The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-31
IA BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF
CHINA AS SHE is
Selected By EDWIN MARKHAM

Professor Edward A. Ross, In his
hg1 volume. The Changing Chinese"
(1he Century Company. has set forth
~ sintsresting record OF his travels
m the Far East. Here Is a part OF
what he says OF present conditions
Ia China, now In the uproar OF the
most astonishing revolution In his
China Il the European Middle
Z A90o made visible. All the cities are
sWalied. ana tho walls and the gates
hAxe bean kept In repair with an eye
80 their effectiveness The mandarin
AaS - headquarters only In q walled
fortress city.
.aThe streets OF the cities are mar
row. crooked. poorly paved. filt' and
malodorous. In North China they
admit tho circulation OF the heavy
epffnglese carts. by which alone ~as-
sengers are carried: but wherever
rfco - cultivated. the mule Is eliminat-
I'd, and tho steets are ada~ted only
10 the circulation OF wheelbarrows
ana pedestrians The shopkeeper
builds his counter In front of his lot
line: the stalls lire the street with
their crates and baskets: the artisans
overflow into It with their work
benches. and the final result Is that
the trafnc hltcrs palnfniiy tnsousn a
= Six-foot passage which would pc
vet more encroached on but for the
fact that the officials insist on there
being room left for their sedan chairs
70 pass each other.
Until recently there was no force
In the cities to maintain public order.
Now. khaki-clad policemen. ciup IN
hand, patrol the streets: but their EN-
cheney In time OF tumuit Is by no
means indicated. A slouching. bare-
foot. mild-faced gendarme. such as
you see In Canton, Is by no means
IN awe-inaplring embodiment OK me
majesty Of the law. !.
There ID no common supply OF
~rater. When, city lies bv river.
ira raw river water Is borne about to
>fhe houses by regular water-earriers,
ana the iiveiong day the rtver-stairs
are wet from the drip OF buckets.
WhAn the water is too thick II is par
tally clarified by stirring 1t with
perforated Joint OF bamboo contain
tng some pieces of alum mere -
40 public lighting. and utter nfEft-
san the streets are dark. forbidding
nnd little frequented. Until kero-
! nana began 10 penetrate the empire
she common source OF light was a
candle m a paper lantern. or COT
ton wick lighted In an open cup OF
peanut oil. Owing to the lack OF
rood fIIumlnAHts the peaN - -" -
Ma retire with the fowls ana rise
.Fuel IS economical and household
aconomy simpiified among the pool
by the custom Of relying largely on
the food cooked and vsnded IN me
street. The portable street restaurant
In in high favor.
.sProper chimneys are wanting ant
wherever cooking goes ON the walls
are black with the smoke that Is LEI
10 escape AZ It will. Chinese int
ricrss are apt to be dark, for, In tht
\ sbseucs Of window glass. the oni,
means Of letting In light without
westher II BY passing paper as lat
;ttce. The floors are dirt. brick OF
tile; the roof tile or thatch. To the
passerby private ease and luxury are
little in evidence II man has HOUSE
ana grounds OF beauty. high wal
hides them from the gaze OF the pub
8 ltc.
stNost striking in the contrast be
tween China and Japan In respect Il
neatness. The Chinese seem neglect
ful ana ignorant Of the art OF care
taking and repair. They have neve'
acted on the maxim. "A stitch IL
time saves nine" They prefer to built
new rather than to keep up the old
I In Japan everything looks spick ane