Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-05-28

L L
IS the gates Of the imperial palace,
Al the legation quarter stretches
III along the huge wall of the inner
or Tartar city and covers an area
a mile long by half mile wide. Be
fore the Boxer uprising of 1900 there
was no legation quarter distinct and
separate from the rest Of the city.
The legations were then scattered in
and about Chinese shops and houses
in that part of the city now definitely
set apart for the residences of for
eign ENJOYS.
After the siege of the legations by
the boxers the foreign powers decided
that it was necessary to fortify the
| legations and to maintain permanent
| guards for their protection. The
Chinese buildings in the area set apart
for the legations were demolished and
the grounds of the respective legations
were enlarged. A high fortified wall
was built on three sides of the lega-
ton quarter, while on the fourth the
wall of the Tartar city was occupied
by soldiers Of the American and Ger
| udu 1cSdlIUu SudIuS.
Defended by Moat and GIacis.
| In order to render the corner more
defensible a deep moat was dug out
side the fortified wall and outside of
this large space was cleared of
houses. This open space, which sur
rounds the quarter ON three sides, is
called the glacis and is used as a drill
ground by the troops of the various
legation guards. Viewed from the
wall of the Tartar city the legation
quarter with it's palatial buildings, all
erected in western style, presents
striking contrast to the rest of Picking,
with it's curved roofs, pylos and pago-
das
Eleven Of the fourteen nations rep
resented in Picking have their lega-
lions located inside of the legation
F.. quarter. Each legation has a spacious
compound in which there is a group
of large, modern buildings. Besides
! the residences of the minister, each
| legation has houses for the legation
secretaries, interpreters and clerks.
| Attached to each legation, excepting
| the Spanish, there the barracks for
the soldiers of the legation guard and
houses for their officers. Besides the
legation the quarter also contains the
J Offices of the Chinese customs serv-
| ice, which is managed by foreigners,
seven foreign banks, representing the
financial interests of European and
American capitalists doing business in
| China, several commercial establish
ments, and a large European hotel.
There are few communities in the
world more cosmopolitan than the
| legation quarter of Picking. In the
course Of an hour one may hear most
| Of the languages of Europe and Asia
! spoken. There is, however, no con-
| fusion of tongues, as everybody speaks
! English, which is the "Lengua Franco"
! of the far east One is impressed
by the international character of the
| place more by the uniforms of the
military than by anything else. Sim
/ ply by walking down Legation street
! and observing the sentries at the vari-
| Gus legation gates one may see the
uniforms of the worlds greatest arm
| les.
| By taking promenade around the
! glacis one may observe the military
| tactics of many nations. Near the
| front gate Of the imperial palace one
sees company of Uncle Sans sol
/ diers of the marine corps drilling;
/ across the street on the Russian
glacis there are cossacks performing
/ re ~ to-
| further up toward the pink wall of
the imperial cit some Of King Georges
! royal fusiliers are engaged in sig
| nal practice to the north of the lega-
/ ton wall the Japanese, Italians and
| Austrians are drilling furfously; on
the east giacis the celebrated French
Infanterie Colleoniale are performing
the Tartar wall. the Germans are
maneuVering huge field guns.
| Social Forms English.
| In Picking, as in the far east gen.
orally, the social customs are dictated
! by the English. This accounts for the
formality which characterizes most of
the social functions in the legations.
| The custom OF dressing for dinner is
very generally observed. During the
social season there are balls and din
! ners in the legations almost every
| night. At these functions great care
| is exercised to seat people according
to their rank and dignity. In order
to facilitate this rather ticklish task