THE CHINESE IN MEXICO IN THE FIFTH CENTURY.

THE CONTINENTAL MONTHLY:
DEVOTED TO LITERATURE AND NATIONAL POLICY
VOL. I.–MAY, 1862.–No. V.

The reader who would ascertain by the map whether it was likely that at
an early period intercourse could have taken place between Eastern Asia
and Western America, will have no difficulty in deciding on the
geographical possibility of such transit. At Behring’s Straits only
forty miles of water intervene between the two continents, while routes
by the Aleutian Islands, or through the Sea of Ochotsk, present no great
difficulties, even to a timid navigator. And the Chinese and Japanese of
earlier ages were by no means timid in their voyages. It is only within
two centuries that their governments, alarmed by the growing power of
the Western world, and desirous of keeping their subjects at home,
prohibited the construction of strictly sea-worthy and sea-faring
vessels. Even within the memory of man, Japanese junks have been driven
to the California coasts.

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Impressed by the probability of such intercommunication, Johann
Friedrich Neumann, a learned German Orientalist, while residing in
China, during the years 1829-30, for the purpose of collecting Chinese
works, after investigating the subject, published its results in a work,
subsequently translated by me, under his supervision. Among the first
results of his inquiries, was the fact that ‘during the course of many
centuries, the Chinese acquired a surprisingly accurate knowledge of the
north-east coast of Asia, extending, as their records in astronomy and
natural history prove, to the sixty-fifth degree of latitude, and even
to the Arctic Ocean.’ From the Chinese _Book of Mountains and Seas_, it
appears that the Esquimaux and their country were well known to the
Chinese, and that in the sixth century, natives of the North and of the
islands bordering on America, came with Japanese embassies to China.
When it is borne in mind that the early Chinese geographers and
astronomers determined on the situations of these northern regions, with
an accuracy which has been of late years surprisingly verified by
eminent European men of science, and when we learn that the Year Books
or annals of China continually repeat these observations, and that their
accounts of the natives of the islands within a few miles of the
American shore are as undoubtedly correct as they are minute, we
certainly have good reason for assuming that their description of the
main land and its inhabitants is well worthy, if not of implicit belief,
at least of an investigation by the savans of the Western World. Be it
borne in mind, also, that during the first eight centuries of our own
Christian era, a spirit of discovery in foreign lands was actively at
work all over the East. In the words of Neumann:

‘In the first century of our reckoning, the pride and vanity
induced by the Chinese social system was partly broken by the
progress of Buddhism over all Eastern Asia. He who believed in the
divine mission of the son of the King of Kaphilapura, must
recognize every man as his brother and equal by birth; yes, must
strive (for the old Buddhism has this in common with the Christian
religion) to extend the joyful mission of salvation to all the
nations on the earth, and to attain this end must suffer, like the
type of the God Incarnate, all earthly pain and persecution. So we
find that a number of Buddhist monks and preachers have at distant
times wandered to all known and unknown parts of the world, either
to obtain information with regard to their distant
co-religionists, or to preach the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to
unbelievers. The official accounts which these missionaries have
rendered of their travels, and of which we possess several
_entire_, considered as sources of information with regard to
different lands and nations, belong to the most instructive and
important part of Chinese literature. From these sources we have
derived, in a great degree, that information which we possess
regarding North-eastern Asia and the Western coasts of America
during centuries which have been hitherto vailed in the deepest
obscurity.’

The earliest account, given of extended travels on the North-American
continent describes a journey from Tahan or Aloska to a distance, and
into a region which indicates the north-west coast of Mexico and the
vicinity of San Blas. The following is a literal translation made from
the original Chinese report, by Neumann:

‘THE KINGDOM OF FUSANG, OR MEXICO.

‘During the reign of the dynasty _Tsi_, in the first year of the
year-naming[E] ‘Everlasting Origin,’ (Anno Domini 499,) came a
Buddhist priest from this kingdom, who bore the cloister name of
Roci-schin, that is, Universal Compassion, (_Allgemeins
Mitleiden_: according to King-tscheu it signifies ‘an old
name,[F]‘) to the present district of Hukuang, and those
surrounding it, who narrated that ‘Fusang is about twenty thousand
Chinese miles in an easterly direction from Tahan, and east of the
middle kingdom. Many Fusang-trees grow there, whose leaves
resemble the Dryanda Cordifolia;[G] the sprouts, on the contrary,
resemble those of the bamboo-tree,[H] and are eaten by the
inhabitants of the land. The fruit is like a pear in form, but is
red. From the bark they prepare a sort of linen, which they use
for clothing, and also a sort of ornamented stuff.[I] The houses
are built of wooden beams; fortified and walled places a unknown.

‘THEIR WRITING AND CIVIL REGULATIONS.

‘They have written characters in this land, and prepare paper from
the bark of the Fusang. The people have no weapons, and make no
wars, but in the arrangements of the kingdom they have a northern
and a southern prison. Trifling offenders were lodged in the
southern, but those confined for greater offenses in the northern;
so that those who were about to receive grace could be placed in
the southern prison, and those to the contrary in the northern.
Those men and women who were imprisoned for life were allowed to
marry. The boys resulting from these marriages were, at the age of
eight years, sold for slaves; the girls not until their ninth
year. If a man of any note was found guilty of crimes, an assembly
was held: it must be in an excavated place, (_Grabe_.) There they
strewed ashes over him, and bade him farewell, as if he were
dying. If the offender were one of a lower class, he alone was
punished; but when of rank, the degradation was extended to his
children and grandchildren. With those of the highest rank it
attained to the seventh generation.

‘THE KINGDOM AND THE NOBLES.

‘The name of the king is pronounced _Ichi_. The nobles of the
first class are termed Tuilu; of the second, Little Tuilu; and of
the third, Na-to-scha. When the prince goes forth he is
accompanied by horns and trumpets. The color of his clothes
changes with the different years. In the first two of the ten-year
cyclus they are blue; in the two next, red; in the two following,
yellow; in the two next, red; and in the last two, black.

‘MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

‘The horns of the oxen are so large that they contain ten bushels,
(Schaeffel.) They use them to hold all manner of things. Horses,
oxen and stags, are harnessed to their wagons. Stags are used here
as cattle are used in the Middle Kingdom, and from the milk of the
hind they make butter. The red pears of the Fusang tree keep good
throughout the year. Moreover, they have apples and reeds; from
the latter they prepare mats. _No iron is found in this land; but
copper, gold, and silver are not prized, and do not serve as a
medium of exchange in the market._

‘Marriage is determined upon in the following manner. The suitor
builds himself a hut before the door of the house where the one
longed for dwells, and waters and cleans the ground every morning
and evening. When a year has passed by, if the maiden is not
inclined to marry him, he departs; should she he willing, it is
completed. When the parents die, they fast seven days. For the
death of the paternal or maternal grandfather they lament five
days; at the death of elder or younger sisters or brothers, uncles
or aunts, three days. They then sit from morning to evening before
an image of the ghost, absorbed in prayer, but wear no mourning
clothes. When the king dies, the son who succeeds him does not
busy himself for three years with state affairs.

‘In earlier times these people lived not according to the laws of
Buddha. But it happened that in the second year-naming ‘Great
Light,’ of song, (A.D. 458,) five beggar monks, from the kingdom
Kipin, went to this land, extended over it the religion of Buddha,
and with it his holy writings and images. They instructed the
people in the principles of monastic life, and so changed their
manners.’

Such is the account of Mexico, as given by the old Buddhist monk
Hoei-schin. What is there authentically known of ancient America and its
inhabitants which confirms his account?

In the Fusang tree we have, according to the opinion of Neumann, the
_Agave Americana_ or Great American Aloe, called by the Indians Maguey,
which is remarkably abundant in the plains of ‘New-Spain,’ and which
supplies so many of the wants of its inhabitants even at the present
day. An intoxicating drink, paper, thread, ropes, pins, and needles,
(from the thorns,) and clothing, are all furnished by it, so that a
traveler, observing the ease with which these are obtained, declares
that in Mexico the Maguey plant must first be exterminated ere the sloth
and idleness which now so generally afflict them, can be checked. Such a
curious plant, supplying to such an extent, and so exclusively, so many
of the needs of life, would naturally be the first object noted by an
explorer.

Very remarkable is the observation that ‘in this land no iron is found,
and that copper, gold, and silver, are not prized;’ from which we may
infer that they were known, and probably abundant, and that they ‘do not
serve as a medium of exchange in the market.’ It is needless to point
out the fact that this was the case not only in ancient Mexico, but also
in Peru, and that these were probably the only countries on the face of
the earth where ‘the precious metals’ were held in such indifference. Be
it observed that the monk Hoei-schin says nothing of the abundance of
gold and silver; he simply remarks as a curious fact, that they were not
used as a circulating medium.

In commenting on this record, Neumann judiciously reminds the reader
that the information given by Hoei-schin and other Buddhist travelers,
goes back into a period long anterior to the most remote periods alluded
to in the wavering legends of the Aztecs, resting upon uncertain
interpretations of hieroglyphics. One thing we know, that in America as
in Europe, one wave of emigration and conquest swept after another, each
destroying in a great measure all traces of its predecessor. Thus in
Peru, the Inca race ruled over the lower caste, and would in time have
probably extinguished it. But the Incas themselves were preceded by
another and more gifted race, since it is evident that these unknown
predecessors were far more gifted than themselves as architects. ‘Who
this race were,’ says Prescott, (_Conquest of Peru_, chap. i. pp. 12,
13, ed. 1847,) ‘and whence they came, may afford a tempting theme for
inquiry to the speculative antiquarian. But it is a land of darkness
that lies far beyond the domain of history.’

But as the American waves of conquest flowed South, it is no extravagant
hypothesis to assume that the race of men whom the monk encountered in
Mexico may possibly have had something in common with what was afterward
found further south, in the land of the Incas. One thing is certain;
that there is a singularly Peruvian air in all that this short narrative
tells us of the land ‘Fusang.’ Fortified places, he says, were unknown;
and Prescott speaks of the system of fortifications established through
the empire as though it had originated–as it most undoubtedly
did–with the Incas. Most extraordinary, however, is the remark of the
monk, that the houses are built with wooden beams. As houses the world
over are constructed in this manner, the remark might seem almost
superfluous. It is worth observing that the Peruvians built their houses
with wooden beams, and as Prescott tells us, ‘knew no better way of
holding the beams together than tying them with thongs of _maguey_.’ Now
be it observed, that the monk makes a direct transition from speaking of
the textile fiber and fabric of the maguey to the wooden beams of the
houses–a coincidence which has at least a color of proof. It may be
remarked, by the way, that this construction of houses ‘tied up,’ was
admirably adapted to a land of earthquakes, as in Mexico, and that
Prescott himself testifies that a number of them ’still survive, while
the more modern constructions of the conquerors are buried in ruins.’

Most strikingly Peruvian is the monk’s account of ‘the Kingdom and the
Nobles.’ The name Ichi, is strikingly suggestive of the natural Chinese
pronunciation of the word Inca. The stress laid on the three grades of
nobles, suggests the Peruvian Inca castes of lower grade, as well as the
Mexican; while the stately going forth of the king, ‘accompanied by
horns and trumpets,’ vividly recalls Prescott’s account of the
journeyings of the Peruvian potentate. The change of the color of his
garments according to the astronomical cycle, is, however, more
thoroughly in accordance with the spirit of the institutions of the
Children of the Sun than any thing which we have met in the whole of
this strange and obsolete record. ‘The ritual of the Incas,’ says
Prescott, ‘involved a routine of observances as complex and elaborate as
ever distinguished that of any nation, whether pagan or Christian. Each
month had its appropriate festival, or rather festivals. The four
principal _had reference to the Sun_, and commemorated the great periods
of his annual progress, the solstices and equinoxes. Garments of a
peculiar wool, and feathers of a peculiar color, were reserved to the
Incas. I can not identify the blue, red, yellow, and black, but it is
worthy of remark that the rainbow was his special attribute or
scutcheon, and that the mere fact that his whole life was passed in
accordance with the requisitions of astronomical festivals, and that
different colors were reserved to him and identified with him,
establishes a strange analogy with the narrative of Hoei-schin.

‘Of this subject of the cycles and change of colors corresponding to
astronomical mutations, it is worth noting that Montesinos[J] expressly
asserts that the Peruvians threw their years into cycles of ten; a
curious fact which has escaped the notice of Neumann, who conjectures
that ‘it may have been a subdivision of the Aztec period, or have even
been used as an independent period, as was indeed the case by the
Chinese, who term their notations ’stems.’ It is worthy of remark,’ he
adds, ‘that among the Mongols and Mantchous these ’stems’ are named
after colors which perhaps have some relation to the several colors of
the royal clothing in the cycles of ‘Fusang.’ These Tartaric tribes term
the first two years of the ten-year _cyclus_, ‘green and greenish,’ the
two next, ‘red and reddish,’ and soon, yellow and yellowish, white and
whitish, and finally, black and blackish.’

I am perfectly aware that Peru is not Mexico; but I beg the reader to
keep in mind my former observation, that Mexico _might_ have been at one
time peopled by a race who had Peruvian customs, which in after-years
were borne by them far to the South. The ancient mythology and
ethnography of Mexico presents, however, a mass of curious identities
with that of Asia. Both Mexico and Peru had the tradition of a deluge,
from which seven prisoners escaped; in the hieroglyphs of the former
country, these seven are represented as issuing from an egg.

It is remarkable that a Peruvian tradition declares the first
missionaries of civilization who visited them to have been white and
bearded. ‘This may remind us,’ says Prescott, ‘of the tradition existing
among the Aztecs, in respect to Quetzalcoatl, the good deity, who, with
a similar garb and aspect, came up the great plateau from the East, on a
like benevolent mission to the natives.’ In like manner the _Aesir_,
children of Light, or of the Sun, came from the East to Scandinavia, and
taught the lore of the Gods.

The Peruvian embalming of the royal dead takes us back to Egypt; the
burning of the wives of the deceased Incas, reveals India; the
singularly patriarchal character of the whole Peruvian policy is like
that of China in the olden time; while the system of espionage, of
tranquillity, of physical well-being, and the iron-like immovability in
which the whole social frame was cast, brings before the reader Japan,
as it even now exists. In fact, there is something strangely Japanese in
the entire _cultus_ of Peru, as described by all writers.

It is remarkable that the Supreme Being of the Peruvians was worshiped
under the names of _Pachacomac_, ‘he who sustains, or gives life to the
universe,’ and of _Viracocha_, ‘Foam of the Sea,’ a name strikingly
recalling that of Venus Aphrodite, the female second principle in all
ancient mythologies. Not less curious was the institution of the Vestal
Virgins of the Sun, who were buried alive if detected in an intrigue,
and whose duty it was to keep burning the sacred fire obtained at the
festival of Raymi.

‘Vigilemque sacraverat ignem Excubias divum aeternas.’

This fire was obtained as by the ancient Romans, on a precisely similar
occasion, by means of a concave mirror of polished metal. The Incas, in
order to preserve purity of race, married their own sisters, as did the
kings of Persia and other Oriental nations, urged by a like feeling of
pride. Among the Peruvians, _Mama_, signified ‘mother,’ while _Papa_,
was applied to the chief priest. ‘With both, the term seems to embrace
in its most comprehensive sense, the paternal relation, in which it is
more familiarly employed by most of the nations of Europe.’

It should be borne in mind, that as in the case of the Green Corn
festival, many striking analogies can be established between the Indian
tribes of North-America and the Peruvians. Gallatin has shown the
affinity of languages between all the American nations; at the remote
age when the monk visited Mexico, it is possible that the _first race_
which subsequently spread southward occupied the entire north.

Let the reader also remember that while the proofs of the existence or
residence of Orientals in America are extremely vague and uncertain, and
supported only by coincidences, (singular and inexplicable as the latter
may be,) the _antecedent probability_ of their having come hither, is
far stronger than that of the Norse discovery of this country, or even
that of Columbus himself. When we see an aggressive nation, with a
religious propaganda, boasting a commerce and gifted with astronomers
and geographers of no mean ability, (and the accuracy of the old Chinese
men of science has been frequently verified,) advancing century after
century in a certain direction, chronicling correctly every step made,
and accurately describing the geography and ethnography of a certain
region, we have no good ground to deny the last advance which their
authentic history claims to have made, however indisposed we may be to
admit it. One thing, at least, will probably be cheerfully conceded by
the impartial reader; that the subject well deserves further
investigation, and that it is to be hoped that it will obtain it from
those students who are at present so earnestly occupied in exploring the
mysteries of Oriental literature.

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WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH IT?

THE CONTINENTAL MONTHLY:
DEVOTED TO LITERATURE AND NATIONAL POLICY
VOL. I.–MAY, 1862.–No. V.

The first blood that was shed in our Revolutionary struggle, was in
Boston, in March, 1770. The next at Lexington, in June, 1775.

The interval was filled with acts of coercion and oppression on the one
side and with complaints and remonstrances on the other. But the thought
of Independence was entertained by very few of our people, even for some
time after the affair at Lexington. Loyalty to the mother country was
professed even by those most clamorous in their complaints, and
sincerely so, too. The great majority thought that redress of grievances
could be obtained without severance from Great Britain.

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But events hurried the people on, and that which was scarcely spoken of
at the beginning of the struggle, soon became its chief object.

Is it not the same with our present contest with the South? We took up
arms to defend the Constitution, to sustain our Government, to maintain
the Union; and in the course of performing that work, it would seem as
if Emancipation was forced upon us, and as if it was yet to be the prime
object in view.

Lo! how much has already been done toward that end, even though not
originally intended! As our armies advance into the enemies’ country,
thousands of slaves are practically emancipated by the flight and
desertion of their rebel masters. The rules and articles of war have
been so altered by Congress as to forbid our military forces from
returning to bondage any who flee from it. The President has proposed,
and Congress has entertained, the proposition of aiding the States in
emancipation. Fremont, who has been regarded as the representative of
the emancipation feeling, has been restored to active command. And
multitudes of our people, who have hitherto considered themselves as
bound by the Constitution not to interfere with the subject, have become
open in the avowal that as slavery has been the cause of the evil, so it
must now be wiped out forever.

It would seem, therefore, as if it was inevitable that the question of
emancipation is to be thrust upon us, and we must be prepared to meet
it. It is in this view, and irrespective of the question of right and
wrong in slavery, that some considerations present themselves, which can
not be ignored.

The difference of race between the white and the negro will ever keep
them apart, and forbid their amalgamation. One or the other must
ultimately go to the wall, and it is worth our while to see what time
is doing with the question: ‘Which must it be in this country?’

Hence it is important to note the progress of both the races with us.

In the course of seventy years, that is, from the census of 1790 to that
of 1860, the slave population has increased from 697,897 to 4,002,996.
So that our colored population is now six times as great as when our
Government was formed.

During the same period the free population has increased from 3,231,975
to 27,280,070, or nearly nine times as great as in 1790. Of this
increase about 3,000,000 is the result of emigration; so that the
native-born population has increased to about 24,000,000, or about eight
times as many as in the beginning of our Government. If due allowance be
made for those born of emigrant parents,[A] it would seem that the two
races have about kept pace with each other in their natural increase.

Carl Schurz, in his speech at the Cooper Institute, in New-York, put to
his audience a pertinent inquiry: ‘You ask me, What shall we do with our
negroes, who are now 4,000,000? And I ask you, What will you do with
them when they will be 8,000,000–or rather, _what will they do with
you?_ Surely, surely the question involves the greatest problem of the
age.

If our fathers had met the question seventy years ago, we should not now
behold the spectacle of 6,000,000 of our people in rebellion, and an
army of 400,000 men arrayed against the integrity of the Union. And we
may well profit by the example so far as to ask ourselves the question,
What will be the condition of our country and of our posterity, fifty
years hence, if we, too, shirk the question as painful and difficult of
solution?

Whether ultimate and universal emancipation will be one of the necessary
modes of dealing with it, time must show. In the mean time there is a
question immediately pressing upon us. Day by day our armies are
advancing among them, and every news of a contest that comes, brings us
accounts of the swarms of ‘contrabands’ who are flocking to us for
protection. At one place alone, Port Royal, S.C., the Government Agent
reports that there are at least fifteen thousand slaves deserted by
their masters, and thus practically emancipated. Untaught and unwonted
to take care of themselves–our armies consuming the fruits of the earth
and finding no employment for these ‘National Freedmen’–the danger is
great that want, and temptation, and the absence of the government to
which they have been accustomed, may yet drive them to become lawless
hordes, preying on all.

The same state of things must of necessity exist wherever the
slave-owner flies from the approach of our armies; and we have now
presented to us the alternative of either allowing their state to be
worse by reason of their emancipation, or better, according as the wise
and the humane among us may deal with the subject.

Some measures, we learn, have already been initiated for the emergency.
‘The Educational Commission’ of Boston, at the head of which is Governor
Andrews; ‘The Freedman’s Relief Association,’ in New-York, with Judge
Edmonds as its President; and a similar society in Philadelphia, of
which Stephen Colwell is Chairman, are societies of large-hearted men
and women, banded together, as they express it, to ‘teach the freedmen
of the colored race civilization and Christianity; to imbue them with
notions of order, industry, economy and self-reliance, and to elevate
them in the scale of humanity, by inspiring them with self-respect.’

The task is certainly a high and holy one, and eminently necessary. How
far it will be sustained by the Government or the people, or how far the
purpose can be carried out with a race who have been intentionally kept
in profound ignorance, is part of the great problem that we are to
solve. But not all of it, by any means. There is much more for
enlightened patriotism and wise humanity yet to do, before the task
shall be accomplished and the work begun by the Revolution shall be
finished; and to prevent a conflict of races, which can end only in the
extermination of one or the other.

The 16,000,000 of natives who were once masters of this whole continent
are now dwindled into a few insignificant tribes, ‘away among the
mountains.’ Is such to be the fate of the negro also? Or has the spirit
of God’s charity so far progressed among us that, unlike our fathers, we
can redeem rather than destroy, can emancipate rather than enslave?

Be the answer to those questions what it may, there are other
considerations, immediately affecting ourselves as a nation and a race.

Slavery would seem to retard our advancement in both respects.

During the ten years from 1850 to 1860, the total population of our
country increased about 37 per cent.

From these facts, it would seem that, in the two States in which slavery
has decreased, the increase of the whites has been 55 and 56 per cent,
exceeding the average ratio of increase in the whole nation. While in
all the other States, where slavery has increased, none of them have
come up to the average national ratio of increase, and in one of them,
(South-Carolina,) the increase is not one quarter the national average.

In respect to South-Carolina, it is a remarkable fact that while she has
now nearly four tunes as many slaves as she had in 1790, her whole
population (slaves and all) is not three times what it then was, and her
free population is only a little more than twice its number in 1790. In
other words, while in seventy years her slave population has increased
four-fold, her free population has only a little more than doubled.[B]

These facts teach their own lesson; but they compel all who value the
Union and the peace of the nation, to ask how far they have had to do
with the troubles of nullification and secession, which for thirty years
have been plaguing us, and have now culminated in a terrible rebellion!

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A TOUCHING INCIDENT

The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 6, March, 1885

The St. Louis express, on the New York Central road, was crowded one
evening recently, when at one of the way stations, an elderly gentleman,
accompanied by a young lady, entered the cars and finally secured a
seat. As the conductor approached the pair, the young lady arose, and in
a pleading voice said:

"Please, sir, don’t let him carry me to the asylum. I am not crazy; I am
a little tired, but not mad. Oh! no, indeed. Won’t you please have papa
take me back home?"

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The conductor, accustomed though he was to all phases of humanity,
looked with astonishment at the pair, as did the other passengers in
their vicinity. A few words from the father, however, sufficed, and the
conductor passed on while the young lady turned her face to the window.
The writer chanced to be seated just behind the old gentleman, and could
not forgo the desire to speak to him. With a sad face and a trembling
voice the father said:

"My daughter has been attending the seminary in a distant town and was
succeeding remarkably. Her natural qualities, together with a great
ambition, placed her in the front ranks of the school, but she studied
too closely, was not careful of her health, and her poor brain has been
turned. I am taking her to a private asylum where we hope she will soon
be better."

At the next station the old man and his daughter left the cars, but the
incident, so suggestive of Shakspeare’s Ophelia, awakened strange
thoughts in the mind of the writer. It is an absolute fact that while
the population of America increased thirty per cent. during the decade
between 1870 and 1880 the insanity increase was over one hundred and
thirty-five per cent for the same period. Travellers by rail, by boat,
or in carriages in any part of the land see large and elaborate
buildings, and inquire what they are?

Insane asylums!

Who builds them?

Each state; every county; hundreds of private individuals, and in all
cases their capacity is taxed to the utmost.

Why?

Because men, in business and the professions, women, at home or in
society, and children at school overtax their mental and nervous forces
by work, worry and care. This brings about nervous disorders,
indigestion, and eventually mania.

It is not always trouble with the head that causes insanity. It far
oftener arises from evils in other parts of the body. The nervous system
determines the status of the brain. Any one who has periodic headaches;
occasional dizziness; a dimness of vision; a ringing in the ears; a
feverish head; frequent nausea or a sinking at the pit of the stomach,
should take warning at once. The stomach and head are in direct
sympathy, and if one be impaired the other can never be in order. Acute
dyspepsia causes more insane suicides than any other known agency, and
the man, woman or child whose stomach is deranged is not and cannot be
safe from the coming on at any moment of mania in some one of its many
terrible forms.

The value of moderation and the imperative necessity of care in keeping
the stomach right must therefore be clear to all. The least appearance
of indigestion, or mal-assimilation of food should be watched as
carefully as the first approach of an invading army. Many means
advocated for meeting such attacks, but all have heretofore been more or
less defective. There can be little doubt, however, that for the purpose
of regulating the stomach, toning it up to proper action, keeping its
nerves in a normal condition and purifying the blood, Warner’s
Tippecanoe The Best, excels all ancient or recent discoveries. It is
absolutely pure and vegetable; it is certain to add vigor to adults,
while it cannot by any possibility injure even a child. The fact that it
was used in the days of the famous Harrison family is proof positive of
its merits as it so thoroughly withstood the test of time. As a tonic
and revivifer it is simply wonderful. It has relieved the agony of the
stomach in thousands of cases; soothed the tired nerves; produced
peaceful sleep and averted the coming on of a mania more to be dreaded
than death itself.

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FITCHBURG IN 1885

BY ATHERTON P. MASON, M.D.

The Bay State Monthly — Volume 2, No. 6, March, 1885

In the January number of this magazine appeared an excellent and
comprehensive historical sketch of Fitchburg. It is proposed in this
article to portray as briefly as possible, and by the aid of engravings,
the present condition and resources of our city.

Old Rollstone and its opposite neighbor, Pearl Hill, have witnessed the
transformation of a rude, inhospitable wilderness into a beautiful and
busy city. We of the present day, proud of our heritage, are striving to
improve it by all means within our power.

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Fitchburg owes her growth and prosperity pre-eminently to those
energetic and plucky men who founded and fostered the great industries
which now constitute her life and soul. Alvah Crocker, Salmon W. Putnam,
Eugene T. Miles, and Walter Heywood, have left behind them great and
lasting proofs of their toil and perseverance. Of Rodney Wallace, who is
now in the midst of a useful and benevolent life among us, another will
speak more fully and fittingly in other pages of this magazine; nor
would we neglect to give due credit to the energetic men who are now
either carrying on business established by their predecessors, or
founding new industries which enhance the resources and good name of
Fitchburg.

The little river (the north branch of the Nashua) which runs through the
township, and which is formed by the confluence of several large brooks
in the westerly part of the town, first invited the manufacturer to
locate on its banks. Its water-power is still used, but steam is now the
chief motor that propels the machinery, looms and spindles that daily
pour forth products which go to the markets, not of this country alone,
but of the world.

Perhaps no place of its size can boast of a greater diversity of
industries than Fitchburg. In such an article as this attention must
necessarily be confined to the chief among them, and but few words
devoted to the description of separate establishments.

Machinery takes the first rank among the manufactures of Fitchburg. The
pioneers in this business here were two brothers, Salmon W. and John
Putnam, who, in 1838, established the firm of J. & S.W. Putnam. In 1858
S.W. Putnam organized the Putnam Machine Company, which now has a wide
and enviable reputation. Mr. Putnam was President and General Business
Manager of the company until his death in 1872. Two of his surviving
sons are now actively engaged in carrying on the business, Charles F.
Putnam being President and Manager, and Henry O. Putnam Superintendent
of the department in which special machinists’ and railroad tools are
made. There are six other departments devoted to special kinds of
manufacture which are superintended by able men. Mr. Putnam’s two other
sons founded, in 1882, the Putnam Tool Company, located on Walnut
street, of which Salmon W. Putnam is President, and George E. Putnam
Treasurer, and is owned entirely by the Putnams. This company
manufactures machinery, railroad and machine tools. The present location
of the Putnam Machine Company, corner of Main and Putnam streets,
comprising over twenty-six acres, was purchased in 1866, and the
buildings were immediately erected at a cost of over $200,000. The works
were built from plans designed by the late President, and are arranged
with special reference to the variety of machines manufactured,
consisting of railroad and machinists’ tools, steam-engines,
water-wheels, and shafting. They comprise machine shops, foundries and
forges, and rank with the oldest and largest establishments of the kind
in the United States.

The Putnams are descendants of Gen. Israel Putnam of Revolutionary fame.

The Fitchburg Machine Works occupy a large and convenient brick building
on Main street, near its beginning, and manufacture machinists’ tools
principally. Opposite is the handsome brick building occupied by C.H.
Brown and Company, manufacturers of the "Brown" automatic cut-off
steam-engines, which have gained a wide reputation. A little further up
on Main street is located the Simonds Manufacturing Company. This
company was organized in 1868 with a capital of $150,000 and
manufactures machine knives and the well-known "Simonds" Circular Saw.

On Water street are three machine shops to be noticed. The Union Machine
Company makes paper machinery. The Rollstone Machine Company,
manufactures the "Rollstone" Lathe and other wood-working machinery. The
Fitchburg Steam Engine Company, whose business was established in 1871,
manufactures steam-engines and boilers, making a specialty of the
"Fitchburg" steam-engine, the great merits of which are everywhere
acknowledged. The company, notwithstanding its comparatively recent
organization, has a firm foothold in this country, and abroad also.

D.M. Dillon manufactures boilers and paper machinery. A.D. Waymouth and
Company, and C.W. Wilder manufacture respectively the Waymouth
wood-turning lathe and Wilder’s patent lathe.

In 1866 Charles Burleigh of Fitchburg invented the Burleigh rock drill,
and the next year the Burleigh Rock Drill Company was organized with a
capital of $150,000, to make and sell this machine and the Burleigh
Patent air-compressor. These drills have completely revolutionized the
business of rock-tunneling. They were first used in the Hoosac Tunnel
and, proved highly successful. Since then they have been employed at
Hell Gate, in the Sutro Tunnel, and at various points in Europe.

The Rollstone Iron Foundry, the Fitchburg Iron Foundry, and M.J.
Perault, manufacture castings of all kinds. W.A. Hardy operates a brass
Foundry on Water street. There is no space to indulge further in details
regarding machinery. In addition to the above are numerous individuals
and firms here engaged in the manufacture of mowing machines and
agricultural implements, boiler makers’ tools, electric machinery and
apparatus, files, grist and flouring-mill machinery, hay, straw, and
machine, knives, wood-working machinery, machinists’ tools, water
motors, watch tools, paper machinery and the like.

The paper manufacturing interest in Fitchburg is valuable and extensive.
The credit of successfully establishing this industry here belongs to
Alvah Crocker, who, in 1826, built a paper mill of his own. Paper had,
however, been made here to some extent previous to that time. In 1850
the firm of Crocker, Burbank and Company was formed, of which Mr.
Crocker was the head until his death in 1874. The present members of the
firm are C.T. Crocker, S.E. Crocker, G.F. Fay, G. H. Crocker and Alvah
Crocker. The firm now operates five large paper mills in West Fitchburg.
A sixth, the Snow Mill, was recently destroyed by fire. About 32,000
pounds of news, book and card paper are produced by these mills every
twenty-four hours.

In 1865 the Fitchburg Paper Company was organized. Rodney Wallace,
having purchased the interests of the other three original members of
the company, is now the sole proprietor. He operates two large and
well-equipped mills in West Fitchburg, which produce from 15,000 to
18,000 pounds of card and hanging paper every twenty-four hours.

In 1864 George W. Wheelwright and Sons built a paper mill, and in 1880
the G.W. Wheelwright Paper Company was incorporated with a capital of
$100,000. The mill is located on Fourth street and produces about 7,000
pounds of news paper per twenty-four hours.

In 1884 a number of capitalists purchased the building long known as
Richardson’s scythe shop, situated on Scythe-shop road, South Fitchburg,
and converted it into a paper-mill. It is now operated by the National
Paper Company and produces manilla and hanging paper.

The chair business is represented in Fitchburg by an establishment which
is one of the largest and best arranged in the world. Walter Heywood
really founded this industry here in 1844, though chairs were made in
Fitchburg on a small scale some years previously. The Walter Heywood
Chair Company was organized in 1851 and incorporated in 1869 with a
capital of $240,000. In July, 1870, the company’s buildings on Water
street were completely destroyed by fire, and a lot on River street,
comprising nine acres, was immediately purchased for the erection of new
works. These buildings, each three hundred feet long, fifty feet wide
and two stories high, besides store houses, offices and sheds, were soon
ready for occupation. A private track connects the works with the
Fitchburg Railroad. The Company has a very large trade, both foreign and
domestic, and employs three hundred men. The chair stock is prepared at
the company’s mills in Barton, Vermont.

The manufacture of cotton and woolen goods is extensively carried on in
Fitchburg. The Fitchburg Cotton Mill is a fine brick building at the
upper end of Main street; carpet warps, batting and twine are here
manufactured. The Fitchburg Duck Mills in South Fitchburg produce cotton
duck. The Parkhill Manufacturing Company (John Parkhill, President, and
Arthur H. Lowe, Treasurer), occupies what was formerly Davis’ chair
shop, situated on Circle street, and manufactures gingham. The building
has been greatly enlarged and additional buildings have been erected
since the company was organized a few years ago. Excellent goods are
manufactured and find a ready market.

The factory of the Fitchburg Woolen Mill Company, in Factory square, has
been long established and its products are well known. The company was
organized in 1843, but the factory itself has been in existence much
longer, being one of the oldest brick buildings in town. It was
originally used as a cotton mill, but in 1822 it was made into a woolen
factory. Since that date it has been enlarged several times. William H.
Vose, recently deceased, was Treasurer and Manager of this mill for
about forty years. Only a few months ago Mr. Vose wrote a concise
history of the factory since 1822, which is interesting and valuable.
James Phillips, Jr., is a prominent woolen manufacturer and operates the
three following concerns: a large woolen manufactory in West Fitchburg,
producing suitings, etc.; the Star Worsted Company, and the Fitchburg
Worsted Company, producing yarn and worsted. Mr. Phillips has met with
marked success, and his goods take high rank in the best markets. There
is a woolen mill in Rockville, a village in the westerly part of
Fitchburg, operated by James McTaggart, Jr.

The firm of E.M. Dickinson & Company is the only one in the city engaged
in the manufacture of shoes. This firm occupies a handsome brick
factory, recently erected on Main street, next to the Simonds
Manufacturing Company, and has a large trade both in New England and the
West. In connection with E.M. Dickinson & Company, and located in the
same building, is the Sole Leather Tip Company. The Fitchburg Furniture
Company has a large manufactory on Newton Place. A number of concerns
carry on an extensive lumber business and operate establishments where
doors, sashes, blinds, and ornamental wood-work are made. J. Gushing &
Company and Washburn & Woodward operate large grain elevators and flour
mills. The first named firm occupies the "Stone Mill," one of the old
land-marks of Fitchburg. In addition to the above there are numerous
individuals and firms engaged in the manufacture of confectionery,
crackers, tin-ware, toys, soap, wood pulp, carriages, harnesses, marble
and granite monuments, bricks, beer, cigars and matches. In fine there
are over one hundred concerns here engaged in manufacturing on a large
scale, and considerably over one hundred establishments where
occupations akin to manufacturing are carried on.

But Fitchburg is beautiful as well as busy. Handsome churches, business
blocks, public buildings and private residences greet the eyes of
strangers in our streets.

There are eleven churches in town. The First Parish (Unitarian) Church
is the oldest. The present edifice is a plain and substantial brick
structure at the head of the upper common, and was built in 1837. In
1883 the interior was entirely remodeled and stained windows put in,
thus making a handsome auditorium. Rev. W.H. Pierson is pastor of this
society.

The First Methodist Church is on Main street, opposite the lower end of
the upper common, and was built in 1840. Rev. W.J. Pomfret is pastor.

The First Universalist Church stands on the corner of Main and Rollstone
streets, and was built in 1847. Rev. F.O. Hall is pastor. This society
proposes to erect a new church, further down town, before long.

On the opposite corner is the Calvinistic Congregational Church, built
in 1844. Rev. S.L. Blake, D.D., is pastor. In connection with this
Church is a handsome and commodious chapel.

Further down Main street, opposite the Post-office, is the First Baptist
Church, a large and imposing structure, built in 1854. Rev. I.R.
Wheelock is pastor.

A little further down, and on the opposite side of the street, is Christ
Church (Episcopal). This is built of granite and has a very attractive
appearance both within and without. The society has no settled rector at
present.

Towards the lower end of Main street is situated the Rollstone
Congregational Church, a fine brick and stone structure, built in 1869.
In connection with it is a handsome chapel, the gift of the late Deacon
David Boutelle and named after the donor. The Second Advent Chapel is on
the corner of North and Cherry streets; no pastor is at present settled.

The St. Bernard’s Church (Catholic) is a costly and handsome brick and
stone edifice on Water street. Rev. P.J. Garrigan is pastor, and Rev.
D.F. Feehan is assistant pastor. In 1878 a fine Catholic Chapel (Church
of the Sacred Heart) was built in West Fitchburg, and is now under the
charge of Rev. J.T. Donohoe. There is also a very pretty Methodist
Church in West Fitchburg, of which Rev. W. Wignall is pastor.

The Fitchburg Savings Bank block, on Main street, up town, is the
largest and finest in the city. It was erected in 1871, and is of brick
with a handsome and costly front of fine, white-grained granite. The
ground floor is divided into four stores, which are as commodious and
well-appointed as any in Worcester County. On the second floor are the
banking-rooms of the Fitchburg National and Fitchburg Savings Banks, the
office of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and several law
offices. The two stories above are mainly occupied by the Free Masons,
whose rooms are among the finest in the State.

The Safety Fund National Bank has rooms in Crocker Block, a handsome
brick and stone structure further down on Main street. The Windsor Club
(social) has attractive rooms in this block.

The Rollstone National Bank has rooms in the Rollstone Bank block, a
large and fine brick and sandstone structure, on the south side of Main
street, down town. The rooms of the Worcester North Savings Institution
are also in this block, and the Odd Fellows and E.V. Sumner Encampment,
Post 19, Grand Army of the Republic, have commodious apartments in the
upper portion. The Wachusett National Bank has a brick banking house on
the corner of Main and Day streets.

Whitney’s Opera House block contains the only theatre in town. The stage
is of good size and well-appointed and the auditorium neat and
attractive. Good companies appear here throughout the season, and are
well patronized by citizens of Fitchburg and neighboring towns. Other
blocks worthy of mention are Belding & Dickinson’s, Coggshall &
Carpenter’s, Hatch’s, Wixon’s (not yet completed), and Stiles’–all on
Main street, and Union and Goodrich on Day street.

There are eight hotels in the city, the Fitchburg Hotel and the American
House being the two largest.

The City Hall, on Main street, nearly opposite the Savings Bank block,
is a large brick building. The entire upper story is devoted to a large
hall, called the City Hall. It is the largest in the city. There are
about a dozen other halls of various sizes in different parts of the
city. On the first floor of the City Hall are the various city offices,
rooms of the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council. The entire rear portion
is occupied by the Public Library, containing over sixteen thousand
volumes, which will soon be removed to the new and elegant "Wallace
Library and Art Building," now in process of completion. Mr. Wallace’s
generous gift to the city is fully described in another article.

The Post-Office occupies the lower floor of a neat and substantial brick
edifice opposite the Baptist Church. The letter-carrier system was begun
here November 1, 1884. In the upper portion of this building are rooms
occupied by the Fitchburg Board of Trade and the Park Club (social).
Just below the Post-Office is Monument Square, in the centre of which is
a handsome soldiers’ monument, designed by Martin Milmore, and costing
about $25,000. It was dedicated June 26, 1874. Four brass cannon,
procured through Alvah Crocker while a Member of Congress, stand in the
enclosure. In the rear of the square is the Court House, a stone
building of noble proportions, built in 1871.

Fitchburg is located on the Hoosac Tunnel route, and hence has extensive
railroad facilities. The Fitchburg Railroad runs eleven passenger trains
to Boston every week, day and five to Greenfield and North Adams. The
Northern Division of the Old Colony Railroad terminates here and
furnishes four trains daily to Boston, and also to the principal cities
of southern Massachusetts. The Fitchburg and Worcester Division affords
ample means of communication with our sister city. The Cheshire Railroad
furnishes four trains daily to points in New Hampshire and Vermont. A
route for the proposed Fitchburg and Manchester Railroad was surveyed
last summer. The Union Passenger Depot, used by all these roads in
common, is a commodious building and an ornament to the city. Not far
from the depot is the "L.J. Brown" store, a large and handsome building
with a brown stone front, which is certainly worthy of mention, both as
a sample of the business blocks in town, and as a memorial of the late
L.J. Brown.

Fitchburg is well provided with school houses. The High School on High
street is a large and convenient building, and was erected in 1869. Mr.
R.G. Huling has been the Principal since 1875. There are three large
Grammar school buildings in the city proper, and one in West Fitchburg,
besides a dozen or more buildings occupied by lower grades in various
localities in town.

There are two newspapers published here. The _Fitchburg Sentinel_
occupies the entire upper portion of one of the oldest brick buildings
in town. The structure has been raised and enlarged since it was first
built. The first number of the _Sentinel_ appeared December 30, 1838,
and on May 6, 1873, the _Daily Sentinel_ began its existence. Both are
still published and enjoy a large and increasing circulation. The
_Fitchburg Tribune_ is issued weekly. This paper has been established
only a few years, but under the present proprietor is acquiring a goodly
circulation.

Our city is fortunate in possessing an abundant supply of excellent
water derived from Scott, Shattuck and Falulah Brooks. Three reservoirs,
Overlook, Scott and Marshall, were constructed at the time the
water-works were first put in operation, a dozen years ago. These are
located on the high land north-west of the city. In 1883 a fourth
reservoir was constructed and named Falulah from the brook by which it
is supplied. Overlook is the largest and most elevated, being four
hundred feet above the railroad tracks. More than eighteen miles of
service pipe are now in use, and there are over two hundred fire
hydrants at various points. The city is equipped with a fire alarm
telegraph, having thirty-one signal boxes, and maintains an efficient
and well managed Fire Department. It is thus easy to understand why
Fitchburg seldom has a fire that amounts to much.

The Wachusett Electric Light Company began to light the principal
streets in the city proper in 1883, and still continues to furnish
agreeable illumination.

The Fitchburg Gas Company, organized in 1852, has works a little below
the Union Depot and is in prosperous condition.

The Fitchburg Divison of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company
comprises this city, Leominster, Lunenburg and Westminster. There are
nearly four hundred subscribers.

The Fitchburg Roller Skating Rink is an institution very attractive to
the public and well patronized. There is also a skating rink in West
Fitchburg.

The Massachusetts Mutual Aid Society, an organization for life
insurance, was incorporated in 1875, and its members now number several
thousands.

The Fitchburg Co-operative Savings Fund and Loan Association was
incorporated in 1877. Monthly payments are made by share holders and
money loaned on real-estate.

The Worcester North Agricultural Society was incorporated in 1852, and
has extensive fair grounds and a trotting park in the easterly part of
the township.

The city owns two cemeteries. Laurel Hill Cemetery is large and has been
in use for at least seventy-five years. It occupies a hill overhanging
the river, and is truly a city of the dead overlooking the city of the
living. Forest Hill Cemetery is on the Mount Elam road, two miles south
of the city, and is of more recent origin. St. Bernard’s Cemetery, in
the easterly part of the town, is owned by the Roman Catholics.

Fitchburg hospitality is well known, and Masonic or other organizations
are always sure of royal entertainment and a grand good time when they
visit their Fitchburg brethren.

Art, literature and music have always been cultivated here. Though there
is no organized art club in town, there are not a few artists here of
merit whose skill with crayon and brush is fully appreciated.

The Fitchburg Literary Club was organized some fifteen years ago. Its
membership has been large and its meetings interesting. Mr. R.G. Huling
is now the President of the club. Several writers of prose and verse
reside in town.

In proof of musical talent we refer with just pride to the Fitchburg
Military Band, G.A. Patz, Director. The band, under the faithful and
skillful management of the late Warren S. Russell, attained almost the
highest rank among the musical organizations of New England. Mr. Russell
was a most estimable man, of rare musical ability, and his death in
March, 1884, was a sad blow to the members of the band, and to the
citizens of Fitchburg as well. At his funeral, March 18, 1884, the
floral tributes from many musical organizations in New England, the
presence of Mr. D.W. Reeves, always a warm friend of Mr. Russell, with
the American Band of Providence, Rhode Island, whose members voluntarily
tendered their services for the occasion gratuitously; the great
concourse of citizens and the general suspension of business throughout
the city, showed better than any words the estimation in which he was
held. In April, 1884, Mr. Patz became the leader of the band. That he is
eminently qualified for the position is shown by the fact that the band
still maintains its high rank and bids fair to surpass in the future the
successes of the past. In the upper common is a very handsome
band-stand, erected by means of the generosity of certain citizens, and
down town in Railroad Park is another, not quite as ornamental. The band
gives a concert at each place nearly every week during warm weather, and
large audiences appreciate the music. Nor are we lacking in vocal
talent. Several of our residents, some of whom have perfected themselves
abroad, have acquired, or are acquiring, reputation as singers.

There are many handsome residences and fine estates in and around the
city, a few of which are represented in this sketch. It is to be
regretted that the residence of Mr. George F. Fay, of Crocker, Burbank &
Co., cannot be shown. It is in process of completion, and when finished
will be the finest in the city.

Fitchburg is situated in a pleasant valley, extending nearly east and
west, through the southern portion of which runs the little river. Main
street is just north of this stream, and, in a measure, parallel to it.
This is the principal business street in the city and from either side
of it branch off streets most of which eventually climb up a hillside.
The city tends to increase along the course of the valley mainly, though
now the surrounding slopes are fast becoming covered with dwellings. The
streets (with the exception of Main) are unpaved, but are carefully
looked after by the city and always kept in good condition. Good
sidewalks, plenty of shade trees, and the general appearance of thrift
and neatness on the part of citizens, make a stroll through the streets
of Fitchburg very agreeable. Such, at least, is the opinion of the
writer who, as a native of the place, may be allowed to express
pardonable pride in the general appearance of prosperity, neatness and
intelligence in the community.

This sketch would be incomplete without some slight allusion to the
surrounding country. The most marked topographical feature in this
region is Rollstone Hill, a rounded eminence, composed entirely of
granite. It is just southwest of the city. Its top is bare rock, but the
sides are covered with a thin layer of soil, which furnishes support for
quite a forest. Several quarries are worked during warm weather, and an
immense amount of granite has been taken out without any apparent
diminution in the size of the hill. It may be of interest to state that
the Fitchburg Railroad depot, in Boston, is built of granite taken from
this hill; and there are several other large stone structures in the Hub
built of the same material. On the very summit of Rollstone is perched
"the Boulder," a round mass of rock, forty-five feet in circumference,
and weighing at least one hundred tons. The rock of which it is
composed is totally unlike any rock formation within a radius of thirty
miles or more, and it is probable that this boulder was brought to its
present position by ice. The view from the top of this hill is well
worth the slight trouble taken in ascending it. At the feet of the
observer lies the city, forming almost a semi-circle. Wooded hills arise
on all sides. Wachusett, twelve miles distant, rears its imposing pile
in the south, while Big Watatic overtops its brethren in the northwest.
Almost opposite Rollstone is Pearl Hill, which is also well worth a
visit.

There are many pleasant drives around Fitchburg, which are thoroughly
appreciated by the citizens. But we must not dwell longer upon Fitchburg
or its environs. Let those who are strangers to our city come and see
for themselves. They will be welcome.

The writer is aware that much has been omitted in this sketch which
ought to have been spoken of; but in a magazine article, intended simply
to give a general idea of the place, such must of necessity be the case.
Much space might, for instance, be most justly devoted to the business
men and merchants of Fitchburg, who, by hard work and fair dealing, have
acquired honorable names in the community. It would be quite possible to
fill several more pages with such matters, but it is probable that the
readers of the "BAY STATE" will coincide with the opinion that it is
about time to stop.

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SCHOOL LIFE IN CHINA

The American Missionary.
VOL. XLII. JULY 1888. No. 7.

I suppose you would like to hear about the school life of the children
in China. The girls are never sent to school, as the Chinese do not
think it is necessary for girls to be educated. Nearly every boy is
sent to school at about the same age as your American boys, six or
seven. From this time the boy’s playing days are over. If the teacher
sees or hears that any one has been playing after the school hour, he
would be severely punished. What would your American boys think of
such treatment?

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School begins at the first dawning of light, and closes when we can
see to read no more. No intermission is allowed, excepting for the
pupils to go home to get their meals. The first thing in the morning
we begin to study the book of Confucius, all the pupils studying
aloud. We shall have to recite to the teacher very soon. When we go up
to recite, we must hand the book to the teacher and turn our faces
from him. This gives no chance to see which word comes next. This is
called backing the book. The consequences will be very sad should we
fail in reciting our lessons. A new lesson is then assigned if we
recite well. School dismisses for the pupils to go home for breakfast
at 9 o’clock. The writing lesson begins as soon as we come back. We
study again, and write again, and our copy books are
examined by the teacher. The nest time we recite, the teacher picks
out ten of the hardest characters from our lesson to see if we
recognize them. We shall have much trouble this time if we miss. The
teacher will inflict some curious punishment upon us and will say,
"You know this very well, I suppose, but the trouble is, you are too
old to study your lesson, and I am afraid you cannot see; I will give
you a pair of spectacles for a present. Perhaps that may help you to
see." Then he takes some red ink and draws a large circle around both
eyes, and then we may go home for lunch. No one is allowed to clean it
till coming back to school. Hardly any one with such marks wishes to
go home for lunch; every one who saw you would know you had been in
disgrace.

We come back for our afternoon’s work. The first part we spend in
writing, and the remainder of the day preparing our lesson for the
next morning. For the slightest offense the children are whipped
severely. The teachers are so strict, that it is no wonder the
children run away from school; some go fishing, or else to the woods
hunting birds’ nests. If the boys see anybody not belonging to their
company they will climb up a tree as high as the branch can hide them
from view. All you boys will know the reason we are afraid any one
should see us. I remember running away from school once, but
unfortunately my father sent my sister to the school for me to go home
on business. As she could not find me, my father knew I had not been
to school that day. I went home for lunch about the time school
dismissed. When I got home, the first question my father asked was,
"School dismissed?" I answered, "Yes sir." He then said, "How did you
get along with your lesson?" I answered, "First class." "And who was
the first one in the class to-day?" I answered, "I am, sir." Then I
noticed his voice seemed to have an angry tone, and he said, "Are you
sure you have been to school?" I answered, "Of course I did, do you
think I am a liar?" I got terribly whipped this time, and when I went
to school in the afternoon, I also got a whipping from the teacher. I
did not have any more chance for running away from school this year,
for I was too closely watched. The children of China, you see, have no
pleasant time as you American boys and girls.

The high schools are quite different from the primary. The students
have to lodge and board in the school-house. We get up in the morning
before daybreak to study; the teacher and all the students go to the
explanation hall for our lesson. The teacher explains the meaning of
the lesson, and in the afternoon we are expected to recite and give
the explanation as given by the teacher. This is the hardest work of
the whole day. Our evening lesson is studying essays and poems by
Chinese Princes. About eleven o’clock school closes, and in a very few
minutes I am sure you will find no one awake. In winter time we manage
to get about six hours for sleep, but in summer only about four. We
generally {pg 215} sleep a little while at the noon recess. It would
not be surprising if when the teacher could not see us, we try to take
a little nap in our seat. Each boy has a table to himself. None of the
scholars sit erect as your American custom. Every boy leans his head
upon his hands, so that he can manage to take a little sleep when the
teacher is not looking.

We are allowed two meals a day only, and students cannot tell the cook
to prepare any private lunch. We can have as much tea as we wish. The
only way we can get anything extra is to try and get the cook to buy
it secretly, then it is very hard to get a chance to eat it without
the teacher seeing. I remember once my teacher made a visit to his
friends; usually he came back in about half an hour. When he was gone,
I thought I could make a little lunch, and eat it before he came back.
He came sooner than I expected. When I saw him coming back, I ran to
my seat as fast as I could and left the lunch in the kitchen. When the
teacher found out he told the cook to dish it up and he ate it. When
he finished, he came to us with a smile on his face and said, "Whose
cooking is this? If he tell me I will give him back the money." When I
heard that, I thought it was true, and I never thought the teacher of
the high school would tell stories and deceive me. So I said, "It is
mine." After I said that, he walked slowly back to his seat. I thought
he was going to give me back the money. I did wonder he did not ask me
how much it cost. So I watched him and saw him take up the bundle of
rattans. I guessed what was coming, and I guess I need not tell you
the result. The children of Christian lands have much to be thankful
for. I earnestly hope that soon the children of China will enjoy _all_
the privileges which the Gospel brings.

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TOUGALOO TO-DAY

The American Missionary.
VOL. XLII. JULY 1888. No. 7.

Jackson, Miss., May 26.–While the white Mississippians were laying
the corner stone of a Confederate monument at Jackson, the black
Mississippians were holding the closing exercises of their university
at Tougaloo, only seven miles away.

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For a wonder the war spared Tougaloo. Less pretentious houses within
sight of it were fired and destroyed by roving squads. But the
mansion, in the midst of a grand grove of oaks, stood intact. When the
war was over, the American Missionary Association acquired 500 acres
of the estate, including the mansion.

At the beginning the building afforded accommodations for both
teachers and students. But at present the mansion is used for the
offices of the institution and for class rooms. Tougaloo has developed
into one of the largest institutions for colored youth in the South.
The mansion, which was the nucleus, is now only one of half a dozen
large structures. To the north of it is Strieby Hall, a long
three-story brick structure. The clay was dug, the brick made, and the
walls laid, chiefly by student labor. To the south is another
three-story dormitory. Another notable structure in the
group is the Ballard School Building, every nail in which was driven
by the students. About these larger buildings are grouped the Ballard
Industrial shops and cottages.

Three hundred and twenty-six students were enrolled at Tougaloo the
past year. The steady growth in the attendance more than keeps pace
with the increase in accommodations. They come from all parts of
Mississippi, Yazoo County of terrible memories furnishing a
representation notable for its numbers. Arkansas, Louisiana and
Tennessee are represented.

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Efforts of four policemen were required to arrest a Negress and as a result there is the following list of injured: Patrolman Dubach, left arm bitten; Patrolman Harding, right arm bitten, Patrolmen Schneider, face lacerations; Patrolmen Reardon, left ankle bitten and a pair of uniform trousers damaged. The trouble started when a white man, Frank Brickler, Newport, Ky., met Patrolman Dubach and Harding at Fifth and Smith street and told them that a Negress had robbed him of $3.

The officers went to 409 Smith where Duetta Taylor, Negress, 24 years old lives, and attempted to arrest her.

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TRUTH ABOUT THE CONGO.

The interesting interview with Captain Braconnier, published in the Herald on Monday, while it does not throw any absolutely new light on the purposes of the African International Association, brings out one or two points which are of considerable interest to all Americans who are thinking of the possibility of our “taking a hand” in the development of the “dark Continent.” Braconnier is a Belgian officer who was selected by King Leopold to assist Stanley on the Congo, and has spent three years and a half in the country.

He reports, first, that no European can live in the country, on account of the fevers. The climate is fatal to most strangers who remain there for more than two years. This does not prevent the establishment of trading posts, but makes it very doubtful whether any permanent European occupation like that of India is possible. As to commerce, he declares that Stanley, in his account of the river, has drawn upon his imagination for some of his facts. The river can be ascended no further than Nokki or Mokki, about eighty-five miles from its mouth; beyond this rapids spoil everything. In this part of the river the travellers are obliged constantly to leave it for the land.

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“Steam launches drawing barely two and a half feet of water have had to be dragged along by our men. A whaleboat, the Eclaireur, about one and a half feet under water, often grazed the bottom. From Kuamoth (the new station at the junction of the Congo and Kuango) north to Bdldbó and Equator Station, the river seems a hopeless confusion of sand banks, rocks, islands, and rapids. Rut perhaps when soundings have been made more thoroughly a better channel may be found than we have yet discovered.”

Then, as to the crops, the truthful Captain says: “We have been disappointed, too, in the native products.” There is ivory, but not so much’ as was expected. “We have not yet discovered the great ivory- producing country. Even the natives we have met don’t seem to know it. India-rubber is much scarcer in the interior than we thought. Peanuts are also scarce, but might easily be grown, as the soil all along the river is wonderfully rich. I don’t see why three crops of not only peanuts, but maize, millet, or wheat should not some day be raised every year. Attempts to introduce European grains have been made at all the International stations. At the outset all failed, the stations standing on virgin soil, overrun with thick, rank grass and all but impenetrable bush and swarming with insects of every kind, which will have to be burhed out or otherwise utterly destroyed. I should say if this were done, after two or three years’ clearing, all African or European grains, as well as potatoes, would thrive. Great care, by the by, must be taken to protect the Enropean seeds and grain from the sun, while allowing them plenty of air. This is done on the Congo by putting them into ester stands raised ahout two yards above the ground on trestles. We have found plenty of maize, manioca, millet, sago, bananas, pineapples, and lemons. Of gold and silver we have seen no trace. But there is some copper and probably a good deal ot iron, for the ground is ferruginous. All the ivory is bronght down the Congo from the far interior, passing through a great many hands on the way.”

As to territorial rights and international law, there is the same trouble in finding them on the Congo that Artemus Ward had in getting any “monicky” in Canada. There are none there. Captain Braconnier gives the following admirable account of the condition of the native mind as to all such matters. It strongly recalls the state of things on the continent at the time of its first settlement:

"They think there is one great country all the whites come from, called ‘Umputu,’ and that it is ruled by one great King, ‘Fumokoubamoundela,’ the King of the Belgians. As to territorial rights they neither understand nor have the faintest intention of admitting such a thing as a ‘cession of territory.’ If you speak of such a thing they take up a handtul of earth and say ‘God gave it to our chief. Our chief has given it to us.’ Any one can settle on a patch of ground, however, not already occupied, and cultivate it. We of the International Association bave never bought ground of the natives. We have invariably rented it - for an indefinite time. This kind of contract they understand perfectly. They admit that, in return for a periodic payment of stuffs, copper, guns, sham pearls, and so on, strangers have the right to settle on a tract of country. Stanley has explained the idea to them a score of times, and I twice as often at least.”
Any savage can understand this’; what he does not understand is that after a time the period of payment will cease, while the occupation will continue. The fact, however, shows how ridiculous “treaties” in such a country must be.

Another point not to be overlooked is that, like the Sudan, the Congo country is a great slave country. When we hear of great “trade routes” in the interior of Africa, what is meant most often is slave-trade routes. Captain Braconnier Cays that not only is the slave trade flourishing in great vigor on the upper Congo, but the condition of slavery is regarded by the slaves themselves as natural and proper; they do not want to be liberated, for they get in return for their involuntary labor protection in life and limb; their master does for them what the police do for us.

If there is any lesson or conclusion to be drawn from all this for Americans, it is how fortunate is that country which has least to do with the “dark Continent.” The work that Braconnier, Be Brazza, and Stanley are canying on is not so much one of settlement as of exploration and adventure. It is as yet by no means certain how far the possession of the interior of Africa would be a boon to any civilized government, and in the rivalry for its possession by England, Portugal, Belgium, and France, it is obvious that the old game that was played with the red man by our ancestors, and by Clive and Hastings with the East Indians will be played over again—the game of treaties, war, and mock philanthropy as a cover for treachery, stratagems, and systematic spoiling of the easily deceived natives. The matter will be complicated by the slavery question, as the position of England in the Sudan has been. It is a very awkward thing when an anti-slavery country goes colonizing in a slave country. How fortunate for us that we have no stake in Africa, and that so far as we are concerned it can only be regarded as a promising field for innocent journalistic enterprise.

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This letter is from the Continental Monthly - Volume 1 - Issue 3
VOL. I.–MARCH, 1862.–No. III.

The climate of Texas is very peculiar. This is owing to the body of water to the eastward of it, and to the dry and elevated plain of the Llano Estacado, and the lofty mountains which lie to the westward. To these two causes are due the moisture and the cool temperature, and at times and in certain localities the excessive dryness of Texas.

The Gulf stream, in its course along the coast of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico, has beneath it, running to the south, a cold stream, nearly down to the freezing point. The great equatorial current which strikes north of Cape St. Roque and through the Caribbean Sea is suddenly narrowed between Cape San Antonio and Cape Catoche; here the upper and warmer current, being condensed, strikes deeper, and forces to the surface the cold water from the under current, sometimes occasioning a roaring and very peculiar noise. By this means the Gulf stream is divided, part turning to the eastward around Cuba and between that island and Florida, and part turning to the westward, north of the banks of Campeachy, and striking Padre Island, an island upon the coast of Texas, about one hundred and forty miles this current strikes, there are very deep soundings, almost up with the land. South of this point, upon the beach, are found mahogany and other tropical drift-wood, brought there from the tropics; while north of it the drift wood is oak, ash, and cotton-wood, brought from the north by a current running counter to the Gulf stream, which I will hereafter describe. From Padre Island the Gulf stream strikes off to the north-east to the mouth of the Mississippi, thence around the coast of Florida and through her keys, until it joins the other branch. Inside the Gulf stream, along the coast of Texas, is the counter-current before referred to, making down the coast at the rate of two to three miles per hour, and bringing down the silt and mud of the Mississippi, Sabine, etc. I have seen the water off the Island of Galveston the color of chocolate, after a long norther.

Above the centre of Padre Island the coast of Texas deepens at the rate of about a fathom to the mile, until at twenty fathoms there is a coral reef, and on the easterly side of this reef the water deepens, as by the side of a perpendicular wall, to a very great depth. This reef marks the boundary of the Gulf stream, and also the boundary of the terrible tornado. The tornado of the Gulf of Mexico never passes this barrier, never strikes the land, nor has it been known within memory of man upon the coast.

It seems to confine itself to the course of the warm water of the stream, and the great ‘Father of the Waters’ spreads his counter-current down the coast of Texas, like a long flowing garment, fending off the storm and the whirlwind, and thus still better fitting Texas for the white man and the white man’s labor.

With this freedom from violent storms comes the delicious southerly wind in the summer, which gives health and moisture to the larger part of Texas. This wind varies in the point from which it flows. From Sabine to Matagorda its course is from south-east to south-south-east, growing more and more to the south as the coast tends to the south, until at the Rio Grande it blows from due south with perhaps a little westing in it. The course of this wind will explain the three belts of Texas, the rainy, that of less rain, and that of great drought.

This wind from the south-east corner from across the ocean and gulf (being a continuation of the south-east trades) laden with moisture and of a delightful temperature, when it is met by the cool air from the mountains, and condensed, giving the rains of Eastern and Central Texas. The more southing they have in them, the less moisture, until the extreme south-eastern portion of Texas, or the country near the mouth of the Rio Grande, is one of almost constant drought. There are thus three belts of moisture: first, from the Sabine to the mouth of the Brazos, may be called the belt of greatest rain,–from the Brazos to Lavaca or Victoria, that of moderate rain,–and from Lavaca to the Rio Grande, the dry belt. But even in the dry belt there is moisture enough to give fine grasses, and make the country a fine one for grazing, and the streams taking their rise in great springs, which probably have their source in the melting snows of the Rocky Mountains, flowing under the Llano Estacado and breaking out in great numbers in a line almost north and south, never dry up, even in the dryest seasons.

In the winter months, Texas has winds from the north, which come on very suddenly, and produce great variation in the temperature. They are disagreeable, but wholesome, and clear the atmosphere. They do not extend north of the Red River, nor very far west, but increase in intensity as they go south. No country in the world can be healthier than Texas, and consumption and pectoral complaints never originate in the area of the northers.

Eastern Texas is generally well wooded; Middle and Western Texas have wood on the banks of the streams, and frequent spots of timber on the prairies. Most of the country is covered with nutritious grass, affording good pasture throughout the year, capable of supporting an endless number of cattle and sheep, and almost all the soil is suited to the growth of cotton. There are more than five thousand square miles of bituminous coal in Texas, presenting seams five feet thick, and hills of pure gypsum seven hundred feet high. These are all covered by a generous sky and climate beneath which the white man can live and work without fear of malaria or sickness, and where he can enjoy all the blessings of the tropics without their attendant disadvantages.