The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-07-10

10 that city and ne is ever prOtec-
ton thereafter. This is only one of
many of their idolatrous beliefs.
But to proceed with the tomb.
Passing our conquered tortoise we
come to the main gate, or archway,
through which one must pass into the
vast compound within which lies the
remains of the exalted prince. Inside
of this compound are numerous and
appropriate buildings, all beautifully
and fantastically designed and tiled.
Around this compound is rather Sc
cure wall of solid masonry, some 80
feet thick, which insures reasonable
amount of protection CD from pos
sible invaders who would likely con-
suit the door before attempting to
scale the wall, and this latter would
not be at all necessary since the door
is of wood with thin metal covering
and crude iron lock, put we must not
question the moral OF this. Passing
through this great archway we enter
the spacious compound and finally
reach a flight of sun-dried brick steps,
some IS in number, ascent of which
brings one to the top of the wall and
gives him an excellent view of the
whole compound, with it's various
buildings and temples, one of which
surmounts each of the four corners of
the wall These afford good subjects
for Photographic work, and needless
to say I was busy with my camera.
Directly midway and within about
$50 feet of the back wall is another
temple; this holds marble shaft on
which is written the name of the dead
prince, his age, valiant deeds, etc. In
fact, it is nothing more or less than
an epitaph. Immediately back of this
and within the whole enclosure, is the
tomb itself, a great pile OF earth form
ed in the shape of dome, on the top
of which grows a scrubby pine. There
is awide path surrounding this mound,
entrance to which is by two solid
granite gates, some 4X5 feet in size,
and out of each has been hewn four
cubes, thus giving the slab the ap-
pearance of gate. These gates stand
ajar, but no one except the royal
family is permitted to enter onto the
mound itself. 1t is a Chinese custom
to have great piles of earth for a
grave; this denotes rfches, rank and
power.
The magnitude of this vast domain
is simply overpowering to the aver
age mind, to say nothing of the work
and it's COST This tomb is in a fine
state of preservation, and the temples
are dazzlingly brilliant in the warm
summer sun. Sitting in the cool shade
of one Of the adjacent pines and look
ing back through the countless ages
one cannot help being impressed with
the greatness of it all; it certainly
provides food for thought and one
comes away feeling that he has profit
ed greatly by the days outing, or SC
it appealed to me. Perhaps, if more
of the people who see fit to look down
upon the Chinese were to visit this
beautiful place they would come to a
speedy realization of the one-time
greatness of this harrassed people and
rather sympathise with them in their
present state.
Nowhere in China, as / said before
does one find such a wealth of evil
dence relating to the greatness of the
Chinese, except it be in Picking, as
you do here; this is perhaps due to the
thriftiness of the inhabitants and the
natural resources of this part of the
country. Surely there is no better
land anywhere for productiveness,a land
along modern lines it will be an Area
dia in itself. 1t is not hard to see
therefore, why both the Russians and
Japanese coveted it, and this leads us
to the real cause of the. recent Russo
Japanese War about which /. will give
you few facts.
You will doubtless remember the
Boxer trouble of 1900. Well, to en-
able the Russians to put troops into
China, they were obliged to build g
railroad from their own Trans-Siber-
ian line down through Manchuria
This concession the Chinese granted
Russia, and the latter occupied the
whole of Manchuria, keeping the ban
dit tribes of Hung Huse from march.
ing to the aid of the Boxers. Wher
the Boxer trouble was over, Russia
failed to abandon Manchuria, but con-
tinued to build railroads and develop
the cities in defiance of her agreement
with the other powers, wherein she