The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-12

told you how, when the late emperor
was buried, tho government sent our
seomancers to pick out a lucky site
for his tomb. No sensible Chinese
would rest In his grave If 1t were not
so selected; and In building a house
or making a new town for the living
these men are called in to pick out the
sites.
In such work the geomancers do their
best to find a spot connected with
dragon. OF all the animals the Chinese
consider this the most lucky. 1t forms
the imperial coat of arms. 1t is seen. upon
the triangular imperial flags, and 1t brings
good fortune or bad to every dynasty or
ruler. According 70 the Celestial belief
the dragon can do anything. 1t can swell
itself into an elephant or shrink to
gnat. When an eclipse Is expected the
astrologers tell the people that the dragon
is about to attempt to swallow the moon
and the emperor thereupon sends forth
an edict commanding all good citizens to
turn out and beat drums and pans to
scare him away. This was actually the
case few months ago during my stay
in Pekin.
And what has all this to do with Nan
king? A great deal! The ground on which
the city stands Is shaped like a dragon,
and the emperor who founded 1t said:
IF I can build my capital here on the
dragons back it will last forever"
Markings Mighty Walls.
That was many generations ago. and
|, his city Is alive tody. The mighty walls
which he constructed are still solid; they
are wide as country road are from
20 to 30 feet high and 20 miles In length.
The Marking of today with It's half
million people. lies In their center, and
l drove through them on my way to the
town. The walls are made of bricks OF
about the same size as those used in the
great wall of China, laid up in two para1-
lei lines of solid masonry, the space being
Allied in with earth and stone. They are
paved at the top, and upon them are still
piles of stones. placed there long ago.
that they might be thrown down upon
the enemies besieging the city. Those
walls surround great space which Is
now devoted to farming. The buildings
of the city cover considerable ground, but
there is enough still vacant to contain
another city the size Of Boston, Ba1ti-
more or st. Louis
But I want to tell you about the Nam
king of today. I am writing Of the
awakening of China, and this old town
has It's eyes open. It has jumped from
its couch of the ages, and Is primping
and adjoining itself for the modern civili-
cation. 1t is paving its streets. The
filthy conditions of IA years ago have van
ished. The ruts have disappeared. and
one can now drive through the town in q.
carriage. There are some passenger
wheelbarrows still, but they are fast be-
ing displaced by jinrikishas. under
stand that the beggare, who were 80 num-
erous in the past. have changed their oc-
cupation and become human horses. They
have taken to pulling the 'rildshas and
they will take you anywhere in the town
for 5 or 10 cents ride. The buildings are
improving. There are glass windows in
many of the shops and the weather. cit
izens are putting up residences OF Eu-
ropean style. The foreign consuls live in
two-story bricks, the American consulate
being one OF the best houses in the city.
Markings New Schools.
Marking has always been a great edu-
cational center. When I was last here I
visited its examination halls and saw 10
900 Chinese boys writing essays. Each
sat in a little brick cell, watched by
policemen, and 1t took them three days
and three nights to go through their
tests Such as passed expected to go to
further examinations at Pekin, where, IL
successful, they would be given appoint
ments to office. Those cells cover Is or
more acres. They are still standing but
the viceroy has decreed that they are to
be demolished. and he will build a great
public market house upon the same space
gum 81 dStdioo dio hSCoCu iio iOnscI-
The new education demands modern
school buildings, and the old Chinese
classes must take a back seat.
Today modern schoolhouses are spring
ing up in different parts of Marking The
city has already 80 schools run by
the government 1t has several largo
kindergartens and many primary and Sec
ondary schools. It has a normal college
with 500 students, a polytechnic school
with .220 and Industrial schools OF vari-
Gus kinds. In all the schools gymna-
Sums have been established and the
boys drill several days every week. The
viceroy has planned an athletic park,
where school meets will be held once a
year and the various teams viii compete
in sprinting, jumping. pole vaulting and
other athletic sports Several such events
have already been held and they were
witnessed by thousands Of Chinese of all
classes.
Co-Education In China.
Among the new school movements go
ing on here is the beginning of a coeduca-
tiona1 system His excellency. Tuan
Fang. the viceroy. believes that boys and
girls should be educated together and
he has established such a school in his
palace. 1t has now about 60 pupils,
taken from the children of high-class
families The little ones range in age
from 10 to IA, and they are being edu-
Gated, as It we're. under the viceroy'a