The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-29
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meals are served
If our man is a banker or a htgh-up
official and finds himself free to seek
pleasure. he may engage in a game Of
chess, checkers or cards, or may even
blow himself for banquet to his
friends; though the chances are, II he
can spare the time, he will 60 to see his
dear, old mother, who lives in. the couns
try. At any rate, each day at sometime
he engages In some pastime regularly and
methodically. If he is extremely rich
he may even employ his own story teller.
The Chinese are great readers and have
many books, but from highest to lowest
they all prefer to listen to the story-tellsr.
Kite flying is a favorite amusement on
the housetops of Hong Kong, and many a
Chinese millionaire would rather cut the
other fellows kite string In a kite duel
than to drive most advantageous bar
gain. Another thing the millionaire
Chinese derives a great deal of pleasure
from is the inspection of his furs. In
Hong Kong there is Chinese banker who
owns possibly one of the finest collec-
lions of Russian sables in the world. 1t
is his pride to show them to appreciative
friends, and he hires tailor and furrier
by the year to look after them. There
are Is fully-nned long coats In all, and
each is perfect.
His Business Life.
Fourteen or Is years ago there was
a fruit seller who squatted by his basket
In Wan Look street, Hong Kong. opposite
the Soy Hing Banking Company. Today
he is one of the richest men on earth.
So many accounts have been toll OF who
the man is that In their conflict II Is only
safe to say by common repute he Is sup
posed to belong to the Wong family. or
tribe. Chinese never does business
under his own name. He adopts COM
pany name, for he never goes into any
thing extensively by himself His asso-
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fuses to carry all his eggs In one basket.
Fourteen 10 years ago the fruit
seller, who frequented the docks for his
supplies, evolved a plan for SHIPPING be-
tween the South China coast and Singa-
pore. With few of his friends. who had
a little money saved, he formed a share
and share company, and, purchasing q
vessel, tried the scheme. 1t worked. To
day there are over 10 vessels, steam
and sail, belonging to the expanded evolu-
ton of the fruit sellers original idea.
Many others are controlled by the same
company, and they ply throughout the
whole of the Orient. The commerce Of
China Is thoroughly organized that Ii
is probably the only country in the world
where boycott could be hatched without
either official head or tail and make its i
fuence felt in the United States to the
point of influencing legislation and COM
ing treaties. Old John Chinaman may not
be fully civilized. but he has forgotten
more than some others ever knew about
the commercial value of retaliatory meas
ures.
debt is never outlawed in China. II
you owe thing you owe 1t till it's paid.
II you don't pay 1t, your heirs and your
assigns and your whole relationship owe
1t until 1t is paid. Custom is stronger
than law In China, for, though the law
may excuse or nullify a debt, the integ-
rity Of Chinese commercial custom de-
ponds upon the perpetual life Of an obliga-
ton.
Some of the Chinese in America who
have picked up a little of our law occa-
sionally take refuge behind the provisions
of our statutes. But If the debtor doesn't
owe it in this country he still owes II
in China. And 1t won't be healthy for
him to go back there and try to dodge It,
The blacklist of China is all powerful.
And in no other country Is trade union
ism SO strong. There is no such thing as
acquiring or saving riches from a Job.
Set prices prevail. All q clerk or a work
man may do to increase his fortune IL to
gamble. All a well-to-do merchant may
do to become rich is to take a venture.
And the Chinese are the greatest gamblers
on earth. An extremely poor man may
become an extremely rich man In few
months or years with good run of luck.
All Chinese believe In luck. So thickly
populated is their country, without luck
and an eye ever to the main chance, none
might succeed. 1t is not considered i'm
moral to indulge in games Of chance. and
those who never gamble refrain from
doing through a fear Of loss alone.
Odd Facts.
Every married man must have a son
in China. 1t doesn't make any difference
II he is the father of a dozen daughters,
he must acquire a son II he has to go to
the extreme of adopting one. 1t is hard
to get an educated Chinese to admit that
it is necessary to the correct form Of wor-
ship of parents, or to give any expiana-
ton why it is so. Yet all admit the pos
session of a son is absolutely something
not to be put of or neglected, and say
that It is so because 1t Is SO. 1t must be,
and is; that Is sufficient.
In the temple of the 800 Buddhas In
Canton are several enormous statues of
the god which are especially approached
by women desiring sons. Though these
statues are extremely old, they are in
perfect condition, except the big toes,
which have been worn away by the faint
touch of Chinese mothers fingers as they
prayed for a son.
Most of the travel in China is by water
routes. The sampan is the commonest Of
all the craft which ply in the Interior,
though large-sized junks may penetrate
great distances from salt water on ac-
count of their light draught. The junk
and sampan people live on their boats,
and 1t is fact that they tie floats to the
boy babies so they may be recovered II
they happen to fall overheard. Very few
of the girl babies are SO accoutred.
The town of Cav Moon, In Kwangtung
province, has also large river popula-
ton, but there the river folk live on RATS.
Four miles of the water front is devoted
exclusively to wood-workers and the lum-
Der industry, and the flow of workers OF
all sorts traversing that water front is
reminiscent of Nassau street, In New
York city, at noon lunch hour. The quay
in front of the custom-house in Canton Is
a regular Brooklyn Bridge rush" at all
hours.
The weIl-bred Chinese pig has the neck
of a bull and the feet of a deer. Sam
pans plying in water highways and by
ways signal for landings and departures
by the blowing of a conch shell. Most
towns in the interior have a wall pro-
tectfng three sides and a water front
There are gate keepers at each end OF the
town, and at night the town guard patrol
the waterfront with 16-shot repeating
rides- DICK WOOD.