Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, February 5, 1901.
"SIEGE OF PEKIN."
Interesting Lecture at Presbyterian Church by Rev. Charles E. Ewing.
A fair sized audience at the [Cortland] Presbyterian church last night greeted Rev. Charles E. Ewing as he came to speak upon the mission work in Pekin and of the siege of that city by the Boxers. Mr. Ewing has been a missionary in China for six years and was in the city of Pekin during the siege. The story which he told was a very interesting one, and the hearers would gladly have listened longer to the thrilling tale.
Rev. Robert Clements, the pastor of the church, read the thirty-first Psalm and offered prayer at the beginning of the service and then introduced the speaker.
Mr. Ewing prefaced his remarks by a little description of the part of China with which he was acquainted. Pekin lies upon a plain that is almost as level as a floor. The climate is dry and the temperature ranges from about zero in winter to 100 degrees F. in summer, but the weather is not subject to sudden changes. There are no thaws in winter and the mercury rarely ever rises to 32 degrees F., and there are no cool days in summer, though the summer of 1900 was considered one of the coolest known in years.
The people are practical. They know how to get the best end of a bargain even if they have to lie for it. But they believe that honesty is the best policy, and so they are generally honest in their trades, though that honesty is a matter of policy and not of principle. They are outrageous liars, but they do not exactly tell a lie because it is a lie when the truth would serve them better. The speaker illustrated his meaning by relating a story of a Chinaman deliberately sending a stranger astray when he asked the way because he offended Chinese etiquette by remaining seated upon his horse while he asked the question, instead of dismounting to ask it. The Chinaman had lied to teach the stranger a lesson. The Chinese, he said, are a childlike race. They sing about their work and adopt various devices to make play of it.
It would probably take fifty years to learn the language, so far as writing it is concerned. In other words, it is practically impossible to learn all the Chinese characters, for there are said to be about 40,000 of them. A literary man's vocabulary in that language is only about 10,000 characters, and an ordinary working vocabulary covers about 4,000 characters. But it is not a difficult language to speak, for all words are of a single syllable and all begin with a consonant and with a very few exceptions end in a vowel. There are, however, four inflections to every spelling of a word which make four different words of it with four different meanings. If any Chinese words seem to have more than one syllable it is because they are compound words and can be readily separated into their component parts. The Chinese language has an easy structure of sentence. It thinks but one thought at a time. It would not say "Put that book on the table," because that implies two thoughts and it would be too difficult, but it would say "Pick up that book and put it on the table."
The Chinese are a peaceable and a peace loving people. There is plenty of wrangling with them, but no fighting. They take turns at wrangling and consider it a diversion, but one never hears of one Chinaman knocking another down in anger in consequence of abusive language or insulting action.
We think of the inefficient action of the Chinese in the war with Japan and explain it by the idea that in that war to the Chinese in general there was no cause for it, hence they didn't feel like fighting. Their action last summer was a great contrast, but they felt that they had a cause for this contest.
They are a patriotic people. They do not love their government because it is a Manchu government, but they do love their country. They love their family and they consider the nation one great family. We think the Chinaman has no heart, but it is a mistake. He is capable of loving and being loved.
Mr. Ewing spoke of the hopeless lot of the Chinese girls. When a boy is born in a family every one offers congratulations, but never when a girl is horn. There is nothing to help her pass away her days except the thought of wrangling. She looks forward to the day when she may become a mother-in-law so that she may wrangle with her daughter-in-law.
There was a combination of circumstances that led to the uprising of last year. It was not patriotism. But it was largely because of the contempt shown to the Chinese by the foreigners. The Chinese feel an antagonism to foreigners, not because they are missionaries, but because they are foreigners, and they feel that the foreigners hold them in a certain kind of contempt. They do not seriously object to the religion of the foreigners. Their own religion is so much a matter of form that it has no particular depth so they would willingly enough let the foreigner have his own religions in peace and even convert them. But the contempt which they know the foreigners feel for them they cannot stand.
Then the introduction of railroads had thrown many men out of employment and Satan always finds work for idle hands to do. The drought too had thrown men out of employment. The uprising began not with the masses but with a few leaders in connection with the empress dowager. The missionaries are not looking for vengeance upon the masses now, but they do want justice and they do want the leaders punished who were the responsible parties.
On June 8, said the speaker, we left our houses and went to the Methodist Episcopal mission. We remained in this mission for twelve days. We expected Admiral Seymour with a force to relieve us. We had heard that he was on the way. Many of the Chinese in those days turned their property into silver and departed from the city. On June 20 we went into a state of siege. On June 19 the Chinese declared war against the foreigners and ordered us to leave the city within twenty-four hours. The next morning the German minister was killed. We knew that to depart from the city would be to invite massacre. We decided to go to the British legation. A place nearby was found for the native Christians. There were 1,000 Protestants of them and 2,000 Catholics of the native Christians. It is a mistake to think, as an impression has gone out, that we held only the seven acres of the British legation and that the 863 foreigners together with the 3,000 native Christians were crowded into seven acres.
We held six legations besides the British. They were the American, Russian, Spanish, German, French and Japanese legations. We had some other Chinese territory too, including many stores filled with goods so that in all we occupied about sixty acres. The line of circumference was nearly a mile in length. To defend this we had 400 marines and 100 volunteers. The action of the Japanese won the admiration of all, but the Americans held the crucial position upon the city wall. There was no elevation in that plain from which the Chinese could plant a gun to send a plunging fire down into our midst. If they could have captured this wall they could have placed a gun there and done us great damage, but the Americans held this position throughout.
The native Christians were a great help to us. Without their aid none of us would have escaped. They dug trenches, built barricades, and performed all kinds of manual labor. But every able bodied man among us had his special duties. The work was all systematized. Sir Claude MacDonald was the commander-in-chief. Rev. E. G. Tewksbury was chairman of the general committee of comfort, and Rev. F. D. Gamewell was chairman of the committee on fortifications. There was a committee for everything. The ladies, too, had their special work. They took care of the children and formed a hospital staff and took care of the diet work. They could only use a bull's eye lantern in going about among the wounded in the hospital lest a greater light should draw the fire of the enemy. They made sand bags for fortifications from any kind of material found in the Chinese stores which were within our lines. There were bags of silk and plush, and velvet, and tapestry. I noticed the price mark on one piece that was cut up for this purpose— $5 per yard. These were filled with dirt to be used as temporary barricades till permanent ones could be constructed of brick without mortar.
One Sunday morning we were having a prayer-meeting. We had a meeting every day, but this morning we had just begun a meeting when there came a call for 400 sand bags at once on the wall. How the fingers flew and the sewing machines hummed till the 400 were prepared and 800 more made ready for emergency.
And on Aug. 14 the troops came. It was a peculiar feature that all through that siege the Chinese were more afraid of us than we of them. They made night hideous. The din was terrific. We could not hear ordinary conversation. They chose times when there were thunder showers. They used fire crackers as well a s rifles to increase the noise. We learned the explanation of it afterward that they were firing then at a path where we might chance to come out if we should want to make a sally. They had no occasion to spare ammunition. We shot only for a purpose as we needed to husband our cartridges. At 2 o'clock in the morning of Aug. 14 we could hear the music of the machine guns firing 480 shots to the minute. Never did music sound sweeter. We knew it was our troops, for we knew the Chinese had no such guns. And then finally the Chinese stopped firing and fled and the rescue was accomplished.
The great reason for the safety of us all was that the Lord was with us. The chief of the British engineer corps who was with the rescuing party looked over our fortifications after the rescue had been made, and soldier as he was he ascribed the reason to this very cause. In the ordinary course of events, he said, we should all have died, but he added that such a volume of prayer for our safety had gone up from every quarter of the civilized world as had never ascended before. Consider the fact for a moment. For eight weeks we were shut up there and fired at every day. Cannon balls from three to four inches in diameter, shells and bullets by the thousand were constantly dropping into the enclosure where we lived and moved about. The children would play in the open space till some one would say "Better run in now, children, the bullets are beginning to come," and they would run to shelter. For perhaps three-quarters of an hour the bullets would fall like rain and then they would stop for a time, and then the children would go out with empty tomato cans and gather them up from the ground by the can full and we would melt them over and send them back at the Boxers. And yet for all this during these eight weeks not a civilian was killed or wounded within that enclosure. Men were killed on guard and at the fortifications, but not a civilian. The Chinese were good shots too with their rifles. Many of our men were shot at the loopholes where they were firing at the enemy. I set up a board three times against a loophole and had it knocked down three times by bullets from the other side. I raised my straw hat on the barrel of my rifle a little above a barricade and a bullet went through the crown at once. I raised it again and a bullet went through the rim of the hat.
The Chinese tried to burn us out. They started fires three times and the wind veered around each time before the flames got to our walls and we were saved. But it aided us for the fires destroyed the nearby buildings and left an open space outside the walls over which the Chinese could not cross except under our fire. They burned out the native Christians once, but they went to a better place than they had before.
We were not forced to go hungry. We found tons of wheat in one of the legation buildings. It had been put there but a few days before the siege began. There was plenty of rice to eat. We could not have beef for we needed to keep the cows for their milk for the children; sheep were needed for mutton for the hospitals, but we had plenty of horse meat and it was good. One can hardly tell it from beef. The pony soup, as we called it, tastes like chicken soup. We had plenty of water. There were eight wells within our fortifications. Five of these furnish the sweetest best water inside the whole city of Pekin. The summer was the coolest in years. In every thing which the Lord managed unassisted by man matters turned in our favor. The experience greatly strengthened our faith.
Three thoughts I would like to leave with you: First, the Chinese are not as black as they are painted. There is a great deal of hope for them. There is a strong body of Christians left in the country. Second, this experience assured us that the day of special providences has not passed. I don't know that I saw any miracles, but I do know that the Lord was with us. Third, the work of the Christian missions is not at an end in China. We are going back when matters are a little settled up. We have laid the foundation, and the work of building upon it will be rapid when we have the opportunity.
At the close of the address many gathered about the pulpit and inspected the relics which Mr. Ewing had with him. Among them was a huge Chinese sword stained with dried blood which that gentleman had picked up beside the body of a dead Chinaman.
In the course of a private conversation Mr. Ewing said the most dramatic incident of the siege was the use of the international gun concerning which so much has been said in the papers. They had no big gun to use against the Chinese, but they had some three inch Russian shells, though the Russians had left their gun at Tien Tsin. Mitchell, an American gunner, found a brass pump three inches in diameter and said he thought he could make a gun of it. He had worked on it a couple of days when a native Christian reported that he had found an old gun under a heap of rubbish in a Chinese junk shop. Work on the pump stopped. The gun proved to be three inches in diameter. An inscription upon it showed that it was cast in Great Britain and brought to China by the allied troops, British and French, in 1860. When they got it out of the junk shop they mounted it upon an Italian gun carriage and used the Russian shells fired by German powder. At first they didn't know who would fire it, but the American Mitchell volunteered to do it, though he said it would probably explode and it would be his only shot. But it didn't and he fired it many times afterward. When they used up all the Russian shells, they collected all the pewter to be found in the junk shops within their lines and moulded solid balls which proved to be very white. After the siege they learned that when the Chinese saw these balls that had been fired among them they said the ammunition was giving out and that the foreign devils were bombarding them with silver.
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| Cortland Normal School. |
THE NORMAL RECEPTION.
Graduates, Faculty and Friends Entertained by Dr. and Mrs. Cheney.
The usual February reception at the Normal parlors, given last evening by Principal and Mrs. Francis J. Cheney, was one of the pleasantest in the history of the school. Nearly all of the twenty-four graduates of this month and the ninety who will graduate in June next were present, and a number of students of other classes assisted in various capacities. The guests were received by Dr. and Mrs. Cheney, Professor and Mrs. Banta and Professor and Mrs. Parker. The presence of Professor and Mrs. Banta was an unexpected pleasure to most of the company, and one which was enjoyed by all. Professor and Mrs. Bardwell had expected to attend, but were unavoidably detained. The decorations were arranged by committees from the five literary societies, and flags, screens, curtains, furniture, etc., from the society rooms were tastefully and effectively combined in the work. An orchestra comprising Messrs. Darby, Carpenter and Miller furnished excellent instrumental music, and Miss Aria Hubbard gave a number of vocal selections with remarkably fine voice and expression. Mrs. Professor Booth presided at the lemonade bowl, and Mrs. Professor Cornish and Mrs. Hawkins at the long table in the kindergarten room, where refreshments were spread. These were exceptionally delicious and well served. Most of the lady members of the faculty were present and assisted Dr. and Mrs. Cheney in making the evening a pleasant one for all.
Board of Health Organized.
The new board of health met last night at the city clerk's office at 7 o'clock and organized. Dr. Paul T. Carpenter was appointed health officer. The report of the water test, as given in yesterday's STANDARD, was read and placed on file.
ASK FOR AMENDMENTS.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS WANTS CHARTER CHANGED.
Assemblyman Dickerson Invited to Appear Before the Board Nest Saturday Night—Members in Favor of Good Sidewalks with Three Cents per Foot Rebate—Time for Cleaning Sidewalks Should be Changed—Organization of Board.
Last night the board of public works at its regular monthly meeting discussed at length two items which this board will use strenuous efforts to have included in the amendments to the city charter, now before the state legislature for consideration. The board, by resolution, invited Assemblyman Henry A. Dickinson to an adjourned meeting of the board next Saturday night, when they will present to him the changes they desire, and ask him to use his influence in having these promulgated with the other changes. These amendments will call for a change in the sidewalk laws, permitting cement and stone walks only, and giving a rebate of three cents per square foot to those who lay these walks. The members are of the opinion that the present sidewalk ordinances are inadequate and that many walks are being put down with almost entirely new planks, with a few old planks in it so that it might be called a repaired walk. They were of the opinion that the provision of the ordinance now in force was too harsh, especially as there were many walks well away from the center of the city that must be built new this coming summer. These walks, they went on to say, were in the localities where the property owners could not afford unaided to put in such a walk as the city required. Mr. Cobb expressed his views on the situation by saying that the business men and residents of the central portion of the city had been benefited by pavements at the expense of the taxpayers of the city and it would be no more than fair that the people farther out and not able to bear large expenses should be given a boost by the taxpayers.
Another matter which they wish acted upon is that of walk cleaning. Under the charter, as it now stands, the owner or occupant of every lot in the city has till 12 o'clock noon to remove new ice and freshly fallen snow from the walks. Superintendent Becker said that it was surprising how many people knew of that provision of the charter, and also how many there are who are governing their morning naps according to it. The board wishes the time changed to 8 o'clock as it was under the village ordinances.
The full board was present when President S. S. Knox called to order last night. Clerk Fred Hatch called the attention of the board to the fact that the charter provided in Section 57 that the members of the board shall within the first week of February in each year organize by the election of one of their members as president for the ensuing year. The board consequently proceeded to organize, and on motion of Mr. Duffey, seconded by Mr. Wickwire, Judge Knox was unanimously elected to succeed himself.
The following bills were audited by the board:
December payroll, $291.12
January pay roll, 189.71
Benton Lumber Co., lumber, 21.95
Michael Garrity, stone, 57.00
Jenny LaMont, barn rental, 10.00
S. M. Ballard, barn rental 12.50
F. D. Smith, supplies, 4.08
B. F. Taylor, labor, 9.00
Superintendent Becker explained that, of the December pay roll, over $100 went toward building the bridge on Hyatt-st. The stone drawn by Michael Garrity was also for this improvement. The $9 audited in favor of Mr. Taylor was for labor done by the Water company in making repairs that were thought to have resulted from the water mains, but were found later to have resulted from the sewers.
The matter of accepting Doubleday-st. was discussed. This street extends from Homer-ave. east, midway between Arthur-ave. and North Main-st. for a short distance, then it turns southerly and meets Arthur-ave. at an angle. It was understood that only one man of late on this street was opposed to the accepting of this street, and it was reported last night that this man had now withdrawn his objection. The matter will be acted upon without doubt at the next regular meeting.
The superintendent reported that the street sprinkler needed a coat of paint. It was suggested that advertising privileges on it be given and so let the sprinkler pay for the painting. This did not meet the approval of the board, however, and this, with the matter of painting the road scraper, was left with the superintendent.
In reference to laying cement walks with 3 cents per square foot rebate, the board figured out that if a mile were laid in a year the cost to the city would be only $792, whereas the city now pays on an average a much larger sum than this for damage suits resulting from old and rotten plank walks. Newark, Clifton Springs and Palmira were cited as having the rebate method in operation with very satisfactory results.
DEAD IN A PASTURE.
Anthony Cooney Stricken With Apoplexy While Going Home.
TRUXTON, N. Y., Feb. 4. (Special)—Anthony Cooney, an old resident of this town who lives on the West hill about two miles from this village, was found dead in W. N. Jones' pasture a short distance from the highway at 3 o'clock this afternoon by a party of men who had been searching for him since early this morning.
Yesterday Mr. Cooney attended services at St. Patrick's church, after which he started to walk to his home. As he did not get home at night his wife and daughter became alarmed and notified the neighbors, who early this morning started to search for him. About 3 o'clock this afternoon while coming through Jones' pasture Michael Wiegand, one of the party, discovered an overcoat hanging on the stone wall between Jones' pasture and William Baldwin's lot. Lying on the ground near the wall lay the dead body of Mr. Cooney. It was entirely covered with snow and was frozen rigid. Undertaker F. I. Woodward was notified and took the body to his rooms, after which it was taken to the home of the dead man.
Coroner E. M. Santee of Cortland was summoned and is expected to arrive on the late train to-night.
Mr. Cooney has been in poor health for some time and it is thought death was caused by apoplexy. He was born in Ireland about 1830 and came to this country when a young man and has since resided here. He was a stone mason and always has worked at his trade. He was an honest, industrious man and well liked. He leaves a wife and one daughter.
Coroner E. M. Santee, with Undertaker Woodward and Dr. Henry I. Van Hoesen, went to the Cooney residence last night and examined the body. Questions were asked of different members of the family and of neighbors. It was decided that death resulted from apoplexy, and that no inquest was necessary. Dr. Santee returned to Cortland at 8 o'clock last night.
TO RUN DAY AND NIGHT.
Peck Bros. Sawmill to be Run at Full Capacity.
The quantity of logs which is being received at Peck Bros.' sawmill, makes it necessary to run the mill at its full capacity. Beginning to-day a night force will be put on and the mill will be run continuously throughout the twenty-four hours. Logs are being drawn to the mill at the rate of from 20,000 to 35,000 feet per day. The night force at the mill will go on duty at 6 P. M. and will work till 7 A. M.
Club Officers Elected.
At a meeting of the Cortland County Sportsman's club held last evening in Attorney B. T. Wright's office, the following officers for the ensuing term were elected:
President—James A. Wood.
Vice-President—Edward F. Knight.
Secretary—B. T. Wright.
Treasurer—D. E. Harrington.
Trustees—David H. Brown, Edwin Robbins and W. G. Mead.
The treasurer's report showed that the finances of the club are in good condition.
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| Mrs. Carrie Nation. |
MRS. NATION ARRESTED.
Men Took Hatchets From Her and Police Took Her In.
PRAYER MEETING IN STATION.
She Asserts She Will Again Begin Wrecking Saloons, but Proprietors Have Hired Guards and Given Them Orders to Shoot Anyone Attempting Mischief.
TOPEKA, Kan., Feb. 5.—Late yesterday afternoon Mrs. Nation and six other women bought hatchets and started after "joints," followed by a crowd of a thousand people.
In front of one place a dozen strong men had assembled who took the hatchets from Mrs. Nation and one of her assistants. A scramble ensued.
The police marched Mrs. Nation and her companions to the police station on a charge of disturbing the peace.
At the police station Mrs. Nation was formally charged with disturbing the peace and her name was entered on the docket. She was informed that she would have to report for trial at the police court and was then released on her own recognizance. She said she would be glad to do so and then proceeded to hold an impromptu prayer meeting in the police station.
Some interesting developments are looked for. Mrs. Nation declares she will enter the "joints" and smash them while the "jointists" are equally certain that she will not. The "jointists" have negroes hired to watch their places of business and they have orders to shoot down any person, man or woman, who shall attempt to enter the "joint" bent on mischief.
BREVITIES.
—Mission study at the First Baptist church Wednesday evening from 7 to 8.
—The members of the Tioughnioga club will please not overlook ladies' night, to-morrow night.
—A social dancing party was held in Red Men's hall last night and greatly enjoyed by twenty couples. "Happy Bill" Daniels' orchestra furnished music.
—Rev. and Mrs. Robert Clements will be at home to the attendants of the Presbyterian church and other friends at their home, 50 Church-st., to-night from 8 to 10 o'clock.
—The Woman's Foreign Missionary society of the First M. E. church will meet at the home of Mrs. F. J. Doubleday, 44 Port Watson-st., Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 3 o'clock.
—New display advertisements to-day are—M. A. Case, Drygoods, page 6; E. M. Mansur, Groceries, page 2; Mitch's Market, Meats, page 5; C. W. Stoker, Groceries, page 6.
—Lincoln lodge, No. 119, I. O. G. T., is preparing to present the drama "Never Too Late to Mend," and will meet to-night at the lodge rooms for rehearsal. The drama will be presented at Taylor hall, Feb. 10, 1901.
—Eighteen loads of lumber and three loads of wood came into Cortland yesterday in a continuous line stretching out a quarter of a mile in length. The lumber all came from Truxton and was bound for Keator & Wells' carriage factory.
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