The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-21
l~Copyright, 1909, by Frank G.. Car
penter.)

If-fA1I\I. emma.
The chinese are still mourning the
emperor and the great empress dow
ager. The emperor las already had
TWO funerals. and he will have a third
before he is finally aid away in the
great western tombs. His monument
there is now building, and it will cost
one million dollars before it is COM
pleted, two years from now. The re-
mains Of the great dOWager lie in a
lacquered coffin here in Peking, and
preparations are making to carry her
to her last resting place. Her tomb
will cost more than that of Kwang
Su, and her funeral expenses will run
hig into the millions.
A Nation in Mourning.
It is now almost a year since the
deaths of these monarchs, but the
period of mourning is Just at its be-
ginning. 1t viii last for three years.
and during that time the highest of
the imperial clan will keep on their
sackcIoth and will have their regu-
lar periods Of wailing. Many of the
high officials still wear mourning but
tons, and Pu Vi. the baby emperor,
is frequently reported as giving a wall
for his grandma. h dowager, in
filial style.
The death of a monarch means
much to the great Chinese empire.
No one who does not understand the
reverence these people have for their
rulers and their holy feeling for an
cestral worship can appreciate what
has been going on here during the
past nine or ten months. l was in
Mukden, Manchuria, At the time of
the imperial deaths, and when [
reached Picking the capital was still
undergoing its twenty-seVen days of
deep mourning. [ can describe 1t
best by %supposing similar conditions
to exist in the United States.
What would our people think if the
ounr II a. NlTacloi n OF m ShoJ1G
send out an eGict that Tor one hun
dred days every MAJ in our whole
COUNTRY should go about unshaVed:
that every woman should take off her
finger rings. earrings and all other
iewelry. and every man, woman and
child should lay away ali bright col
Ors? Suppose the proclamation
should provide that during that time
not a face should be tOuched by the
razor. not a lock of hair cut. not a
finger nail pared. uppOSe all feast
ing and love-making should be for
hidden, and marriages absolutely pro
hibited within tWenty-seVen days.
This was the condition of China at
the first of the year, and the police
were instructed to see that the rcgu-
lations were kept. They did SO: and
all who broke the new laws were
fined or sent to the prisons.
10000 900 Unshaved Heads.
The mourning was especially lard
on the BARRIERS. Surprising China to
have a population of 400, 900. 600,
there are half that lumber of men
and boys, each of whom has his head
gone over with a razor about twice
d week. The Chinese gentlemen
would rather go unWashed than I'M
shaved. Now, when one has shaved
his head from his babyhood the hair
grows like a a1nboo sprout. The
result was that a week or so after
the mourning period began these mil
lions of Chinese scalps were covered
with bristles like those Of a shoe
brush. They stood out on all sides
except where the queue grew forth
from the crown. The BARRIERS, who
are mber by Millions, had moth
ing to do; and in some places they
came so lear starving that the gov
eminent advanced them money until
the mourning period was over.
Here and there d man broke the
laws and had his head shaved. All
such who were discovered were pun
ished. In Tien-Tsin a clerk in one
of the banks shaved his head three
days after the death of the empress
dowager. He was arrested as soon
as he came out on the street ana
vas fined $3.50 in silver. This is equal
10 over 800 gold, and it was, [ vent
IRE, one OF the costliest shaVes upon
Garth.
Here in Picking a young Chinese
dandy came to a barber II begged
for a shave. The barber replied that
ne feared he would be arrested, ana
the dandy thereupon promised that
ne would stand all the fines. n
barber consented. The man took d
seat on the stool, and his head was
.ust half shaved when a policeman
came in and took both barber ana
customer off to the court. The Judge
heard the complaint, and at its close
imposed a fine of $40 upon each me
dandy paid the fines, but, as he dli
50, he pointed to his head and asked
the Judge:
But what am 7 to do? | cant go
about with my nead half shaved?
AS TO that replied the judge
You may have ne Job completed. but