The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-05

man. rare, olu individual. Repre-
u senting, as he does, almost one-third
of the whole worlds family, and decidedly
the elder brother, he Is entitled to much
consideration and no little respect The
halo Of antiquity radiates above his phil
osophy; the long life of his race stamps
him as practical. visit to the shrlnes,
homes, haunts and marts of his native
land divulges his ideas as to religion,
domesticity, pleasure and business.
To an American his religion seems an
admixture of superstition and philosophy,
and the philosophy predominates. His
home Is q blending of love and common
sense, and common sense predominates.
His haunts bespeaL his love Of nature
and his marts mark him as the greatest
merchant In the world. He Ia the
shrewdest bargainer of all, for the rea-
son that with him time Is not money
He reasons thusly: Time goes on whether
men Luy or sell, or do neither; but gain
comes only at intervals. Such intervals
mark John Chinamans time of doing
business. A Chinese banker of Hong
Kong will spend numerous hours and
walk many blocks, II necessary, before
he will pay for his boys trousers Eve
cents more than he knows nm to he
worth.
To judge China and old John Chinaman
by his representatives In America would
be like judging the United States and
Uncle Sam by the personnel of wild
West" show In Europe. Moot of the
Chinese In America are laundrymen or
make their money In stores patronized
and sustained by laundrymen. And the
funny part Of II Is there are no laundries
In China. Everybody knows how to wash
In China, and everybody knows how to
cook. All families Of any consequence,
however, maintain servant who perform
these duties.
The Chinese who come to America are
almost all from one section of the coun-
try, which occupies the relative position
and space Of Florida In the United States.
And all the Chinese In America could be
dropped down into the city Of Canton
without the Increase being noticeable. A
greater number than all .ae Chinese In
America live on the river In Canton
alone.
HIS Religion.
Across the river from Canton Is the Hoi
Tong Monastery Of Ho-Nam. There are sew
eral names for the Canton River, but the
Cantonese usually call 1t the Pearl Thou
sands upon thousands of sampan ferry
boats ply day and night between Canton
and Ho-Nam; and, though the river Is not
more than third Of a mile across. 40
great is the jam Of river craft that 1t
often takes an hour to thread a passage
from side to side through them.
Safely arrived on the Ho-Nam side, our
sampan draws into little slip, or blind
canal, with steps leading down to II. Here
are to be seen bathing boys, mothers
washing miniature squirmlng images of
themselves and the kind of buffaloes one
sees In magazine pictures Of Manila. The
water buffaloes lie nose deep In the
Shiny slip Of water. They are Kidding
themselves OF gnats and flies, as the fox
ribs himself Of heas.
During the noon hour Ho-Nam disports
itself. Porters lay aside their shoulder
poles and yokes, beggars cease begging,
ind multitudes betake themselves to the
Hol Tong Monastery. The bare or soft-clad
feet of the shifting stream Of humanity
give out little sound as they glide and
slip along over the century worn stones
leading to the ancient home of the monks.
Many are bareheaded, are clad In the,
himsiest Of flmy fabrics, and wear no 4
socks, but q pair Of light rubber slip
pers. They are sensible. We are swelter.
Ing. The tacks In the heels of our burn
Ing "vicis" cause US to slip and slide
like beginners on roller skates; the dag |
stones are so smooth and slippery.
As we draw near the monastery q drone |
begins to make itself heard. 1t II the |
drone Of human voices, and each step |
We take brings It more noticeahly to our |
ears There 10 no other sound IKE that |
made By a multitude. Of Chinese when |
engaged In hot, noon-hour conversation.
When engaged In any kind OF business |
John Chinaman's voice tones run the |
yamut from gutteral srunt to staccato |
lhriek, bpt In sbokep exchange Of thought
hey become sub-tued. monotonous muir
nur. The drone from Hoi Tong's multi
uds IL not caused By religious discussion.
Iohu Chinaman doeen't 90 In much FOR
eligious argument. He puts up his tenn
les and uses their grounds AZ q loading