Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-06-01

N~A''|~A>"'~Ay CHu NNiib Noc OAi SiiN
prov where Mr.. Smith through ar
Interpreter lowing to difference ir
dialect) spoke to him about permit
/ ting us to go on to Kwai Hsien, but
| he said he had orders to take the
! boat back to Kwai Ping. So he
| slowly moved some of his poor fel-
| lows over on our boat and we al
turned back to Kwai Ping which
was reached some time in the night
| When daylight came we were tieC
up with several other small boats
and whole fleet of the little Chi
| nese row boats, etc, and the towr
with its most unsightly side towarG
us. These river towns are buil'
Just about the highwater mark anC
have foundations or poles running
up three or four stories high on the
river side, which perhaps make
them one story buildings on the
street side. Perhaps they are main
ly OF brick (for white ants are the
enemies of wooden construction)
but some are of wood. There never
was any beauty of architecture tt
| them and now that the hand of time
and the god of filth have done theil
service, they are still "unbeautiful. ;
The rocky shore, which has per
maps been an anchoring place fo1
boats for centuries. shows not a sin
gle post or pin set for fastening the
vessels, but each one is tied to a
crag or loose rock, just as may be
handy and possible. Waste water
and various and sundry articles rem
der tho c1, 4
than it otherwise would be. Most
of the larger boats are filled with
soldiers; soldiers walk about the
shore; few horses (more exactly
"horselets" or ponies) are tied out; !;
villagers are going hither and yon-
der; dead soldiers are carried out on
shore; and here we lie not knowing
why we were turned back (unless
to tighten the other boat) and even
more ignorant of when we shall
nave opportunity to proceed. Yon-
der goes boat, but its engines are
l90 horsepower and ours but TO-
There are rapids in this other river
where the soldiers are going and We
are consoling ourselves bit that
our boat is not strong enough to
make that trip. And the day pass
es without us making any prog
ress.
Another morning comes and we
are still tied up. We can at least
use our eyes upon such objects as
are within reach. Let us look about
bit. Right down at the stern is
the kitchen, housed in about half
way up. leaving easy room for the
cooks to bale the big cooking yes
sells empty when one variety Of food
IS finished, by using an iron "wea-
pom very closely resembling the
little fire shovels some Americans
keep about the CRATES. This kitchen
has one table, built for business and
not for ornamentation The top
serves as place to prepare food
and for the cooks to eat. If you go
at the right time yau can see
Chlnaman squatting with his bare
feet on the corner of the table.
while he and his comrades eat one
or the other of their two daily
meals. Half way down, there is a
shelf for dishes, and the lower part
of the table is a coop for fowls
awaiting the slaughter. At the end
OF the table are two little compart-
ments scarcely large enough to
turn around in. BY rhetorical
figure called "hyperbole" these are
designated toilets. They have ce-
ment floors with small openings and
no hXtures. If Yankee makes the
right kind of signs, one of the at
tendants will draw bucket of wa
ter and 'fush" the place, but water
does not kill the odor which almost
Kills the foreign occupant.
The passengers carry their bed
ding and pick out any spot which
pleases them and spread first their
straw mat Ga bit like floor matting)
and then place their other belong
lngs upon this, slip out of their
CLOGS and sit down. The open
berths around the sides of the boat.
of which we have three, are the
choice places. There are men ev-
eryWhere-in the two cabins, in the
"saloon," in the hold, on the roof.
back in the kitchen and out on the
DOW. The other boats are alive
with men. Imagine the still waters
OF the edge of the river receiving all
the filth and waste from these
boats and the cooks at the same
time dipping up water from the
river and preparing the meals.
And now let us look at the SOL
dlers. They are all young, and
some are younger. There are little
boys of from 10 to IA; others a lit
tie beyond; and some are men. The
youngest may not be armed. but
merely attendants. The uniforms
are not strictly uniform" but worn
ana faded cotton garments of diff
ferent kinds. Some have caps:
some have towels about their heads:
some, perhaps, are without cover
ing. Here is one lad with two cot
ton cartridge belts, a bayonet and
belt to carry it in, knapsack,
rlf1e, one straw sandal hanging
somewhere on his equipment, and
great sun helmet made of bamboo
or similar material and having a
spread of two or three feet None.
except the officer, has an overcoat.
Some have cotton umbrellas. and
the supply of bedding is not great.
Some Of them are sick and some are
dying. There on the PROV sits
youth looking half dead, and at his
feet lies a form which may be Who'll
~ dead. Let us stand here and watch
the preparation for burial. The
crude, shallow, unpainted coffin is
Will Surely Help Others
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