Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1922-02-23
Duke Kung Descendant of confuous in Generation

NSidS III SSNSHLJ-SiNtH GSnSFaIlons
abundant yield of wheat, corn, rice,
millet, arrowroot, vegetables and fruit.
The northern plains, however, are
valueless from an agricultural stand
point because the land is saturated
with salt
Harvest Wax With Worms.
One of the novel "crops" of this
province is an odd variety of wax
harvested from the wax tree with the
aid of armies of wax worms, which are
sent forth to forage, much as the silk
worm forces are martialed for attack
on mulberry leaves. After d summers
! depredatiOns on the wax trees the
worms eXude a substance which when
melted forms wax. After the little
harvesters have paid their wax tribute
the Chinese collect them and place
them indoors where they are stall
fed" until the following spring, when
the process is repeated.
Silk culture is one of the most i'm
pOrtant industries of Shantung. One
of the varieties of fibre produced is
pongee, or Chi-fu silk, obtained from
worms that are fed on the leaves Of
dwarfed oaks. These oak spinners are
not always treated with the same con-
sideratiOn accorded the wax worms,
for, when the pongee cocoon is finished,
the worm often finds it's way to the
table of a wealthy native, where it is.
highly priced as a delicacy.
Still another rather important in
dustry of Shantung affects from far
across the sea, the peace of mind Of
modern American maids with unruly
tresses. The women of Shantung,
young and old, busy themselves tying
into form the filmy nets of hair that
make well-grOOmed cOiffures possible
on blustery spring days on Fifth ave
nue., or when the lake winds swOOp
down on Michigan boulevard. Hun
dreds of thousands of these airy manu-
features, large in numbers but few in
pounds, are shipped to America an
nually.
Birthplace Of confucius.
Shantung will ever hold a place Of
supreme affection in the hearts Of
Cinnamon, for it was in this province
that one of the worlds greatest moral
teachers, the famous sage, COnfucius
was born. Even more important-in
ancestor-revering China-COnfucius is
buried in Shantung. This was also
the native province of Mencius, one
of Confuclus' most distinguished fol-
lowers.
The tomb of COnfucius near Chowfu
is the object Of pilgrimage to many
but strangely enough 1t is not nearly
as great a drawing card as is Tai
Shan, the highest of China's FIVE
sacred mountains, which is also in holy
Shantung, and not far from ChOwfu
At Tai Shan one finds what might be
called "hOly mountaineering" de luxe.
Up the peak, which is 5000 feet high,
has been constructed a broad paved
path with stone steps wherever the
declivity is steep, and in the spring
this highway is thronged with as many
as 10000 pilgrims day. On the cliffs
which the climber passes precepts are
carved, constituting huge religious
bill boards" BY the wayside at inter
walls are temples where offerings to
the priests are made convenient.
TaOist, Buddhist and Confucian
shrines are intermingIed, though the
mountain itself has been considered a
sacred place since before the latter
two cults came into existence. At the
very crest of the holy mount are
three temples Of the three faiths.
Twentieth century communication Of
a sort was opened to the sacred places
of Shantung when the Tlen-Tsin-
Pukow railway was completed in 1912.
But it was only of n sort. One express
train a week to Pukow sufficed for su-
perior travel. but no arrangements
were made for taking care of religious
tourists.
One still goes to the home Of Con
fucius as one would have gone in the
Middle Ages. Express trains do not
pause at Chowfu station, SO miles
south of .fsi-nan, unless great officials
are aboard, and wish to alight there.
By special stipulation of Duke Kung.
descendant of Confucius and head of
the clan, the railroad passed six miles
from the city, and there are no ade-
quate accommodations for large num-