Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-11

story was a gallery. rooted with green
/ tiles. and from the corners of the roofs
hung bells which tinkled when swayed
by the wind. Upon its top was a mass
OF iron as big az haystack. This was
plated with gold. and could be seen
Tor miles up and down the Yangtse-
KIang valley.
OF this mighty tower the basin is all
that remains 1t has been placed upon
foundation of marble and now lle7
some distance away from the mighty
monument which il covered The tower
Itself was destroyed during the Tai
ping rebellion, because the insurgents
thought II was affecting the spirits OF
the air and bringing bad luck. It's ma
terlals were taken for other buildings
and the foreigners carried away all that
was left. Today the very foundation
IS gone and the Chinese viceroy. who
has made his capital here. has an ar
senal FOR making modern guns on i's
site and the factory hands are called to
their work by the shrll whistle Of
steam.
on THE DRAGONS BACK.
In addition to this there are powder
mills nearby, and every now and then
an explosion occurs which frightens the
ghosts OF the tower and holrifes the
citizens for fear II may stir UP the
dragon, upon whose back Nanlling is
built Notwithstanding the modern
awakening. ghosts. witches and drag
ons are live elements still in this
part of the world. The Chinese believe
in spirits and they Will do nothing
without consulting their wishes. The
witch doctors here have regular pro-
feSsion. They read the stars, the
winds and the waters and pretend To
predict just what the spirits of good
luck and bad Will do upon every occa-
sion, I have told you how. when the
late emperor was buried, the govern
ment sent out gcomancers to pick out a
lucky site for his tomb. No sensible
Chinese would rest in his grave il 1t
were not so selected; and in building
a house or making a new town for the
living these men arc called in to pick
out the sites
In such work the geomancers do their
best to find a spot connected with q
dragon. OF all the animals the Chinese
consider this the most lucky. 1t forms |
the imperial coat of arms, ii is seen |
upon the triangular imperial flags and |
1t brings good fortune or bad to every |
dynasty or ruler According to the |
Celestial belief the dragon can do any |,
thing 1t can swell itself into an ele- |
phant or shrink to a 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 a few months ago during my 4
stay in Pekin-
And what has all this to do with |
Marking? A great deal, The ground on |
which the city stands is shaped like a |
dragon. and the emperor who founded |
it said: IF l can build my capital
here on the dragons back 1t will last
forever"
MARKINGS MIGHTY WALLS.
That was many generations ago. ara
his city Is alive today. The mighty
walls which he constructed are stiil
solid: they arc as wide as country
road. are from 40 to 30 feet high and
% miles in length.
The Nankng OF today, with its oOoooo
people lies in their center, and l drove
them on my way to the town.
The walls are made OF bricks of abont
the same size as those used In the great
wall of China, laid up in two parallel
lines of solid masonry. the space being
filed in with earth and stone. They are
paved at the top, and upon them are