The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-08

carriages quite numerous: 50 numer-
Gus that I did all my running around
in carriages, the charge for which is
fifty cents american money! Fer
hour. The carriages are pulled by
small Chinese ponies, and they are
shown as little mercy as Wyoming
COW pony Two Cinnamon ride on the
box: the second man seems to be a
sort of apprentice, learning the bust
ness, but both wear green uniforms,
and both yell and scream in passing
through the crowded streets
The greatest sight in Shanghai is
the walled city, which is venerable
with age it is hundreds of years old.
1t is surrounded by double wall ana
a moat. 1t has four gates, and we en-
tered one Of these by passing over a
stone bridge, which seemed to me to
be the oldest thing. as we'll as the
Oldest thing / had ever seen. The
streets are nowhere more than six or
seven feet wide. and all paved with
flag stones. OF course carriages and
rickshas are not permitted inside the
walls, but ] saw a few natives riding
in Sedan chairs. The roofs of the
houses almost meet in the middle of
the streets, and the old town is in
descTibably dark and dirty Stone
bridges span filthy bitches, and al
though the weather was quite cool. the
stencil was almost OVerpOWering; the
stencil and filth frightened me. and I
thought of the plague, and Of cholera
and smallpox The Chinese regard
smallpox as we regard measles: as
something everyone should have
On the lower floor of every building
a shop; above, the living quarters OF
the people. OF course the narrow
streets are crowded with Chinese, and
they stare at Americans, and jostle
them: they are impudent and Dig ana
fierce. We met no other whites in the
old walled city: only the chattering
Chinese. On every side, native res
taurants crOWed with people, drinking
tea and eating strange food. We had d
Shanghai man with US, and a native
guide, but it was an unpleasant expert
ence: unpleasant because it seemed
dangerous, and it would be dangerous,
were it not for the modern city out
side, with its police and warshlps. The
native merchants did not ask us to
buy: they seemed to resent our pres
ence.
The guide knocked at an iron door;
it was opened from the inside, and We
entered the mandarins garden,
quiet, splendid place, considering the
surroundings. Here lives the ruler of
the city with his seven wives; here the
native people bring evil doors for trial;
here come the foreign officials at Ger
tain times to confer with the native
officials. We visited several joss
houses; old, strange and uncanny. At
one place were gods for the old, gods
for the young: gods before which the
people prayed from the time they were
christened until they were ninety. The
guide asked my age. I told him, and
he pointed out the god before which
man of my age should worship, and a
terrible looking monster he was. Then
the attendant burned incense before
the god picked out for me, and / paid
twenty cents (Mexican) for the bless
ing. Mattel was also blessed IN the
same way by a god suitable to her age
At another place we came to an
] open court, where thousands Of people
were collected, amusing themselves.
Some of them were watching faklrS
who were performing tricks; others col
lected about men who were f1ercely
talking, and wildly gesticulating: posi-
bly, these men were abusing Amer1-
cans. Everywhere were food sellers
and beggars, and bird sellers: the Chi
/ nese seem to be fond of birds. But
there were not a great many women
/ in the crowds; Chinese women seem
/ to keep off the streets. Many of the
1 women we saw had mangled feet. The
story is that a Chinese emperor once
had a favorite cOncubine with little
! feet. ever since then some Of the Chi
( nese women have mangled their feet
/ to make them appear small; 1t seems to
/ be nothing more than a fool custom
I like that of the japanese women in
( blackening their teeth. There is a
! general similarity between the japanese
/ and Chinese. Their houses look some
/ thing alike; they dress in the same
/ general way; the people of both coun-
/ tries eat with chop sticks, and the peo-
pie of both countries live largely on
1 rice and fish. The walled city of
! Shanghai reminds me of the older pOr-
/ ton of Kyoto, in Japan, but it seems
much more primitive; there is much
more filth, and not SO many women
and children are seen.
If you can imagine the streets of the
4 walled city of Shanghai from what I
/ have written, remember that it con-
tains hundreds of thousands of people;
that the crooked streets cover a vast
territory, and that you could not find
your way out of the dark, ugly, dirty
/ place without the assistance of a guide.
/ While we were in the walled city a
/ funeral procession went by: the
mourners riding in sedan chairs. and
dressed in white. At various places in
the walled city are burying grounds
Of course there are epidemfcs of dis
/ ease in the walled city, when the dead
lie in the streets until they can be
4 cared for. We passed old and crippled
! beggars who we're crying and sobbing
| in the most pitiful way; the Chinese
are said to be very Indifferent to then
poor. The guide had a silver coin
changed into the copper coins known
as cash" and gave a pittance to every
beggar- f. W. II.
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