The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-02-17
Yesterday Was the Beginning
of the Year in China.
THOUGHTS OF CHANGES
What Has Taken Place and
What Threatens.

gins February 10. Nr-IAS o. IiiS OC-
casion. Joseph NJ. Singleton. president of
The New York Chinese Empire Reform
association. says in the St. Louis Re
public:
To one who is far from his native land,
the coming OF a new years brings many
memories. Ii matters not from what we
date our chronola gy-the birth of Christ
or the .rcigns Of Emperors-these thoughts
OF new and strangs things come crowd
ing upon US To me especially come the
thoughts of the changes that are soon TO
spread over the vast empire across the
sea. They bring 10 ME joy and sadness
I am joyous to know that my dear coun-
try IS soon to emerge frim her supersu-
tions And l am sad to know that some
of these memories Of the past that have
never been entwined about my heart must
go forever.
Already five millions of my countrymen
have joined the Chinese Empire Reform
association. and many millions more Will
soon follow their lead. This means the
building up of new China on the edu-
cational lines and the commercial meth
DDS of the progressive west.
And with the many changes that are TO
DC t4O4S4lN dDOAl VIII ~'44@S III ~--N---rSN
Of that ancient chronology, from which
our ancestors ohave computed time dur
Ing the long centuries. 1t is right that
1t should be so. II IS inevitable. The
great nations of the earth have com
mon chronology. China must take her
place wit hthe others.
one does not realize however, what
great thing it is to change the chronology
OF such an old country as China. 1t is
hard to pull up by the roots ancient
customs that have thrived for thousands
OF years. We shall have the new mode OF
computing time before long, but we must
also maintain the old chronology for
matter of history-yes, and Of sentiment.
How this sentiment is revered is shown
BY the universal celebration of every New
Year. Every city and every town in
China is gay with flags and bunting to-
day If you go to Chinatown in New
York, or to Chinatown in San Francisco,
or into the Chinese quarters in Chicago,
or Philadelphia. or st. Louis, or Pitts
burg-any place where Chinamen have
made their homeS-you will see the flags
and the buntin also. You Will see them
firing off frecrackers, and feasting and
making merry In America we shall keep
up the fun for two or three days, but in
China, according to the ancient custom,
Il viii be continued for one month. In
my country New Year is the only general
holiday. There IS no Sunday. The work
ingnen labor seven days in the week.
Then on the beginning Of the New Year
they take their holidays for the year, and
the entire nation makes merry for thirty
days.
Our present chronology is reckoned
from the reigns of our emperors. Thus,
We are now about passing from the
twenty ninth year Of the reign of the
Emperor Kwong Su, into the thirtieth.
which will be known as 80 Kwong Su.
The year contains 3S3 days. and hence
the New Year comes on different dates.
according to the Christian chronology
In China everyone pays his debts on
the last day Of the old ycar-that is If
H. can. But there is no such thing as
bankruptcy in China. The creditor has a
right TO demand his money on the day
before New Year. and if he cannot pay
he keeps in hiding on that day. If he
can elude the vigilant creditor who is
searching for him until l. oclock al night.
he may then come out with impuHity. and
with a cheerful nod. greet the man whom
he owes. with merry Gong hay! Gong
hay" No one can demand his debt from
him until the last day of the year again.
He must pay eventually. however. Ev
erybody pays in China. No bad debts
are there. If a man dies and has not
paid his debts. his son must pay if he
cau. II he~carnot meet the obligations,
the grandson must pay them-and SO it
aces -rou nom iamIy 10 family until
IL. debt is a~a'iv wiped out by the ac
cumulated deposits.
here are many odd little customs on
New Year in China that are observed
by Cinnamon IN this country too The
god housewife always cleans up we'll on
the last Gay Of the year. in preparation
for the next great day. but she is care
ful to keep the broom out OF sight on the
New Year. or the worst of had luck would
fan upon her roof Thee hildren look
forward 70 the event with much pleas
ure. Tor on that day they receive many
presents from the unfailing and respon-
sivc elders
All classes Of people make calls on one
another on New Year. They bring long
red cards with their names on them.
which they hand to their friends They
spend the day in visiting. wishing one
another good luck. and drinking tea. \
fast during the Lay before New Year.
eating only vegetables, bus on New Years
eve they have a great feast which is con-
tinued for two weeks or more. At these
feasts the best part Of the food Is given
10 the elders. and they are honored
throughout them erry-makinS and have
The best seats at the tables
The custom of sending gifts is quite
general among friends The usual way
is 70 send a servant out with a basket
filled with cakes and fruit and little orna-
ments He has a list Of those whom you
want 70 remember. None OF the present
% marked. The servant simply calls at
tho different houses and presents his bas-
ket. and the friend takes out what he
pleases. Or perhaps he does not desire
q gift, and then ne saws. Il thank you.
but ] DO not care for anything" One is
st liberty to do rs he pleases in such
cases. he may take all in the basket
or onthiug. I wonder how far such a
basket would go in this country. But
even IN China. we sometimes have dis
honest servants. and they take what the
friends OF the g.ver DO not want In in
stances Of this kind there is an old Chin
eee saying: Long. Tau m Shau Jong
Gan Shau. that IS The two end parties
cid ont accept but the middle party tthe
dishonest servant did accept"
One observance Is universal On New
Years day you Do not hear one profane
or evil word spoken among the many
millions Of people in China. Not one