The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
~ the sovereign and responsible to him.

by the sovereign and responsible TO him.
China is said to have more suicides than
any other country In the world In one
year $4,000 cases were reported, although
these figures may not be regarded as au-
thentic
The life of a Chinese woman is one of
servtude At the early age of seven she
Is separated from her brothers, with
whom she is neither allowed to eat or
play. When she is married, she may look
forward to a life of submission TO her
parents-in-l and in dying she has the
comforting thought that in the next
world she will resume her bondage under
her husband. Widows to not remarry and
1t is considered a delicate mark of affec-
ton to their departed spouses TO follow
| them into the next world by committing
| suicide.
Betrothals take place at the early age
| of seven and the wishes of the contract
| ing parties are not consulted Under no
| circumstances may the girl break of her
| betrotha and IT is not an infrequent oc-
currence for Chinese girls to kill them
selves rather than be forced into matri-
mony.
| species OF domestic slavery exists in
China to considerable extent. Often
| times Chinese parents, poverty-stricken'
| sell their girls TO wealthy families. The
| prices range from ten to one hundred dol
lars, and If the girl be very good looking
| larger amounts may be given as the buy
err knows that when she marries she will
| bring in a larger number of wedding pres
ents, which oftentimes will pay the pur-
/ chase price three-fold. besides the work
| she has done OF course the girls servi-
| tude ceases when she marries. Theoreti-
| cally there are no slaves In Hong Kong,
which is British territory, but practically,
there are thousands of them following
the sedan chairs of their mattresses or
| watching over little Chinese babies.
Without doubt China is the original
home of silk and from the twenty-thlrd
| century b. c., and even earlier, the care
| of the silk worm. the spinning and the
weaving OF its produce have been the spe-
cial province of the Chinese women.
| A Chinese Emperor,s name is too sacred
to be used by the general public and no
| one is permitted either to read or write 1t.
| HISTORIAN missionaries introduced the
| Christian religion into China in the year
| sos A. d.
| In 1873 as a result of a long continued
| famine In northern China, 100000 lives
| were reported lost.
No nation in the world uses such guam
| titles of fans which are employed by
both sexes. With the Chinese gentleman
II takes the place OF walking stick
There are special fans for the three sea-
sons Of spring, summer and autumn.
|
The tail or plated queue OF hair which
| now hangs down every Chinaman's back
| was introduced or rather enforced by the
| victorious Tartars with the accession OF
the Manchus to the throne. At first il
was loked upon as degradation. but now
II is regarded as one of their most sacred
| characteristics.
China's first war with England occurred
| in 1889 when the Chinese government at
| tempted TO stop the Importation of opium
| into the country by the East India COM
| pany. The opium trade had grown from
| 400 chests in 1896 to 5000 chests In 1887
| and was, therefore. a most important rev
| enue TO the British company. England
sent her warships over and achieved va
| rious successes with both land and naval
| forces, and war terminated in the treaty
+, of Marking. which gave England the is
land of Hong Kong, opened the Chinese
| ports to British trade. and exacted a war
| indemnity of s2l,ooo.ooo from China
Emperor Taoukwang. in reply to Eng
lands demand for the legalization of the
opium trade. said: True, cannot pre-