V-
,'M.
VOLUME 6, NUMBER I
i.
X
from Hankow lo Canton, tho tourist can land
at Shanghai, take a river boat bIx hundred miles
up the Yangtso Klong to Hankow, then by rail
to Pokln, about eight hundred miles north, then
back through Hankow to Canton nearly i as far
Houlli, from which point, there aro dally boats to
Hong Kong. This trip, covering newly a thou
Band miles of river travel and about fifteen hun
dred miles of railroad travel (not Including the
return trip from Pckin to Hankow) can bo made
In tho time formerly spent In travel along tho
coast and furnishes an Infinitely better oppor
tunity for the study of tho country and tho
people As a matter of precaution I ought to
add that Pokln Is so far north that before the
opening of tho railroad it was extremely difficult
to visit, it aftor tho ilrst of December, and even
now it Is desirablo that tho trip snould be made
boforo tho middle of November.
China is well watered; tho largest river the
Yangtao Klang, which empties into the ocean at
Shanghai, Is throe thousand miles long, drains
more than half a million squnro miles and soven
hundred miles abovo Its mouth carries a volume
of water estimated at five hundred cubic feet
per second. It is ono of tho great rivers of tho
earth and is navigable for largo vessels for
more than a thousand miles.
Tho Yollow rivor, or, In Chinese, tho Hwang
Ho, drains a basin almost as large and is nearly
as long, but does not carry so xargo a volume
of water. This is tho river whoso overflows have
been so disastrous as to earn for It tho name
of "The Great, Sorrow." This river carries down
bo much deposit that within recent times It has
so choked its original outlet as to form a new
channol entering tho ocean some three hundred
miles farther north. At that time thousands of
, vlUagOB wore swept away and the loss of life
waB estimated at several millions. The current
of tho Yollow river ia so shifting, the sandbars
so numerous and tho volume of water so change
able that tho river is practically useless for navi
gation. Besides these, there aro a number of rivers
of less imporlanco and tributaries of these two
largo rivors which only seem small by compari
son. As if inspired by tho numerous and oxten
slvo natural watorways, the Chinese people,, cen
turies ago connected the great water systems by
an . immenso canal, which with tho streams uti
lized by it, gave water communication between
Pokln and Canton. This canal, sometimes known
as tho Transit river, is nearly twlco as long as
the Brie canal and is not only tho greatest work
of its kind In Asia, but at tho time of its con
struction was the greatest in tho world.
Before speaking of tho people, a word should
be said In regard to the great wall. It extends
from tho ocean westward along tho northern
boundary of China proper for a distance of about
fifteen hundred miles, climbing in its tortuous
course hills and mountains, one more than five
thousand feet high. It Is about twenty-five feet
thick at the base and fifteen at tho top and
varies from fifteen to thirty in height It is made
of earth with a shell of stone or large brick to
hold the earth in place. Tho watch towers built
at intervals along tho lino add to its imposing
appcaranco and niako it an object of historic in
terest, although a largo part of tho wall has
fallon into decay and in some places only a ridge
of dirt remains. This wall was constructed about
two hundred years boforo tho. Christian era as
a protection against the hostile tribes of the
north, and for many centuries It answered its
purpose, although today it only suggests a tre
mendous waste of labor.
But the groat wall, imposing as it is because
of its length, is inferior in helgnt, thickness nnd
construction to some of the city walls. The
wall of the city of Pokln, for instance, Is about
six y feet high and forty feet wide at its base
and is kept In excellent repair. The "all en
closes what is known as the Tartar city and is
nearly four mlles Bqunp0t H ;
rise above each gate, and to gIVe still greater
WhffiVh 8? pelint0 enclosed Tauaro"
While tho walls of the c ty of Pokln are the mwt
substantial in the empire; the wnlta of Nanking
tho former capital, enclose nearTy four times as
much ground. There was a double object K
making tho walls of the city so extensive. First
to provide for future growth and, second, to en
ablo the people to withstand a longer selgo. How
well the second purposo was served is shown by
lVf fa,ct,thK duv!nB the Tal-ping rebel ion the
city of Nanking was besieged for thirteen years
Just outside tho walls of the city may still bo
seen the earthworks thrown up by Mr iaV
army which somimes numbered UiirnSttoui
But it must not bunderstood that the capital
The Commoner
cities were the only ones protected by walls. On
the contrary, all the cities aVo walled; ono sees
ilfteon or twenty of these walled cities on tno
railroad from Pekin to Hankow and a number
of others on the ride down tho river to Shanghai.
The agricultural population, instead of oc
cupying individual farms as in America, is
gathered in little villages, each home being en
closed in its own wall. During the summer the
people swarm out from tho cities and villages
and cultivate their little tracts of land with the
most primitive tools, carrying the farm products
back to their homes on wheelbarrows or in
baskets balanced on poles. In tho north of China
tho camel is used for long distance travel and
in tho south we saw the water buffalo drawing
the plow, but in China less than anywhere wo
have been has man supplemented his strength
by the strength of .domestic animals.
In the cities tho streets aro so narrow that
travel by ordinary vehicles is impossible. In
Pokln there are a few wide streets leading from
tho gates through the city and on tnese a pe
culiar heavy wheeled, springless cart is used,
but most Of the streets are more like alleys in
which two 'rikishas can hardly pass. We did
not see a full sized horse in tho capital city.
Some ponies have been brought down from Man
churia (Manchuria is regarded as the personal
property of the imperial family and there is a
royal monopoly in ponies) but the most popular
saddle animal is the patient donkey. It looks
ludicrous to see a fat Chinaman perched upon
the rump of one of these tiny beasts, but thero
seems to be entire harmony between the two .
and the donkey trudges along with as little
thought of change as tho ancient race whom he
serves.
In Canton the streets are not wide enough
for the 'rikisha and both the pony and the donkey
are conspicuous by their absence. The sedan
chair, borne by coolies, was the only conveyance
we saw in a day's tour of the city and it required
some engineering to make any headway with it
when two parties met.
Although the business buildings are seldom
more than two stories high, (the residences are
usually only one story) the streets .are so nar
row and so filled with signs and advertising ban
ners that the sun 'can scarcely find its way to the
pavement. The " stores arQ, narrow little stalls
with tho entire front open to the street. Often
there is a little shrino outside the dOOr where
incense is burned and innumerable gods of wood,
brass and stone are to be seen.
While in their style of dress and in their in
stitutions the Chinese are much the same through
out tho empire, they differ considerably in size
and color according to the latitude, and fn fea
tures according to race history. In the north
tho people are lighter and larger than in the
south, while the men and women of Manchuria
have coarser and stronger faces than the Chinese.
The people in the north seem to be more vigorous
and warlike, and less artistic than the people of
the south.
The shaved forehead and the queue were
prescribed by tho Manchurian rulers two hundred
and fifty years ago as a sign of subjection, but
they are now a source of pride, and no greater
humiliation can bo inflicted upon one than to
cut off his queue. In the northern provinces the
men, women and children wear padded clothes,
generally of. dark blue cotton. The breeches of
tho men are tied at the ankles anr" tho long
narrow coat reaches almost to the fee in China
the women also wear trousers, but tin are more
like the American article and the couc wor.ii by
the women is considerably shorter than that
worn by the men. China is a great place for
furs, and the -right to wear sable is conferred as
a mark of distinction upon the higher officials,
u. Maiichu women and tho Chinese women'
differ materially. The Manchus, whose ancestors
came from Manchuria, still retain the customs
peculiar to their section. Tho hair Is stretched
over a broad, wlngllko frame and throe hours
are required for its arrangement. Flowers, nat
ural and artificial, and ornaments made of
feathers, beads and tinsel are profusely used in
hair decoration. The Manchu women, except the
widows, employ paint and powder with a bold
ness which would put to shame the most inveter
ate user of cosmetics in America. In tho paint
ing here there is no suggestion of a delicate
Sl?S f h,0l?thi lt ! a senerous application of
?ii?nvll ?i W Streaks' numiS from above
the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The rest
of the face is whitened with rice powder, which
neck harmonIs5G with tho yellow skin of the
But if tho Manchu women show more vanitv
n the treatment of the face, thoy at least dn iS
Imitate the Chinese women in the bind? g of To
feet, though by wearing skirts and a shoe rest-
ing on a block, shaped like a French heel, the
size of the foot is concealed.
Foot binding is probably the strangest form
that human pride has ever taken, and itlis hard
to believe that Chinese women from time im
memorial have endured the agonies of foot bind
ing and forced it upon their daughters. Itis not
known certainly how the custom originated.
One tradition is that it began with a club-footed
queen; another that it was 'designed to distin
guish the upper class women from the coolies;
and a third tradition has it that it was a scheme
devised by tlie men for keeping the women at
home. But whatever causes may have led to tho
inauguration of the custom, it has become so
firmly established that a prominent Chinaman told
me that being opposed to foot binding, he had,
when a young man, tried to find a wife with
natural feet but was not able to do so. He has
in recent years persuaded his wife to unbind her
feet and has kept his daughters from undergoing
the ordeal.
The process, as described by a physician and
as shown in a photograph and model which I se
cured, is as follows: At the age of five or six
the little girl's feet are tightly bandaged, "the sec
ond, third, fourth and fifth toes being' gradually
brought back under the sole of the fpot; the
heel is then drawn forward under the instep and
the natural growth of the foot entirely arrested.
The medical missionaries report instances in
which the foot has rotted away because of lack
of circulation. On one of the boats we met an
intelligent Chinese merchant who, after condemn
ing the practice of foot binding and telling us
that, in opposition to his wife's- wishes and in
opposition to the girl herself, he had saved ono
daughter from foot binding, compared this custom
to that of lacing, which he affirmed was much
more injurious. He also ventured to suggest
that Chinese -women do not expose their-health
and their shoulders in decollete gowns, hut per
ceiving that he had disebverea a weak'spot in
our own social armor, 1 hurriedly changed.' the
subject. But I must reserve for another' article
tho discussion of other characteristics. : .
Copyright.
JJJ
: -James Stephen Hoggr," fofm'er governor" of
Texas, and known by name. anoV reputation in
every democratic home, died.at Houston March 3.
. ."Governor Hogg was born in Cherokee county,
Texas, March. 24, 1S51. Until 1873 he was a
printer and editor. He began his public services
as. a road overseer and was elected justice of the
peace; then he was chosen couaty attorney, "and.
later was elected and re-elected to the office of
district attorney. In 1886 he, became attorney gen
eral of the state of Texas. He held that office
for four years, and in 1890 was chosen governor,
holding that position for four years. He retired
from the governor's chair to the practice of law.
In, every public position Mr. Hogg discharged
his duty faithfully. His sympathies were unques
tionably on the side of the people. ' He was un
compromising on questions affecting public inter
ests. To the people of Texas he rendered distin
guished service, being foremost in the development
of enterprises tending to advance the material in
terests of that state, and quick to champion re
forms for the protection of the people from the
representatives of special interests.
The democrats of Texas loved him for hia
splendid personal traits, for his rugged honesty,
his great courage, and his devotion to democratic -principles;
democrats everywhere who had come
to know him, not, of course, so intimately as those
of his own state knew him, were drawn to him
and, because of the recognition of Governor
Hogg's high character as citizen and as democrat,
dm? wideapread Srief because of his untimely
'VlhJSafneJ?PaPerB f TGXaS fllled With Wgh
w W ith0 mem?ry of tlliB ereat man- These
ThVn11111 by the people of Texas,
ni LH?i St W whose edltor liad an intimate
personal acquaintance with Governor Hogg savs
Wotl nf11118 ' OUght ffusSg
mi! L0f,SOrrT,tho PePle -of Texas,' and
M eloquent tribute which must also servo
to inspire those who fight for the principles to
which James S. Hogg's life was devoted
The Post says: "Governor Hogg's public
career, was not of long duration, m its more im
tfofbe it was compassed by The bS
limits of eight years, four of which were merely
years o preparation in the office of attorney gen
eial. He appears to have been imbued with one
!LTXT?e' Wllh little eoncern forUSattE
inihiunn mi S? comraou an aspirant of political
ambition. That one so. strongly intrenched In
Public confidence and affection so Se!?ful In
,i
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