The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-17

business dealings. European people who
nave dealt with them say that the
better class of Chinese merchants have
a much higher sense of honor than the
Japanese. The latter people are bright
and sharp, but they are tricky.
However, the Chinese have a great
mental capacity. They have no alpha
bet and the characters of their Ian
guage must be learned, one by one.
When they enter European or Ameri-
can educational institutions they take
the honors. They have a love of learn
you see a greater sacrifice for this
cause. There are no public schools.
The government examines. but does not
educate. The parents of the children
must provide for their education.
In the home the woman is the rich
mans toy and the poor mans drudge.
Polgamy is practiced among the
wealthy and there is much unhappi-
ness The patriarchal form of family
hfe-where the families of the different
sons live together is also the cause of
much unpleasantness.
THE woman as a home maker is not
a heather conception. There are not
early marriages as in India, but there
are early betrothals. Engagements be-
tween children are made by their par
ents when both parties of the engage
ment are very young. Then the small
future daughter-in-law is taken into
the home of her future mother-in-law
and is raised by her, virtual slave of
the family.
I'VE hear lots about daughters being
unwelcome in China, but this is due to
superstition. The Chinese think that
unless father has. a son to perform
certain burial rites over his body after
he dies, he will suffer torments in the
hereafter. Consequently, when several
daughters arrive in home where no
sons have been born, they are not well
come. I know of a little girl who was
named 'One-Too-M Many In homes
where there have been sons, the girls
are welcomed.
"a class of people in China make
their living by pretending to calculate
the lucky days for the masses. These
men are consulted in all of the inn
portant events of life, or even when a
house is to be built, down to the
smallest detail of it's construction.
"In the betrothals referred to, they
are also consulted. The Chinese years
go by cycles and are named after AMI
mails. If a boy Is born In the dog year,
and the girl is born in the cat year,
their parents think it will never do for
them to be betrothed, for fear that
their life together would be unhappy.
On such superstitions, the Chinese
base all of their important acts.
Superstition also plays a great part
illness an attempt is made to drive out
the evil spirits which are supposed to
have entered sick mans body. The
patients are sometimes pierced with
needles to make holes for the spirits to
make their exit.
However, China is gradually wax
ing up, and we have hopes that the
country may be one Of the greatest in
the Orient"
D. Stanley has bought the ninety
acre tract of A. w. Knowles, one-half
mile west of the reform school on the
upper Silver Lake road, at 5000 an
acre. This is considered one of the
best farms in Shawnee county. Mr..
Stanley owns twenty acres of the old
Sim Coleman place, just across the
road from his newly acquired land He
moved there last fall. He also owns
extensive tracts near WilNamstown.
His son, Lee Stanley, has also
bought the Zollinger forty acre farm
about one-half mile north of his faith
er's property. 1t sold for $3.50.