Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-14
BELFAST
Ate Birds-nest Soup in Canton
China-Mrs. ShaW's Talk

If when in China one should at
tempt to do az the Chinese do. it
would be well to ask no questions
az to what Is served to eat, and
those who heard the most interesting
and informal talk on Canton, given
by Mrs. Richard e. Shaw miss Ma
rion Hazeltine) before the women of |
the Federated League are OF this
impression.
Mrs. Shaw has lived In the Far
East since her marriage several
years ago, and on her occasional
visits home has told her friends
some most interesting things about
the Orient as 1t Is seen, not by the
tourist but by one who lives there
for some time. Although in both
China and Japan the foreigner does
not really see the home life of the
people they do get a much more in
innate impression of the people and
customs than those who spend but
a short time sightseeing.
Mrs. Shaw found Canton one of
the most interesting of all the for
eign cities in which she has lived
and her talk was repiete with sur
prising and entertaining adventures.
In the first place the British,
American, French and other foreign
ers going to Canton do not live in
the native city. which Is sacred to
the Chinese alone. They have there
fore purchased small island. con-
nected with two bridges, 70 feet long,
on which they have their homes.
This city Is called Shameen and con-
tains three streets, banks, shops in
which foreign goods are sold and
the residences of the men and wom-
en- who are in business there. The
streets are grassed like O lawn, with
concrete walks. and no labor except
coolie Is allowed there. If one has
q piano to be moved. coolies hang
1t on a pole and carry it. 1t is the
same with trunks and household
goods. The architecture is English
for the most part, and many beau
tiful shade trees have been planted
, by the foreigners, making 1t q beau
tiful spot.
Mrs. Shaw told of shopping and
sightseeing excursions into the ma
tive city of Canton, with it's longest
ed population, which by the way, no
census can estimate accurately ow-
ing to the large number of people
who live in boats. These boats can
be bought for about $50 ana whole
families live on them. They have
no taxes or rent to pay and If they
get tired of their neighborhood or
the location they simply row to an
other place. One hears in Canton
that many of these boatmen are
descendants Of outlaws and pirates,
but there appears to be quite as
many on land.
An interesting thing about the
shopping district of Canton is the
segregation of the various wares.
For instance. IL one wished to buy.
bit of jade, the chair coolie would
take his passenger to the district
where only jade is sold. A whole
street, lined on either side with
shops selling jade. 1t would seem
to the foreigner that jade could be
picked up for a song out there, but
this is not so. Mrs. Shaw told of
necklaces worth thousands of dol
lars in gold and said that she looked
for q small piece TO set in a little
finger ring and could find nothing
less than $50 gold. The white Jade
is rare and the story is told of a for
e1gner who bought beautiful white
jade jar. set on a teakwood stand
ard. paying big price for it only
to find later that it was a jar such
as potted cheese is sold in n~this
country.
Other streets are devoted to shops
selling silks. or worries or embroid-
cries. The streets are very narrow
and the coolies rush their passenger
along. lodging into door ways to let
another pass until one feels almost
lost. They speak no English but
understand the word Shameen. and
that magic word gets one home if
lost. -
1t was some time after she had
been in China that Mrs. Shaw and
her husband. manager of the branch
bank of the International Banking
Corporation in Canton. were invited