The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-08-20
prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, WASHINGTON. D c.

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, D. c.
~ ANTON is the Paris and Bun
M ker Hill Of China
The Chinese say that he
who has not lived in Canton
knows not luxury. Equally true is it
that the American Of lowliest r''tate
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
gars at their gates, covered with
sores and whining for pittance; tka
lea6en-eyed pOrterS, straining under
Their burden of humanity or baggage;
women haggling for a pigeon-egg sized
lump of bean curd, half a 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 Ar"
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 $25 or $35, are world famous.
Revolutionary Center of China.
Periodically Canton has several
points of contact with the American.
Most likely the tirecrackers 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 a few newer streets, II
still is true that Canton is a city OF
a million without a wheel or beast
of burden" Strangely ancient in some
respects, Canton long has practlced
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 ana ELL
brojderies on another, in jewels ana
nrecieus stones ON another. During
the coal shortage in our eastern states
In recent winters, efforts were made 10
do cooking at central kitchens ana
serve food ready to eat" at homes IN
the neighborhood. Long has the tuel
shortage been acute In Canton drlV-
ing the housewife TO chaff, twigs, III
ter. for her cooking, and making COOK
ing and vending on the streets re-
course of the poor rather than Lao
with the rich. The Chinese "hot dog
man" has a greater variety, but small
er portions, than our own ana ne 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
" met with the argument that there
were too many mouths to feed, any
way, I'm Canton, and the plague, IKE
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-
centacles. They are for dead rats
which are collected and burned. Inc
tOrnadoes wreak peculiar havoc ne
cause of the peculiar dwelling pace
of some 125,O00 of Canton's inhahi-
tants-on houseboats. These poat
dwellers. the Tan-min, are soclai
pariahs. Their women formerly fur-
nished the "singlng girls" on the now
err boats" floating haunts of the under
world which were burned several
wears ago. Their men engage in the
49,. .rotlc that ia nm essential fea-