The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-11-25
prepared by the National Geographic 81

| tPrepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. D. c.
~ ANTON is the Paris and Bun
ker Hill of China.
A The Chinese say that he
who has not lived in Canton
knows not luxury. Equally true is it
that the American of lowliest estate
who has not seen Canton knows not
poverty. In contrast to ancient tenn
pies, and palatial homes surrounded
with park-like gardens, are the beg
CARS at their gates, covered with
sores and whining for a pittance; the
leaden-eyed porters straining under
their burden of humanity or baggage:
women hagglng for pigeon-egg- sized
lump of bean curd, half dozen pea
nuts, dozen roasted beans, or strip
of meat the size of a rasher of bacon
as a special luxury for the family din
ner.
A five and ten-cent store would be
Tiffany's for many well-to-do Can
ton families, The cent, now a sort
of war tax annoyance to US, would
have to be subdivided for the China
man. His smallest coin, the cash. nor
mally worth one-twentieth of an Amer
lean cent, was too large in some
places, and bamboo tokens are rec
ognized by tradesmen as worth half
a cash
Yet there is luxury, expressed not
only In homes, commerce, and bust
ness structures, but in products which
make Canton the art center of China
Its lacquer and sandalwood articles
are unique, its ivory carving unsur-
passed, its pottery, gem setting, and
fans, from the palm leaves we buy
for few pennies to the ivory handled
feather ones the tourist bargains for
at S25 or $50, are world famous
Revolutionary Center of China.
Periodically Canton has several
points of contact with the American.
Most likely the firecrackers which dis
turbed cur early-morning slumbers on
the Fourth Of July came from there,
as well as the fan we carried to the
community demonstration later. Can
ton was the birthplace of the revolu-
ton in 1911 that ended the Manchu
dynasty, and has been the storm cen
ter of other revolutionary activities
since
Except for few newer streets, 1t
still is true that Canton is "city of
a million without a wheel or beast
of burden" Strangely ancient in some
respects, Canton long has practiced
some of the expedients which are be-
ing urged as experiments in western
lands
SO far as her business district is
concerned, the city is thoroughly
"zoned." The shopper may find prac-
tically all the city has to offer in wood
carving on one street, in silks and en-
broideres on another, in jewels and
precious stones on another During
the coal shortage in our eastern states
in recent winters, efforts We're made to
do cooking at central kitchens and
serve food ready to eat" at homes in
the neighborhood. Long has the fuel
shortage been acute in Canton; driv-
ing the housewife to chaff, twigs, lit
ter, for her cooking, and making cook
Ing and vending on the streets a re-
course Of the poor rather than a fad
with the rich. The Chinese "hot dog
man" has greater variety, but small
er portions, than our own, and he is
not to be recommended from the
standpoint of sanitation.
Fighting the Plague.
Human life inevitably becomes
cheaper in the midst of congestion,
suffering and poverty. Early efforts
to fight the bubonic plague were grave
ly met with the argument that there
were too many mouths to feed, any
way, In Canton, and the plague. like
the typhoons, were providential for
those who escaped.
Humane science finally won the day,
and the tin boxes on street corners
are not to be mistaken for trash re-
ceptacles. They are for dead rats
which are collected and burned. The
tornadoes wreak peculiar havoc be-
cause of the peculiar dwelling place
of some 125,OOO Of Cantons inhabi-
tants-on households. These boat
dwellers, the Tan-min, are social
pariahs. Their women formerly fur
nished the singing girls" on the "f1ow
er boats,' floating haunts Of the under
world, which were burned several
years ago. Their men engage In the