The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-07
AMONG The BOOKS
8 John Chfnaman and a Few
Others, by E. H. Parker.
Another Interesting Study of
the People of Far East.
AUTHOR is QUALIFIED.
Was For Years in the English
Diplomatic Service.
Kate Stephens Writes of the
New Book.
AUTHOR is QUALIFIED.

Her History. Diplomacy ana Commerce
etc etc +. p. Dutton & CO.. New orlS-
John Murray, London, lsy2- Up. ~, Sev'
The author of this book was in the
British civil service of the far east from
1869 to 1885 During that time ne was
i'm many parts Of Gilman the great,
hiving cities on the eastern coast ana
in those interior regions and SleppeS
where he found a man king Of a hill
and tribes half savage yielding obedl-
ence to the Chinese throne He was also
in parts Of India, in Coreas ana ne
studied conditions OF the ChlneSe-lhe
coolie traffic-in places so far from ms
appointed fields as Guiana, Salt Lake
City, Honolulu. Sumatra, New Lealann
and Australia. The chapter in which ne
especially treats this world question ne
entities THE Inn0cents Abroad. In
the discharge of his duties OF the con-
suIate he met all sorts and conditions.
To this broad field for gathering
knowledge he brought a mind naturally
humorous active, quick at grasping
facts kindly, receptive of the new, curl
Gus of men and their speech. apprecla-
ative Of individual characteristics, and
just with a sort Of Solomon's justice. He
had temperament sWeetened with hu-
man-heartedness and lighted with
pathological curiosity. But he seems
never TO have missed opportunity for
the assertion Of true British assertiVe-
ness in diplomacy and business-when
the crafty Oriental endeavored to hood
wink or bullyrag the British feline. a
when Mr.. Parker went with others in
1872 TO propose to Ii Hung Chang, the
powerful savage whom We Americans
later entertained. the surveying of the
old Yellow River bed with a view to
deepening the source Of the present
channel You English" said Ii are
always bOasting that India belongs TO
yOus but the French have settlements
here and here" (pointing) and the Port
uguese there. Why don't you turn them
out2 THE Manchu dynasty is rightly
considered to be in possession of the
Eighteen provinces, our author retOrt-
ed. but the British have a settlement
In Hong Kong. Why don't you turn us
One of the results Of turning loose
sucu q IeInpera ment. and leaving it to
browse in its chosen fields between Of
ice duties, is TO make delightfully."- read
able and instructive books John Chi
naman' is Of that kidney. Tt is one of
those books that make US see the va I1Iqs
of the vast civil service of Great Brit
ain to general knowledge and Iitera-
ture; and the appointment of Well
poised, we'll bred, Well-educated SER
wants OF the government to post
which carries with it some feeling of
permanency and probable reward for
mer1tOr1ous. performance Of duty HUI
man nature in the British service a 3
elsewhere, responds TO such incentives
Mr.. Parker starts out with the OBJ
Eervation that we shall throughout the
book find humble folk placed on the
same footing as great persOnage s-he
Tor one being persuaded that the lowly
are just as interesting company as their
so-caled superiors Such democratic
sentiments are shown in the half-tona
frOntispiece which represents Chang
erh toward twenty years the authors
faithful boy" or body-servant while
farther on and among the many Illus
ratlOns are some kings of COrea and
other nOtabilities Evidently the roval-
ties could and have had better com
pany tnan the valet They might" says
tne author on one occasion. '-as well
have asked Chang-erh to oblige them bv
cutting bis throat as ask him to dis
obey me"
John chinaman stands before US in
every cOnditon,-tbe author giving
definite facts as they occurred before
lls own eyes, in connection with speci-
nc individuals. From all these nuner-
Gus portraits. Incidents, humorous an
ecdOtes. 1T would be possible to build
certain national characteristics of the
chinese. But such a summary w0uII
ne within the limits Of a maya zine ar
tlcle. Present space and time do not
allow an attempt in that direction. We
gam, however, that the Chinese are a
most democratic people. and in spite of
the enormous power possessed BY the
rulers, there is an easy feeling of hui ]
man equality all round, even down to
.lie very coolies. This power of the ruI-
ers mas developed a snobbery peculiarly
celestial,-at least among us western
peoples it is not in common use exeenf
among women of vulgar egotism who
are trying 70 Guido one another 1t
CONSISTS IN emma Of such self-assertiVe-
ness as Keeping a diplomatic caller
dallylng at ones front door 1t is meant
to be a snub.
The author found. too among the
general people highmindedness and
honesty, and also in gross form an atti-
tude Of mind which when directed
loward Things in general we call super
stluon' put confined to the observances
OF fell8louS cult, piety. Having to do
with this is the system of tabil-of wide
extension in China. Apropos of il the
author tells a. story which whatever ifs /
.luAlgi' should bring a blush OF shame 1
10 tue Engllsh-speaking reader The
speaker is Ou-Yang. an old man of
stefung honesty and Cato-Ifke sever /
NV, the words are the authors trans !
Iatlon from his Chinese. when for
sishefs hrst came" said old on "theI
were observed to utter a terrible inn
precatlon whenever they were anraeed
10 one knows exactly what it means.
- an IN INFORMED that Kot tam is the
name OF an English deity whose wrath
Is called down upon the heads of luck
less Cinnamon on the slightest Droxoea-
tlon- Not only therefore is the word Kot
carefully avoided (by the Cshinese}. but
Ine "a ysterious combination Kot tam.
o. te0l am yu hal, is especially dread
ca closely connected with tabu and
" Iegerential attitudes is the genoa
NJ -, E, eletoll- a roocnoW teacher
ar Farker had traced his descent
man by man. for eighteen hundred
years, and It is not uncommon to find
boys or Wallets. BARRIERS. and even chill
oten you chance to question on the
street. who can go back bv roernorv-
from two to i've hundred years in their
ancestral line; and further by gene
alogy' books at home.
me author says that he all along met
t1e chinese people fla tolerant srirff
81 equality. His pages show the fr11ifs
OF such good fellowship. His nearness
ana sympathy have made his book FAR
peyona ne ordinary book on China IN
hawk at home or q cedar bird feedine
~ young. or coyote in its burroyv
sou must hrst come to terms Of friend