The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-07-30
AN ARMY OF BECCARS
Mendicants Here, There and Ev.
erywhere In China.
THE CHIEFS LIVE IN LUXURY
They Rule Over Their Foriorn subjsets
Like . King and Have the Power Of
Life or pssth-Ths Aristoerstie I'm.
esrisi Psvpsrs.

strangers attention. Around every
corner. along canals and creeks, In
market places. at the city gates, both
outside and inside. and especially In
the temple yards. there are beggars
here, beggars there and beRgars every
where. and Q more pItiable sight one
cannot meet Many OF them are Grip
pied or afflicted with leprousy and all
are dressed literally In rags
! made a trip IN a houseboat TO 500
chow, moving through the numerous
canals In the city and stopping when
| wished 10 take . view. landed by
clean. fresh painted. large yamen.
spotlessly white. with blue black tiles
on the roof. aud placed my camera
against the wall to photograph a big
pagoda on the other eide Of the canal.
| The usual chinese crowd soon came
around me. and not a few beggars.
asked an intelligent young Chinaman
through my interpreter who lived In
this fine big mansion, 80 unusually
well kept for n Chinese house was
not little astonished when | was told
the beggar chief OF Soochow.
This led me TO make inquiry about
! the system of begging In China. which
IL wonderfully well organized under n
scheme that works admirably and Is
/ OF course very ancient. ike all other
institutions In the Middle Kingdom.
| The chief has n fine residence, concu-
bines by the half dozen and very dne
] CInfhtrU anI ha IL Ia, ha lau Of
society but only where he IL not
known. As mark OF his dignity he
moves about with a long stick. which
Is allowed him by the city authorities.
He also has the power OF life and
death over his beegarly subjects and
punishes all offenses committed by
them.
The beggar chief Il regular at
tcndant at the marriage ceremonies
and funeral professions OF private fam.
HES. in order TO get his pay for keep
Ing away his hungry crowd Of beggars.
who otherwise would hinder the festi-
val or procession in a disagreeable.
noisy way. | was told that the beggar
chief q Soochow has an income Of
about $4,000 year The billet OF the
one In Shanghai city Is worth about
5000. Most storckeepers have an
agreement with the beggar chief to
keep his stan away. They pay about
81 year each, and In return for this
trlflng amount the chief gives print
ed receipt TO the storekceper. which
the latter pastes on his door 10 the ef-
feet that he has paid his tax and Is
exempt from the demands OF begears.
There are different kinds of beggars
Imperial bcggars, or lao yen ting nhe
words mean "old mans button'1 have
probably no parallel I'm the world as
some OF them are descendants OF the
ancient Ming dynasty or distinctly re
lated TO the present reignlng imperial
house They are scattered all over the
country, are said to number upward of
10000 and are specially numerous in
Picking Imperial beggars are easily
recognized because they are allowed
TO wear garments OF the imperial vel
low OF different shades Characters are
painted in black on the back and front
OF their robes TO denote their profes-
sion. They wear either u straw hat or
velvet caD ornamented with brass
button.
When first | saw them | took them
TO hc old degraded officials. for there
are hundreds OF them In Soochow
They carry n wooden bell In their
hands To announce their arrival As
rule they are over sixty years OF age
and have no family to support them.
and they are all allowed 10 beg for
more money than the ordinary craft
and are furnished with license from
the magistrate. They are. of course
too aristocratic TO be under the rule Of
the ordinary heE-ar chief.
In Nankin there is quite Il select com.
pany of them, the order having been
Instituted a- far back as the Ming
/ dynasty Hung WI. the founder OF the
Ming dynasty, was once beggar him
self, The rise from beggar TO emperor
/ probably beats the record OF any dy-
nasty In Europe. In pious remembrance
| Of his former profession Hung WI In.
stituted this order. Al present they
/ live IN certain caves or rccesses that
are made in the city wall, The largest
Of these recesses Is forty feet long by
| ANNhAN lffl W Nlhts lllt luulhtts hTe very
comfortably lodged and are decently
dressed. but they are addicted to
opium smoking.
Besides seeking aims these imperial
beggars go about the country and OBJ
tain livelihood by swearing false
oaths In court. Their oaths are con.
sidcred rs binding and sacred. so they
are often much sought after, because
for few taels one can get such a
heggar 10 swear 10 an oath which al
ways decides the case. The mags.
trates are liable 10 pay the imperial
heggars an allowance every year, but
II Is said they often forget II, as they
know well that these beggars are not
in want.-Gentleman's Magazine
Can This Be So'
ttfla Girl ifal1Ipa Of tho