Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-11
AhOTH HER GOOD
LETTER ROM CHAS.
4. HERSCH[EB
Kuling, China,

the most superficial nature. 1t is all
largely first impressions and as such
We must give them.
We came to China with strange
ideas Of this strange land. | well
remember the first time l saw a
''Chinaman.' He ran laundry
located somewhere near the place
where Mr. Davis used to sell such
good ice cream and dispense a gen
eral line of other goodies so attrac-
tive to us boys. John the Chinaman
was strange, indeed, his dress, his
queue, etc, and in addition the stor-
les we heard of eating with chop
sticks, the peculiar kinds of food
including rats and oft times little
boys First impressions are indeed
most lasting, for tho since that time
I had read much about China, these
first mental pictures remained until
| reached the shores of this great
land.
That which is most attractive i'm
strange peoples are the common
place things of life. How do they
live? What do they eat? What do
they do? In just home7y manner.
I shall attempt to tell something re
these common place things.
How do the Chinese live? l recall
how difficult it was for me to grasp
the meaning of it all as our train
pulled in to Marking, a city of some
800, 900 people. We could see a high
wall and above it the blue
sky. No high buildings, no sky
5trapers, no noise like that of our
American city life, and no smoke.
The Chinese build one story build
ings for the most part and while oc-
casionally a second story is added,
/ third story is somewhat out of the
question for a building of that height
would disturb what they call the
tfengshui" of the city, a superstition
the good and evil spirits
lowering about the place. l was
told by a foreigner that he knew a
Chinese friend who had to tear down
he chimney of his house four times
and build anew because his neighbor
that it was either too
high or was not in the proper place
to afford the neighbor to receive
The good Influence Of the community.
Everything depends upon the ''feng-
3hui' (wind and Water) of the place.
AS a result the streets do not run
At right angles or parallel but rather
more like the form of a snake. There
are two reasons given for this. One
is that the evil spirits (gway) al
ways go in a straight line and if
the streets are winding, they cannot
follow them and hence lose their
way. Another is that this idea of
'fengshui" may influence one indi-
vidual to build his house on a GER
tain angle and his neighbor on am
other angle all to the end that the
good influences may be received and
the streets take care of themselves.
The houses are built either of mud
brick or of a sort of dull blush gray
clay brick. Little is done on the
for decoration, for the poor
ar the place appears the less likely
will the beggars and robbers at
tempt to have share in the sup
posed wealth of the family. Large
numbers of the poorer class live in
little straw or bamboo huts just
large enough to crawl in and sleep
and space enough for the simple
clay stove on which to cook the daily
food. One day while passing up the
street | saw an elderly gentleman
a. small bamboo grove stripping a
lew bamboo trees then bending the
tops together and placed a bamboo
nat over the top. This served as his
nome.
The furniture of the average home
is simple indeed. Only necessaries
are tolerated or rather afforded. The
floor may be of clay or brick laid
more less smoothly, benches instead
Of chairs, etc. Here and there
scroll adorns the wall, tho few
such luxuries are seen. One Satur-
lay together with two friends and
a. Chinese student who spoke Eng
Iish / tramped into the country. we
came to a farm house that Of sup
Dosedly well to do farmer. There
was one room only. No floor, the
stove in one corner, the bed in an
other, while the other corner was
filled with straw, farm impliments,
fuel, etc, while tied to rope IN
the center of the room was a lone
oorker waIlowing in small mud hol'
he apparently regarded as his very
pwn-
The ordinary Chinese family has
no set time for meals. Each men,
ber of the family partakes of his
portion Of food when he feels the
need Of it, so that often people may
be seen standing outside the front
door with a bowl of rice and deity
the chop sticks. Rice
Is the principle food tho there are
many other dishes prepared in true
Chinese style to tempt the Chinese
palate. Steamed breads, cakes and
meats of all kinds may be found on
a well to do Chinese table. AS for
the proverbiaI rat, l have not even
heard. of him. Tea drinking is a
fayorite past time. A Chinese new