The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-12-20

A." ONE weeks ago my appointment,
before this exclusive club, was
4 filled in the delivery of paper
, under the heading "Primitive
Man." In that paper l made mention
of certain descendants of the original
and only "Simon pure" Adam and Eve,
whom our age calls backward, and it
will be the effort of my paper today to
have you believe with me that China at
least of the so-called backward nations
must not be placed on the incompetent
list. They have distinctive architec-
ture, entirely their own, equal in beauty
and symmetry to anything of any class
in our western world Their literature
I am told possesses rare merit. In
music they have attained to so high a
point in harmony, that we may not
hope to overtake them in hundreds of
years. The Occidental world are great
imitators. Things entirely original
to us are wholly unknown, while art
in this Oriental world is Chinese and
nothing else. Their art is their own,
and today found to possess so much of
real merit that our painters are pro-
ducing what they term Oriental effects;
and in their sculpture is found so
much to excite laudation, that we in
this line, too, seek to equal them. Can
we do this? Time will tell
A notable writer is at this time con-
i,>fo
story of times earlier thar 5000 years
ago, or as he names it, in The pages of
Everybody's Magazine, "Before Adam"
These early people of whom Mr.. Lon
con tells us, and whose story he gathers
from Natures imperishable records of
rock and other strata of the earth's
crust, after long residence in
their place of beginning in America,
had reached Central Asia, and became
the progenitors of the largest mass of
humanity upon the earth. More than
four hundred million people inhabit
the Chinese Empire today, and while
they desire to enjoy continued quiet
and repose, restless twentieth century
world determines otherwise, and is ap-
plying its methods to this end.
Yes, this immense country, with a
population equal to all Europe, and as
heterogeneous as Austria Hungary, or
even America, is being awakened.
Aroused would be really better word,
for it conveys a meaning which in this
case is more appropriate. You awaken
a man from sleep, but arouse him to
action. By continued prodding the
impolite world are surely arousing this
monster, and may we'll heed that old say
ing: eff you awaken dog, be sure you
can out run him." for with modern wal
equipment, Europe, if not even Amer.
lea. is in danger from so large fight.
ing force as may within century
emanate among people of so large q
number. There is an old adage that na
tion cannot for any length of time re-
main stationary. 1t must either ad
vance or decline. In Chinese history
however, this axiom is certainly dis
proved, for China of our times is th'
China of hundred centuries ago
Had Caesars armies penetrated thi
great Mongolian Empire, his story o
tho people would not have differed
greatly from that which travellers o
today bring to us from that far ava.
land.
In many, if not in all rural districts
it was at one time quite common prac
tice for the school teacher to "boar
round" In the story (which is an oil
one) am about to relate, however, tn
procedure was just little differen
Here, the teacher rented room, doin
his own cooking. The food suppl
was furnished by the several families {
the district; meat, butter, eggs, etc
being sent each week by one of tt
dozen families whose children attende
the school. In this way each famil
had it's turn to furnish the teacher
every twelfth week.
It came John Smiths turn, and
Friday, of the week preceding, his sc
asked the teacher if he liked pork.
surely do" was the reply, 81 like it g
ceedingly WELL" Everything else W
sent but the pork, and the teacher sa