Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-30
Birds Eye View Of China as it Is
selected .by EDWIN MARKHAM.

Prof Edward A. Ross In NE new vol
ume, The Changing Chinese CThe Gen.
fury company. has set forth an interest
ins record Of his travels In the far. east.
Here Is part Of what he says Of present
conditions In China. now IN the uprosr Of
the most astonishing revolution In his
tory;
China 10 the European middle ages
made visible. All the cities are walled.
and the walls and the gates have been
kept In repair with an eye TO their Il.
fsctiveness. The mandarin has his head
quarters only in walled fortress-city.
The streets Of the cities are narrow.
crooked. poorly paved. filthy and malod-
orous. In North China they admit the
circulation OF the heavy springless carts.
by which alone passengers are carried:
but. wherever rice 10 cultivated. the mule
ID eliminated. and the streets are adapted
only 10 the circulation OF wheslbarrows
and pedestrians The shopkeeper builds
his counter In front Of his lot line: the
stalls line tho street with their crates
and baskets: the artisans overflow into Il
result 10 that tho traffic filters painfully
through q six-foot passage which would
be yet more encroached on but for the
fact that the officials insist on their be-
ing room left for the sedan chairs to
pass each other. 3at T#
Until recently there was no force In
the cities TO maintain public order. Nov,
khaki-clad policemen. club In hand. patrol
the streets; but their efficiency In time
Of tumult 10 BY no means indicated A
slouchins. barefoot. mild-faced gendarme,
such ~ you sse In Canton, IL By no means
an awe-inspirinG embodiment Of the ma
jssty Of the Law.
There v no common supply OF water.
When 4 city lies by river. the raw river
water 10 borne about TO the houses BY
regular water carriers. and the iiyelone
day the river stairs are wet from tho
drip Of bucksta When the water IL too
thick IL 10 partially clarified by stirring
II with . perforated joint Of samboo COO
tAininz some pieces Of alum. There Ia no
public lighting, md after nightfail the
streets are dark and forbidding and little
frsquented, Until kerosene began to pene-
trate the empire. the common source Of
light was candle In q paper lantern.
or cotton wick lighted in an open cup
Of peanut oil. Owing to the lack Of o
good iiluminant. the bulk OF the people
retire with the fowls and rise with the
sun.
Fuel II economical and household
economy stmpiified among the poor by the
custom Of relying largely on the food
cooked and vended In the street The port
able street restaurant IN In high favor.
Proper chimneys are wanting. and
wherever cooking goes on the walls sre
black With the smoke that Is left to e.
cape ~ it will.- Chinese Interiors are apt
to be DARK; for. In the absence Of window
Elass. the only means Of letting In Hight
without weather IL by passing paper a.
lattice. The floors are dirt. brick or tile.
the roof tile or thateh. To the passerby,
private case and luxury are little In evi-
denoe. liza man has house and grounds
Of beauty, q high wall hides them from
the gaze Of the public.
Most striking b the contrast between
China and Japan In respect 10 nsatnens
The Chinese seem nsgisctfui and iEnor-
ant Of the art Of caretakins ana repair.
They have never acted on the maxim.
"A stitch In time saves nine" They pre-
fer 10 build new rather than to keep I'd
the old. In Japan everything looks splek
ana span. walls well washed. mats bright.
roads In good repair. piles Of rubbish
nowhere to be seen.
the Chinese packet 10 fortunate In
opening at the sids instead Of at the
front. When the winter winds OF Peking
gnaw Of you with Siberian teeth. you
realize how stupid is our western, way Of
cutting q notch in front right down
through ovsreoat. coat and vest, appar.
emily In order that the cold may do its
worst 10 the tender throat and chest. On
seeing the sensible Chinanan bring his
coat squarely across hts front and fas-
ten II on his shoulder. you feel like an
exposed totem worshiper.
I'm the absence Of good roads and
draft animals the utmost use has been
made of the countless waterways and
there are probably as many boats In
China a. In all the rest Of the world
Nowhere else are there such clever