Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-25
Or. EDWARDS Letter.

bTs GoWotto SSttSTs
Shanghai, China-The foreign city
of Shanghai, that is the city where
dwells the foreigners, has been de-
scribed so often that / shall pay no
attention to it or to its beautiful
parks, fine streets and buildings
and general air Of cleanliness and
sanitation. / think you will be more
interested in leaving something about
the real Chinese way of living, ana
while the story is not a nice one |
shall try to do justice to the occas-
ion, and tell how the real article
compares with our ideas of clean
illness.
The native city of Shanghai is
surrounded by high wall, that looks
as If 1t were built for the purpose
of forming a barricade that nothing
short Of ten inch gun could over
throw. The top is crenelated as if
for the use of cannon but no can
non have ever been there. These
walls have number of gates which
are closed at night keeping the Chi
nese in and the foreigners out. The
city Is divided off into many dis
tricts, something like wards in an
American city, but these districts
are separated by high walls with
gates. This system Is so perfect
that II a crime be committed in
one district of the city at night the
criminal cannot escape until the
gates are open in the morning Be-
tween the walls surrounding the
houses, are narrow lanes which
serve as streets, and If were to
describe the filthy and horrible con-
dition of these passage ways I an
sure no paper would print the dis
gusting details. The conditions of
fearful noise and filth in all Chin
csc cities is such that no Caucasian
could live in them, and as a result,
all Of the larger Chinese cities have
concessions to foreigners, where
they live and keep things clean.
AS I approached the gate of the
Chinese city of Shanghai l was re,
minded Of a disturbed ant hill. Out
Of the gate poured such a jostling,
hurrying, shrieking throng of human
ity that l thought Bedlam had been
let loose. As we neared the gate,
the throng became more dense and
the noise increased until wondered
how we were going to get through.
] remembered that in Japan was
treated with politeness and courtesy
wherever went, and consoled my
self with the thought that the same
courtesy would be extended here by
Chinese. But that is where count
ed without my host. Chinese are
neither polite nor courteous, and in
addition to that they hate the "fan-
quail" or foreign devils, as they
call all white men. This aversion
applies equally to all foreigners.
The high walls of the city were
Just beyond a bridge which crossed
moat or canal, filled with the vii
est Of liquid filth, and as l entered
the gate, lodging the loads of the
carriers, l saw such a crowd of men
and boys as l never expected to see
anywhere on earth. It was very
much like reproduction Of Dant'es
Inferno, with disregard of everyone.
Women and children were rudely
pushed and jostled out of the way,
and l was compelled to keep my
wits about me to avoid being run
Into by men carrying buckets Of
sewage to be deposited in the moat
Just outside the. city wall. Every
thing was unspeakably filthy and
dirty, and no one cared whether
you were thrown down and trampled
on or not; IN fact 1 think they
would have been glad to thus show
| their antipathy for the American.
As / proceeded along the street in
this strange throng, some boys caught
sight Of me and Immediately yell
ed "fanquai," which attracted the
attention Of such other boys and
men who were idle enough to per.