The Washington herald., 1910-05-02
A CHINESE CARNEGIE.
HOuei-T'Ee Established Many liz
brRrles over 1900 Years Ago.


From tho Detroit Free Pres.
There was once wise old gentleman
who said something about everything be-
ing more or less vanity, and who was con-
WINGED that there was nothing new under
the sun. Edgar Allan Poe's one pet idea
was that everything had been tried out
in China centuries ago. But who would
have thought that Andrew Carnegie. who
has embarrassed so many cities by Civ
ing them autographed library buildings,
was anything but q novelty? Remark
able discoveries OF a French expedition in
Chinese Turkestan show that II the phil
anthropic Mr.. Carnegie IS not a reincar-
nation Of Houei-T ze. a rich Chinese mer-
chant who lived in the first part OF the
fifth century. then Houei-T re has the
LAIRD OF Siibo beaten by 800 years on his
scheme OF benevolence.
Mr.. Carnegie gives away libraries which
must be called Carnegie libraries. So did
Houei-Tze. lie gave away libraries all
over China and Turkestan and furnished
the worKmen 70 build them. He also stip-
I ulated that his picture should adorn
the wall Of each. what was then the
librarians desk Mr. Carnegie frugaUy
demands that he institutions he creates
be kept up By tho fortunate communities
In which they are placed. Houei-T'ze took
advantage Of the rising religious market
AT tho time and installed corps Of Bud
dh'st monks in each Of his; after that he
knew the library would be well able 20 get
U al
him.
Mr.. Carnegie made his money IN steel
and then retired. His Chinese prototype
made his in the mart, by sending ships
+ and caravans 70 Ear places. which I'm
those days was much the same thing.
/ But the very strangest thing is this: For
/ all that Houei-T' yes benevoiences dotted
/ China even into Turkestan for centuries.
/ his name has been unknown and the
walls that held the pictures Of his face
/ have been hidden. At last one sand-cov-
/ cred rock-hewn library has been uncov-
/ cred by men Of an alien race and the
/ name Of Houei-Tze again blossoms forth.
/ A combination OF French scientific zeal
/ and a friendly sandstorm. blown perhaps
/ by the great librarians starving soul. did
/ It. But for the Two the Chinese Car
negie OF the fifth century would have
/ gone on being forgotten. Il almost makes
/ one wonder what Is the use OF giving
away libraries and things Ike that after
all
The French expedition was under the
guidance OF VI. Peliiot. an explorer Of note.
They left Paris in June. 1906. and have
! T.
no Joke 10 the traveller. Il IS mostly
desert. whose temperature varies from 80
degrees 10 % below zero. Il wasn't al
ways like that, but the foolish people
chopped down the trees In the days Of
plenty-which shows that there Is another
thing being done now that China knows
all about. At last they struck a place
called Touen-Houang once a powerful
city, now a collection OF a dozen huts. In
the hills back OF the town they found
about 800 grottOes filled with the most in
teresting rock paintings. One day a sand
storm came up. The walled-in door OF a
cave was uncovered. It was opened and
10! Mr.. Carnegie TOuei-T' re. who had
pinned his faith Of immortality upon
Libraries. was suddenly justified.
Inside this institution were some 600
/ rolls Of manuscripts and compact pack
ages &C separate leaves between boards
Joined by cords. 1t was apparent that the
place had been walled up about 1895, under
the menace of an imminent invasion. and
that the manuscripts thus hidden, to-
gether with statues, paintings. and other
objects. go back as far as the first century.
17o
ten in the usual text Of the Chinese Bud
dhist. although some Of the writings are
in Hindu and the dialect OuigOur Among
them were some OF the classic works on
religion, some fragments Of the lives of
pilgrims and stories OF voyages, particu-
larly the rare voyage OF Houei-T' CHI 40
in the Five Indies. But most illuminative
was the deed which Mr.. Houei-T re, per-
haps relative OF the traveller gave to
the monks when the library was finished
and which contained a short account of
his demands. his benevolences, and his
reasons. Libraries I have given by the
score" read the document I have scat
! tered them over all the land that the
light Of learning may never be dimmed
and that the grateful may do honor to
my memory as long as Buddha lives.
Into dark places have thrown the light
and the light will be with me forever.
In this library which have built and
furnished and into which I have caused
to be placed many honorable treatises and
works. II is my desire that my portrait be
placed and the name Of the giver, for
other generations to see A list Of some
200 such institutions all the gifts Of the
benevolent Houei. are named and a short
account Of his pedigree AID activities.
From this latter it is cleaned that he be-
gan as poor boy in the tiger province
to the north of China; that he fitted out
mercantile expeditions and became very
rich; that after a time he sought what to
do with his money, and so conceived the
idea of handing down his name 70 indeh-
mite perpetuity through the library
scheme.