The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-25
DESCRIBES OLD
CHINESE CUSTOM
Miss Ethel N. Long Writes of Civ
ing Food to the Poor

uage preparatory To engaging in active
missionary work, provide an interest
Ing description Of the old Chinese Gus
tom of distributing free food To the
poor of that land during the winter
months, when work is slack The let
ter follows
There is very interesting custom
which most cities observed in former
days, but which is going out of style"
now. Everyone knows that China has
millions of extremely poor people but
not all know what is done To relieve
this poverty.
The three months of the year, De-
cember, January and February when
there is very little work for the people
To do in the fields or on the canal. are
the months when IL is hardest to get
over the days" as the Chinese say. So
contributions are given by the rich
people with which miilet flour is
bought. This is then cooked and dis
tributed daily To the people at certain
times.
I'VE went down the other day Ia see
lhis free distribution OF food and Il
surely is an interesting and unusual
sight. An old temple Is used rs the
kitchen and inside are thirteen great
Kettles in which the mush is cooked.
Each kettle holds about leo gallons ,i
water and $50 pounds of grain and
this is cooked until the mush is quite
| thick.
Each kettle has "A fire beneath
which is necessarily fed with fuel
which il much like our corn-stalks
food ready and filling the extra kettles
outside so as To be ready for the rush
| In the morning.
"A great iron bell IL sounded wher
the food Is ready in the morning anC
| the gates are opend 10 let in In,
crowds Of people. The men go in on
side and the women on the other an,
when all are in, the gates are shut 81
that no tardy person gets "A meal.
From the court, "A narrow gat'
|
mush is doled out. Policemen guarC
this gate and let the people through. 4;
few at time. How they do crowd
SO tightly that they have 10 hold thei
baskets high above their heads. Otter
children are crushed TO death here, bu
they must be brought for a large ladl
fun of mush is given for each chill
that comes along. The parents mus
bring them To prove that they nee
the food. often children are borrowe
for the purpose of getting extra food
At the two large outside kettles VIII
j dish out the mush. one ladle full fo
each one of the family that has com
and then the people pass out at an
other gate.
Other men are kept busy bringin
out pals of mush to keep the kettle
full. After the gates are shut, tn
people inside are counted and
enough mush is not already cooke,
the cooks get to work and make som
more. 1t is an exciting time all RICH
and it is late in the afternoon befor
the people have all been fed.
Usually 5000 or 5000 people al
fed in one day, and sometimes as man
as 10000. When they have their foo
and have passed out at the gate. man
OF them squat down on the ground
eat their food and the place looks lik
one big picnic ground. one realize
anew how very many blind people an
crippes there are in this land for a
that can do so come TO get food.
AS said before food formerly wa
given out for three months, hut no
most of the cities are using this none
[, to establish trade schools where IL
people can be taught trade and /
given employment. Probably this
the last year food will be given out
I.intsing: there was much discussio
as to whether il would he given OF
this year. They plan To give out foe
for a month, or AS long as the none
lasts.
: Il forgot to explain about the has
: kets in which the people receive Il
mush. They are made here of son
? kind Of rush or reed and closely WoNe
: so that they will hold water. The
? are often used in irrigating. They al
of all sizes from the little round one
: which a child takes To hold his shai
of mush to the very large ones tn;
, the mother of family" takes To IL"
what she wants. Please don't ask
,h,,. or, cl.,n for I would have To 50
NO" very decidedly: but ii is con
| forting to think that the mush doesn
r stick and that it is as clean, or mo
Y so. than the food To which they a.
n accustomed.
III "'rhe order preserved here did mus
credit tn the managers ana the "a
| rangements were really well planne
This custom has been observed for
;. long that they. those in charge. ha'
learned the best way in which To do
i "One of the teachers brought in SUE
n an interesting story of an official in
d village west of this place that | mu
h relate IL.
There had been many robberies nj
= this official determined TO catch Z
II thieves. so he dressed as peddler al
= went through the village seeing al
@ hearing all that he could. Finally
succeeded in finding the guilty ones.
a when they were arrested al
= brought before him. they denied TN
n they were guilty, hut the official turn
, IN one of them and said: don't 4