BILL ARP’S LETTER
r
Talks of the Long Ago When He
Was In the Heyday of Youth.
HE TOUCHES UPON CHINESE HISTORY
—
Hoy* Who Were Taught In Old Field
School* Were Afforded I.lttle Knowl
edge of the Vast Umpire.
How fast the earth is shrinking.
How far away was China when we old
men were boys. It took a three-years’
cruise uround the w'orld to find it, and
even then our merchant men only
touched at the ports and learned but
little of the vast unknown interior.
Her immense domain was set down at
five and one-half millions of square
miles, being oue-teuth of the habitable
globe and nearly twice the area of
the United States. Her population
was in 1860 500,000,000 and is now
probably 600,000,000. Her govern
ernment for at least 3,000 years has
been one of revolutions, internal broils
and changes of dynasty, but it has
stood and still stands and no doubt
will continue to stand. Travelers tell
us that the stagnation and ignorance
that has long been charged upon China
-does not exist; that they are an indus
trious, peace-loving people, and all
their trouble comes from outsiders.
I was ruminating about this China
business and the war over there and
the cable dispatches that come in a
day, for we liad an old-time district
school in our town last night and old
Mother Felton and myself were the
two youngest scholars, bhe had on a
draw-string frock and a pair of panta
detts arid was sucking a stick of mo
lasses candy, and I had on a shirt and
one gallus and a pair of breeches that
come down nearly to the top of my
blue home-made socks. She was
Becky and I was Bill. We belonged
to the infant class and had to stand up
and spell “ba” and “bee” and “bo.”
Becky cried because she couldn’t spell
“ax” and had to go foot. I cousolated
her all I could. Kirby Anderson was
the smallest boy in school aud the
largest dunce. He was in geography
and said China was as big as Bartow
county, and that’s how I come to
ruminate about China.
All that I ever learned about China
in my geography was that Pekin was
its capital and the people were all
heathen and eat rats, aud there was
a great w all around the entire country.
Our bookmakers ought to have known
better, for Marco Polo had traveled all
over that country and lived there for
twenty-four years and was made gov
ernor of a large province, and he says
he never mingled with a better people.
Confucius gave them laws 2,500 years
ago that they still reverence and obey.
Families are faithful to each other and
children are taught to obey their pa
rents as long as they live, Confucius
had such reverence for his mother that
he mourned for her for three years
when she died. How many sous do
that iu this Christian country. Of
course they have some race traits and
customs that seem very bad to us, but
they are not malicious nor selfish nor
or they revengeful unless wrought np
to it by bad treatment.
Our Christian people massacred 200
of them out west a few years ago for
no crime but because they were iu the
way and wanted work aud accepted it
at less wages. Who ever saw a more
harmless, industrious people than
those scattered Chinamen who. are
found in almost every town and vil
lage in this country. For thirty yea- s
I have observed them in my travels
from Virginia to Texas aud never
heard a complaint. Betting and gam
bling is a national amusement, but it
is on a limited scale aud makes nobody
rich or poor. It doesn’t compare with
our stock gambling or high rolling on
steamboats or Kentucky poker among
the bloods. I never saw General John
C. Breckinridge but once, and that
was at a faro bank in Richmond dur
ing the war. Colonel Towers took me
in there to show me how the thing
was dono and to our surprise Breckin
ridge was doing it.
But the great crime against China
was the introduction of opium from
India by the English. This began in
1810, and in 1828 had gotten up to
7,000 chests. In vain and in vain did
the emperor and his counsellors pro
test and plead. They saw that the
opium habit w r as spreading aud ruin
ing their people.;. In 1838 iu had in
creased to 24,000 cheats, and its im
portation was' stopped by force of
anus—aud 21,000 chests were seized
and destroyed. This brought on a
war and the Chinese government had
to pay $21,000,000 for the opium de
stroyed, for its value was $1,000 a
•chest. Then a treaty was patched up
and the opium business increased to
"4,000 chests in 1860. I wonder what
it is now. But the English merchants
now pay a duty, but this amounts to
several millions of dollars annually.
What will not Johnny Bull do for
money? No wonder Chinamen have a
suspicion of all foreigners and a con
tempt Chinese for our missionaries. The
authorities passed a law
•against eating opium and gave it a
death penalty, but it was smuggled iu
all the same and th#y d.e«lar*l that
not eveffBuddha eoitM stop it.
Ifow as to that great Buddha, my
ple readih^tells Aofiof express nte Jhat the great common adoration peo
any
for him uor faith in him? Asl)r. John
son remarked to Boswell, “jt is. neces
sary for-every nation to have soma re
ligion, whether they understand it
not,” aud hence the superstition of
the Chinese has taken bold of Buddha
as the bdst they oan do. But this un
known God has failed them so often
in great emergencies they have no uu
wavering faith iu him. Aud yet there
are over 1,000,000 priests in the empire
who make a beggarly living out of
Bnddhaism. Buddha has given them
a little god for everything. Every
thing that concerns their temporal
welfare; nothing for the heart or the
immortal soul. They do not believe
in either. They say that there is no
future life, but if there is, then good
conduct in this life will ensure safely
iu that. If the rice wants rain, they
appeal to the god of rain. If the
drought continues long, they drag the
little rain god out on his wheels and
let him stand iu the burning sun until
it does rain. They want him to see
and feel how hot it is. If the rain
comes too much aud lasts too. long
and the rice is sprouting in the fields,
they get their squirt guns aud drench
the rain god every day until he stops
the pour down. We ought to have had
him over here this June and put our
Chinamen to work on him.
Bat the government—ihe govern
ment of 600,000,000 of people does not
cost half as much as ours, with about
80,000,000. The per capita tax is
about 7o cents, and all taxes are paid
in rice. China has no bonded debt.
No revenue from whisky or wine, for
none is distilled or drank. Nothing
is iu her way of peace and content
ment save foreigners and opium. I
do not know what is the salary of the
emperor or empress, but all salaries
are small. The prince who is to suc
ceed the emperor gets only $16,000
per annum. Then there are thousands
and thousands of officials in every
province, from the governor down,
but their pay is small. A soldier in
the standing army gets but $4 per
month. That army is composed of
about 1,000,000 of men.
The emperor has no arbitrary pow
er. He must conform to the laws and
must advise with his cabinet, and be
hind all is the great board of control
that represents the people and is made
up of two or more learned and good
men from every province. This board
does not act often or on crifles, but
when any great emergency arises they
meet at Pekin and their word controls
the emperor and everybody else. That
:s not a bad government, is it? The
emperor is entitled to an empress and
two other wives,who are called queens.
If the empress leaves no sou, then a
son of a queen is taken, but nobody
knows which son until the emperor
dies, for Confucius said that if the
young man knew that he was chosen
it might make him arrogant.
Another peculiar and democratic
provision of the constitution is that
the nobility shall not always be nobil
ity. Every generation is reduced in
rank aud power down to the seventh,
and then they become as the common
people. This keeps the nobility on
the down grade and keeps the govern
ment from being overrun by a pam
pered aristocracy. That’s good. Yes,
it is better than the English law of
primo-genitnre, which gives all Tank
aud the home estate to the eldest son
and tells the others to go to grass. I
saw a number of the grass fellows in
Florida.
On the whole, I like the Chinese
government and I have respect for the
people. Bret Harte wrote:
‘•That for ways that are (lark
And tricks that are vain,
The heathen Chinee is peculiar.”
Yes, I expect Bret was trying to win
their money and they won his.
This is enough of geography. I have
written it for Kirby Anderson and
Bert Morgan and their sort. Paul
Akin called our little grandchild to
come out on the verandah and kiss
him goodnight. She had put on her
night gown and said to her mother:
< < Mamma, Paul doesn’t know’ any bet
ter, does he?” There are a good many
big school boys who know no more
about China than Kirby.— Bill Abp
iu Atlanta Constitution.
We are ready to enter yonr name
on our subscription boobs. You will
not miss the small sum necessary to
become our customer.
DAVID II. HILL SATISFIED.
Now Yorker Wanted a More Conservative
Platform, liut Will Acquiesce.
David B. Hill, on his arrival iu New
York from Kansas City, speaking of
the work of the Democratic national
convention, said:
“I labored to have the convention
adopt a more question, conservative but platform.on not being
the financial
ou the platform committee, my efforts
were unsuccessful. I am, however,
reasonably satisfied with the execution
of the convention and acquiesce in the
result. The ticket is a strong one,
and if the enthusiasm with which it is
received in the west is any indication
of its popularity, it ought to be suc
cessful- ”
GEORGIA NEWS ITEMS
Brief Summary of Interesting
Happenings Culled at Random.
The HI tin and Gray Reunion
Arrangements for the Blue aud Gray
upon the battlefields around
are progressing smoothly and
under the direction of the gen
committee, while the committee
invitation ha9 practically finished
its work.
From the number of favorable letters
received from the leading officers in
both the federal and confederate ar
mies who saw service around Atlauta
in the ’sixties, it is certain that the
old soldiers will be able to greet their
old commanders there ou the 20th.
Borne fine speaking is assured, aud the
occasion will be marked with evidences
of fraternity unequalled since the
war.
The managers of the rennion desire
very much to secure the addresses of
the surviving children and descend
ants of General Hood. Anybody who
can furnish them with the desired in
formation will please do so without
delay.
Lawyers Finish Business.
The Georgia Bar Association ad
journed its seventeenth annual session
at Warm Springs after one of the most
successful meetings in its history.
During the three days the associa
tion was in session 102 members were
present and all of the papers read
were of a high order of merit.
The following officers were elected
by a unanimous vote of the associa
tion:
President—H. Warner Hill, of
Greenville.
Vice Presidents—Charlton Battle, of
Columbus; John C. Hart, of Union
Point; B. H. Hill, of Atlanta; A. F.
Daley, of Wrightsville; J. B. Bum
side, of Hamilton.
Executive Committee—Burton Smith,
Atlanta, chairman; J. M. Terrell,
Greenville; Bolling Whitfield, Bruns
wick; Lloyd Cleveland, Griffin; A. R.
Lawton, Savannah.
Secretary—Orville A. Park, Macon.
Treasurer—Z. D. Harrison, Atlanta.
The Georgia State Agricultural Society.
This is an institution of the state—
one of the oldest and most useful.
The annual convention of the society
is looked forward to with a steadily in
creasing interest year by year. It
does any man good to get out among
his fellows, shake hands and exchange
views on general topics, especially
those in the line of his own vocation.
Men who attend conventions are gen
erally conservative. They learn to be
tolerant of men who differ with them
on farm and other topics. The society
has adopted the plan of meeting in the
growing towns of the state. This year
the meeting will be held at Dublin,
August 8th and 9th proximo. Two
hundred delegates are expected to
attend. For years the railroad authori
ties have generously given transporta
tion to the delegates. Hon. Martin
Y. Calvin, the society’s secretary, Au
gusta, Ga., is now making up the list
of delegates with a view to securing a
ticket for each over the various rail
roads offering the shortest route from
home to Dublin and return. We are
informed that secretaries of the county
agricultural clubs throughout the state
are very slow iu sending iu lists of
delegates to Mr. Calvin. This should
be done at once. The customary con
vention fee of $1 must accompany the
application for each delegate from a
county.
Tne meeting promises to be one of
the best yet held. President Brown
is making up an attractive program
that will embrace the two days’ ses
sion. Let every secretary send in his
report as to the delegates from his
county immediately to Mr. Calvin at
Augusta. If you delay, transportation
cannot be furnished.
Stale Printing Contract.
Bids for the annual contract for state
printing have been given in and will
be opened next month. The Franklin
Printing company, Byrd Printing
company, Atlauta Lithographing com
pany, Foote and Davies, all of Atlau
ta. and the Courier-Journal Printing
company, of Louisville, Ky., put in
bids.
Under the law's the bids are opened
on the first Tuesday iu August, aud
the contract is awarded on the same
day. The secretary of state, the comp
troller and the state treasurer com
pose the printiug board.
The c mtract made for the state
printiug is usually a large one and the
amount of money paid out for print
ing each year aggregates nearly
8100,000.
No State Republican Ticket.
The committee of eleven appointed
at the Republican state convention in
March, to select electors for the party
for Georgia, met in Atlanta the past
week and the following electors were
chosen:
From the state at large—John Oliver,
of Fulton; J. F. Hanson, of Bibb.
Alternates at large, S. A. Darnell, of
Pickens; J. M. Wilkinson,of Lowndes.
From the First District—Henry
Blum, of Chatham; S. W. Schwarz*
weis, alternate.
Second District—J. E. Peterson, of
Clay; P. J. Boatright, alternate.
Third Distriot—W. B. Seymour, of
Dooly; F. W. Gano, of Fort Valley,
alternate.
Fourth District—E. N, Clemence, of
Muscogee; W. H. Bagley, Chatta
hoochee, alternate.
Fifth Distriot—Hugh L. McKee, of
Fulton; George H. Glenn, of Fulton,
alternate.
Sixth Distriot—G. W. Thurman, of
Spa ding; A. F. Brumberry, of Bibb,
alternate.
Seventh District—Charles Adamson,
of Polk; W. H. Martin, of Catoosa,
alternate.
Eighth District—B. F. DeWolf, of
Morgan; W. F. Bowers, of Hart, al
ternate.
Ninth District—A. J. S. Hall, of
Fannin; T. W. Scott, of Habersham,
alternate.
Tenth Distriot—S. B, Vaughn, of
Richmond; E. D. Smythe, of Rich
mond, alternate.
Eleventh District—N. B. Cook, of
Glynn; D. E. Piper, of Irwin, alter
nate.
All the electors are white men.
When Chairman Walter Johnson
called the Republican state central
committee to order the roll call show
ed 49 of the 64 members present.
In a brief speech Chairman Johnson
stated that the committee had met by
direction of the state convention, held
last March, for the purpose of putting
out a ticket for state officers.
It was the duty of the committee
not to nominate just anybody, but to
n imiuate only suitable candidates in
case they could be found.
On motion a committee of eleven
was appointed to consider the advisa
bility of putting out a state ticket.
The central committee took a recess
pending the return of this committee
with its report. The committee finally
reported this resolution:
“Resolved, That in our judgment
the aaudidacy of McKinley aud Roose
velt will be best subserved by not
nominating candidates for governor
and state house oflicers.”
The report of the committee was
adopted by a large majority of the
central committee. And the Republi
cans will put out no state ticket.
Capture of Abscond lug Clerk.
W, C. Matthew's, the absconding
clerk of Murphy – Paine, in Savannah,
has been captured at Juneau, Alaska,
after an exciting chase across the con
tinent by special officers. According
to a dispatch from Seattle, Wash., he
will be sent back to Georgia, as soon
as the customary papers have been
signed.
Vetaraus’ Annual Jleunlon.
The annual reunion of the Thirtieth
Georgia regiment will be held at Tan
ner’s church, Clayton county, Friday,
July ‘27th.
Tanners’s church is on the Southern
ten miles from Atlanta. The railroads
are expected to graut a special rate.
The president aud secretary of the reg
iment earnestly request that all sur
vivors who cau possibly do so attend.
They also request that papers in Camp
bell, Douglas, Henry, Butts, Spalding
and Bibb counties copy the foregoing
notice.
Cr«uihaw Elected Chairman.
The railroad commission of Georgia
met at the statehouse last Saturday
morning in special session to consider
the matter of a new depot at Jackson.
J. Pope Brown, of Hawkinsville, who
was lately appointed to the commission
in place of L. N. Trammell, deceased,
was inducted into his official duties at
the meeting. *
Thomas C. Crenshaw, Jr., of Car
tersville, was selected chairman of the
commission to fill the vacancy created
by Colonel Trammell’s death. He
was nominated by Spencer R. Atkin
son.
Half of the clay was consumed in
hearing the merits of the Jackson de
pot case, the Reeves station depot case
and considering correspondence and
other business of a routine character.
The commission adjourned to meet
again July 24th, when the foregoing
depot matters will be finally disposed
of.
Full woo<l Gets a Rprth.
John I. Fullwood, who figured so
conspiciously in the exciting contest
over the Cedartown postoffice in 1897,
has received his reward at the bauds
of the administration by an appoint
ment in the census office. He has been
assigned to clerical duties in the agri
cultural division and has entered up
on his new labors.
Ordinaries Meet On 18th.
Nearly every county in Georgia is
expected to be represented at the con
vention of the ordinaries of the state,
which is to be held in Atlanta on the
18th. The meeting will doubtless
consume the groater part of that day,
as considerable business of importance
is to be transacted. At 10 o’clock in
the morning of the 18th the first ses
sion of the convention will convene.
We are ready to enter yonr name
on our subscription books. You will
not tniss the small sum necessary to
become our customer.
V
A T i# 2 . -AFFAIRS
V
*■
U««ful Hint* For Ulna Monday.
Clothes soaked over night are mora
readily loosened of dirt than if washed
without any preparation. Mend all
rips and tears before allowing tbs
clothes to go to the wash and remove
any stains.
Prepare the elothos for soaking in
ihis manner: Sort them into three
piles, tlie tine white pieces that are
little soiled, the medium soiled pieces
and the dark, heavy pieces.
Fill tubs with tepid water, mixing
dissolved soap shavings and washing
soda well into the water. There
should be three tubs, one for each pile
of clothing. Allow the doilies to soak
over night.
In the morning ring the clothes from
the water and plunge them into a tub
tilled with hot water and dissolved
soap shavings and soda, Wash and
rub them until they are as clean as
they cau he got, then rinse them i»
a second tub of hot water and soap
and put in a boiler over the lire. The
water iu the boiler should be cold at
ftrat, and a little soda added to it if
the water is hard, Let the water
come to a boil in' order to scald the
clothes, then rinse them in two wa
ters, and then iu bluing water. The
bluing water should never be too dark.
A good way to test it is to take a hand
ful from the tub, and if it is a light
blue it is the right color.
Flannels will require more care.
They should he washed in water as
warm as the hands can bear and in
strong suds. The water should not he
hot. Rinse in waters of the same
temperature, and quickly. Do not rub
the thumels nov wring them with the
hands.
Iron them before they are quite dry.
FnrnlahinK lh« Parlor.
In every parlor there nust be a cen
ter of .uterest to which the way is
clear. All tire lovers make the hearth
the point toward which all the inter
ests of a room converge, Sofas are
drawn up by it, chairs arranged near
it, the best picture placed over it.
The question of lights is comfortable carefully^
studied, ami wherever a
chair or sofa is placed, some pro
vision for a lamp or a light from the
window is considered.
The grouping of chairs, tables and
sofas is another point not to be neg
lected, so that different sorts of in
terests may be provided for without
interfering with one another—that one
may sit by the piano, for instance,
and others have a tete-a-tete some*
where else.
When one has no pictures, a flow
ered paper on a parlor wall is effect
ive. Sometimes relief is lent by a
dado of velours or jute running to a
height of some four feet, and finished
by a narrow braid to match the body
color, nailed on the wall witn invis
ible tacks. The furniture iu this ease
should be covered to match tiie dado,
so that all the lower part of the room
is left in one tone. Brass scones and
mirrors alone should be liung ou the
walls.
Yellow on the walls gives brightness
and cheerfulness and sometimes a
sense of uplifting, hut one cannot get
coziuess with it. Much white is per
missible with yellow. Relieved with
a note of crimson, as when a red cur
tain is hung at a door or a red cush
ion makes itself felt, a yellow and
white parlor becomes individual and
charm ing.—Harper’s Baza r.
77 333 w
i -i
n
m 3S £
I VSI UfSUI | v ■ .// – ■— I
household recipes __
Chicken Mayonnaise—Remove skin
and bone from cold cooked chicken.
Divide in rather large pieces. Just
before serving dip each piece into
mayonnaise dressing. Arrange neatly
ou a bed of lettuce aud serve very
cold.
Mexican Cod-Pick fine a cupful >t
salted cod and soak in different waters
until fresh enough to use. Fry a
chopped onion iu a tablespoonful of
butter to a rich brown and add the
drained fish, with water enough to
cover it, a green pepper chopped fine
and a cupful of stewed tomato; cover
and stew slowly for one hour. Serve.
Corn Meal Crumpets-Two cupfuls
of buttermilk, one heaping tablespoon
ful of flour, one beaten egg, one tea
spoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful
of salt. Add Indian meal sufficient
to make a batter of the proper eon
sistency. Dissolve a teaspoonfui of
soda in a little warm water and add
to the batter. Bake on a hot griddle.
Molded Cabbage—Put a head cJ
Savoy cabbage into a kettle of boiling
water; cover, put in where it will Keep
hot—just simmer—for thirty minutes.
Drain and chop fine; season with a ta
blespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of
salt and one-fourth of a saltspoonful
of white pepper. Press into small
molds, stand the molds in hot water
for fifteen minutes. Turn onto a hot
platter and serve with white sauce.
Cabbage cooked slowly in this way
will be white and delicate. —
