Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-05-17
This Has Often Been Said OF
the Chinese, and 1t Seems
to Apply.
WHAT GEN. A SAID
Without Their Chief Virtue, Persever
ance, the Monsolians Would Stand
Small Chance Of Prolonsins
Their National Existence.

is The ancestor nation of the world
The wise men of forty centuries have
vainly rackcd their minds to find thu
secret of it's longevity. other nations
rise and fall. which is the way OF ma
ture. but inscrutable. mysterious china
ives on. Hoary with age and rotten
with decay. this ancient. decrepit king
dom refuses to draw new blood from
the younger powers. or to die OF its own
Inertia. 1t seems to possess the Sc
cret OF eternal life. Its death and dis
Indignation has been p~rophesied a hun
drcd times. and yet the feeble. totter-
ing "old man OF the east" staggers on
In defiance of all precedent. What are
the qualities OF these people who have
held together and preserved their ma
ttonality while the frost OF time has
withered all other races? Let us first
look at their good traits.
The Chinese are undoubtedly the
most economical people who have Yer
inhabited the earth. Year In and year
expenditure not exceeding = cents per
day per capita. How long would the
American hold Il II he had to sub
nist on 80 cents per month: The Chi
nese allow nothing to go to waste.
They gather leaves and straws and
spiinters for fuel. The smallest bits
ut cloth are utilized as long as they will
hold together. The leaves OF old ac-
count books are used to paste on VIM
dOws in lieu Of glass. or are made
into lanterns.
Examples Of Economy.
The manner in which the Chinese
nave ~ to use the tins in which the
standard on company delivers it's
kerosene Is a marked example of their
economy. These tins have a regular
market value. not ven a scrap of them
being allowed to go to waste. They
are made into water buckets. lunch
boxes. lust pam and a score OF other
househoid utensils. The Chinese la
borer does not oil his w%heelbarrow be-
cause OF the cost OF the few drops of
oil necessary to lubricate 1t. He would
rather listen to the dismal squeak than
to spare a penny from his pocket. In
transporting cereals or coal the oolies
who handle these commodities are held
TO strict account for every single grain
and atom Of dust.
The Chinese housewife must prepare
h meal for her family In the briefest
possible time on Of the light
n combustible character of fuel she
uses. She generally cooks everything
at once. In one boiler. the bottom Of
which Is exceedingly thin. 40 the blaze
made from leaves n stalks OF grain
aaA~tAkA quick effect. The Chinese
ideA OF allowing nothing to go to waste
In carried so far hat all such animals
AZ horses. donk eys. camels. cats. dogs
and rats. are used for food. Little at
tention Ia given to the cause of death.
They are accepted al a welcome addi-
ton to h food supply. no matter
whether their demise was oc~casioned
by accident. old age or disease. The
q . Of economy actuates every thought
OF Chinese life. One foreign resident
relates that he once met "A very old
woman hobbling painfully along the
highway. She was sick unto death
and stated that she was making her
way tn the home of a relative who lived
der to save the cos Of a funeral pro-
cessiOn.
Chinese Industry.
The economy OF h Chinese Is
matched only by their industry. The
merchant keeps account of the number
Of matches in all the boxes in his stock.
Every night he carefully sorts the cash
he has taken In during the day, hoping
to realize a profit from a chance rare
coin. II the dealer In fish finds thai
some Vt his stock i3 about to spoil or
his hands he puts 1t on the roof to dry
and later offers 1t to his customers AZ
dried nsh. In stores and factories tho
proprietor OFTEN economies on his
light hill by making II lamp illumi-
nate two rooms. which Is accomplished
by placing 1t in "A hole In the dividins
wall.
The Chinese farmer applies himsel.
to his calling with an energy that Il
astonishing. He goes over his it'll,
crop picking OF every insect and nurs.
ing each individual stalk. 1t Is hare
to understand how human endurance,
can be equal TO the long hours he de.
votes to work. Daylight finds him "A
his task. and he works we'll into tn,
night.
The industry of the Chinese is ais,
shown by the exactions which they pu
apon thei officials. One writer In speak
ing OF h habits of n former EULER
said: The emperO va supposed I,
rise for his day at 2 o'clock in tn,
mornlng and. after the rites and cere
manie& to hold council and audiences
works busily until after sunrise. H,
.urned to relaxation when plebeian day
yiKht came. and went YEARLY to be-
about 8 O'Clock in the afternoon. Aud
n were set for the grisly hour jus
before dawn. and the assembled minis
{ usually waited. s!eepily. upon tn
imperial pleasure. Even he foreign eli
SOys were biddesf to their audiences Il
tie lgn0ble pavilion OF purple light a
So'ci0ck in the morning. as to a Frencl
military U martial"
What General Grant Said.
One Of the chief virtues Of Chimes
character IL perseverance. 1t goes with
aat saying that in m old land like tina
where the population exceeds 900 to tn
square mile. q living = hard to get
Great labor must be performed for lit
Tie pay. but the people work faithful!
and without complaint for their meagc
fewards. Your servant comes and zoe
1ren early until late. No matter hov
many extra duties you may lmpos
apon him, he evinces no surprise an,
makes no remonstrancc No race ha
ever had the staying qualities of tn
Chinese, When General Grant return
"a from his trip around the globe som
me INQUIRED Of him what vas the mos
L1MArkable thing he had heen in hi
travels. He replied that 1t was tn
spectacle Of a small Chinese deale
xearing down the keen competition OF
Jew.
Doubtless the most striking proof o
lie Chinese trait Of perseverance IL tn
aersfstence OF the candidates for liter
Any honore. The same applicants will
1Daear 1t the competitive examination
vear AFTER year Ia write their essay
ma compete for hon0rv. The gOvernO
~ ono province reports that the laa
sehl ~ had thirteen candidates owe