarely IS "a. cara.3at- SUCCESS
~ tne frst tiue ~ asarr Tha re
,ted ones returr - tnar homes IN
20 nlrk I'm The EeEt eTsrliuati1r
rec sears shes1 Patience s. trufg
1sse Trtue and orce SCHOLAR 90
1873 scEo- 81 rre t1gs-lanIr r-.a -.
er after year they enter ard are
.r-Erl spending tre.r lirss FRI rsfsslt
lfrre which ceafzrs TIE reRcr arI
Cs upcu SIS h1lter 0-f
ilt. tte stteat can Use or su-- 80
20 and reward fr i.s las.sfence ere rsr
l Every ara wt0 81 rlEntr re7r eo1
c sr1v rhat he BIS competed Sea
~ eTarllliaf'ea ~
1rlr af rhe rrnf efllf cf ~ fenrfI- ~
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