Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-01-24
Mistsltaaeoas gsadias.
THE WAR IN THE EAST.
Scene Of Fighting Changed to Open
Country.

SouUIIys
With Port Arthur out Of the war
game, interest turns to the Russian
and Japanese armies facing each other
at the Sha river in northern Manchu-
ria. Except for small skirmishes, the
forces have been practically at rest
since the middle Of October, when the
Russians. defeated at Liaoyang, fell
back to their present position, Behind
them is Mukden, the next fortified po-
sition at which Japan aims.
When the fighting begins In this ter
ritory 1t will be we'll to remember a
few rules governing Chinese geograph-
ical names. For instance, ling means
mountain pass. Just north Of Mukden
Is Telling, or Tie pass, naturally
strong position, which the Russians
are said to have fortified. "Shan"
means hill or mountain. "Ho" is the
common word for river in north Chi
ma, as "kiang' Is In the south. Sha-
no is Sha river.
"Chiao" means bridge. "Cheng" de-
signates a castle or fortified city, and
"tun" refers to a smaller place, vii
lage or camp. king" or "ching" means
a capital. Thus, the Chinese name for
Mukden is Shengking, "the fiourishing
capital"
"Tien" means inn or shop. and Is
found as the termination Of the names
Of many crossroads towns in Manchu-
ria. Laozetien Is freely translated
"the gentleman's inn." and Palitien.
"the eight mile inn."
Tai stands for slight eminence,
and "jih" Is a post station. A SIM
pier combination is Shihojih, "the
stony river station"
1t must be understood. however, that
these syllables have the meaning at
tached to them only when they rep
resent the written characters by which
the words would be expressed on pa
per. For example ling" means a pass,
but there are forty or fifty different
ting ting III the Chinese Giihinne Language, with
as many different characters repre-
senting them, and ling means a
pass only when 1t stands for the char
acter which bears that Specification.
Gen. Kuropatkin, on whom Russia's
hopes now rest, is Sc, and has been In
the army since boyhood. He is noted
for his bulldog tenacity. This story
is told as illustrating that trait, which
showed itself early in his career:
1T was in 1855 and Kuropatkin ap-
piled for employment in the Khokand
expedition, being at the time an OBJ
scure lieutenant without influence. He
petitioned his colonel. and his COM
rades, according to the Russian Gus
tom, petitioned In his BEHALF The
colonel refused and dismissed the pc
titioners, but Kuropatkin remained be-
hind, standing at the foot Of the stair
case where the colonel left him.
Eighteen hours later the colonel
cane out Of his apartment and found
the young officer still waiting to speak
to him, and this time he granted Kur-
opatkin's request.
"'Very we'll, you can CO. he said.
You're the sort Of man the army
wants."
Thus far in the war the Cossacks,
noted riders and fighting men Of the
Russian service, have played little
part In the struggle, being used prin-
cipally in scouting. But as the arm
les move northward into the more
open country-as they will do If sue
cess continues to perch on Japan's
tanners-they may be expected to do
something to justify their reputation.