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CHINESE GUILE.
A BOGUB SECRET SOCIETY.
The Lims and the Tans were carpenters, and lived in a British Crown Colony. The elder Lim had three strong sons. The Taus were brothers and consins.
A business dispute, angry words, and blows, followed by a Police Court case, in which some of the Tans were fined, led to a feud. The headman of the Tans hit upon a noble scheme of revenge. He "called unto him a scribe and bade him write as he thus dictated to him :-
THE SOCIETY OF THE RED HEART.
Lim Hock entrance fee $5 paid 10" of 11" Moon
Lim Tye-soon 26" year
of Kwang Soon
Wee Ho-swee monthly
subscriptions $2.
Lim Hu-watt... Chua Li-fong Kay Sang-ho
་་་
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[March 5, 1906.
CHINESE TROUBLE UNEXPECTED. | inspiration. The deeds of H. E. Li Hang-chang had been truly remarkable, and therefore he (Mr. Mandl) and his partners had asked Mr. Lang, of Munich, to cast this statue, which had now been brought thousands of li sorosS the seas to China. It was placed in Shang- hai, because that was the town where most foreigners and Chinese congregated, where many ships came, and where the railways served H. E. Li Hang-chang for twenty years, had their termini. He and his partners had and they felt grateful to him for his kindness. This statue was erected that future ages might know their gratitude to him, and all Europeans who know of his deeds would say that what had been done was right.
An
The same correspondent, we believe, who the Boxer troubles, now writes that there is no gave the N.-C. Daily News timely warning of
mitted by Reuter that the American Govern. cause for alarm. He says:-The news trans ment fear internal troubles in China this year and are therefore preparing for such Chinese circles whether official or mercantile. emergency is ridiculed in all well-informed
that need be feared in this country will be of a So fas as can be seen the only internal troubles
local nature, such as anti-Christian outbreaks, 11 12 1 2 3 4 Moon district originating such outbreaks.
which cannot spread beyond the hsien, or Any national disorders are considered improbable. True, the extreme end of the so-called Reform Party, headed by such theorists as Kang Yü. woi, Liang Chi-chao, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and the like, have been trying to foment an anti- dynastic revolution in China by means of the aid which they hope to procure from the Chinoso in the United States, Australia, and islands of the Pacific and Indian Ocean, who are being inflamed against the present their emissaries. Indeed, certain adventurous dynasty by these so-called Reformers, and foreigners have even been engaged to act as officers and instructors of the proposed Revolutionary Army; but it will be found that, intriguants will show themselves too fond of when put to the test, these anti-dynastic their own precious bodies to put themselves into the least danger, for as good disciples of
241 3 3 day
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(here followed a list of the names of all the enemies of the house of Tan with entries opposite their names purporting to show the day of the Moon upon which the monthly subscription was paid.)
It took three days to complete this work of Art," and then the Tans held another family conclave. The younger wished to hide this incriminating document in the house of the Lims, and straightway give information to the police. The headman laughed at their crudity, and said, "Now hearken unto me. You know the widow Yeo Wee-neo, she who keeps a stall opposite the shop of Lim Hock, where she sells fruit. Let rome wily son approach her so that she go with bruised arms and face and torn raiment to the police, and report a severe assault upon her by some members of the Red Heart Society, and, mind she is paid $10 before and $20 after the report. Five days after this I myself will go to the police and report that I have been assaulted by one Wee Ho-swee, be- cause he asked me to join the Society of the Red Heart and I had refused to do so. And we shall be particular of the date, and the time of the assault, and of the circumstances thereof, so that our witnesses shall not be confounded by lawyers." One of the young men protested that there was no such person as Wee Ho-swee.
Oh, water through a straining basket. Thou art my son," he said, "thy brains run out as blind as a bat in the daylight. Knowest thou not that Wee Ho-swee, after assaulting me, absconded and cannot be found? Knowest❘ thou not that none can deny my story, because there is no one who knows Wee Ho-swee (he not being in existence) and that we can tell with impunity any tale about the wicked Wee Ho- awee? Now go, and bo thou also assaulted by a phantom, whose name alone appears in the book of the Red Heart Society. Thou mayest be assaulted even this day for thou art not a carpenter, and the first complaints must not come from carpenters lest the Magistrate say that we seek merely our own benefit." Then the wily old rascal showed his relatives how to bruise their arms with a brush, so that they bore external evidence of a cruel assault. For the next few weeks, the authorities had com plaints innumerable, few by carpenters, but many by petty shopkeepers and women. The Lims were kept so busy answering these obarges that they forgot their feud with the Tans, whose hands did not show in the matter. Then there was a wedding in their family, and many invitations were sent out. This was what the oldest Tan had waited for. It was easy to learn the date of the party, and they reported that date as the day set for a meeting of the Secret Society of the Red Heart. One of the Tans watched for the police raid, and snatched an opportunity to conceal the incriminating book. The police found it, and the Lims were im- prisoned and banished. Thus were the Tans avenged, and thus did their carpentry business flourish because of the withdrawal of the Lims' competition.
We have obtained this story by adaptation from a much larger narrative of absorbing interest which appeared in the Straits Times,—- ED., "H.D.P."
Confucius "to be filial sons
**
they dare not do
anything to disfigure the symmetry of their persons, which have been given them by their parents, and shorten their usual height by a head, or give pain to their valuable carcasses, by their fathers and mothers, and to pain them would be to pain their parents." Such being the enough to be the ignorant instruments of the case, it will only be those who are foolhardy so-called Reformers who will suffer, if ever any attempts be made to put matters to the test on Chinese soil. They will find that the country is quite satisfied with its present rulers and that those who have a true desire to bring about their country's progress and they really are legion-are anxions to do so gradually, by educating the masses; in fact, to create a strong and wealthy and progressive Empire not by revolution but by evolution. Outsiders will soon enough see-we are writing from a full to disturb the status quo that those desiring a knowledge of facts-if any attempts are made change of dynasty are only a mere drop in the the dragon flag. ocean of humanity which people this Empire of
"because these carcasses were transmitted them
NEW STATUE AT SHANGHAI.
LI HUNG CHANG HONOURED.
and unique ceremony which took place at the The N.-C. Daily News reports an interesting Memorial Temple to the late Marquis Li Hung-chang on Sicawei Road, Shanghai, a few days ago. The statue, which was to be unveiled,
The statue is mounted on a granite pedestal, on which is a bronze plate with a Chinese Inscription. The statue itself is of bronze, and is ten feet in height It represents the veteran statosman in his official robes and hat, with a sword in his left hand. The sombreness of the bronze is relieved by the gilt with which the jacket is covered. It is an imposing piece of work, a worthy memorial of one of greatest men. H. E. Li Ching-mai, which country he has been appointed son of the late Marquis, is going to Aq
FLOATING ICE IN THE GULF OF PECHILI.
The C. N. 8. Liangchow, reaching Shanghai extending for 41 miles to the south of Chin- from Chinwangtao a week ago, reported ice · wangtao and continuous rain and foggy weather approaching the Yangtze.
The C. N. S. Shengking, from Chinwangtao, tending thirty miles from Chinwan tao, being reported :-Large quantities of field ice ex- broken with spaces four to five cables between, the remainder being as on the passage to the miles to the seaward and seeds to be thawing port previously. The ice has drifted about five
Peiping disabled (brokon shaft), bing frozen quickly. When we left there was the steamer in the ice. They had life-lines strtohed from the ship to the shore and you could see the ship all day; there was also th C. N. 8. crew going backwards and forwards to the Shuntien, with part cargo. We left Chofoo
on Feb. 19th.
The
The C.N.S. Kanchow, also from Chinwangtao, reported:-Left Shanghai on Feb. 9th and on the 13th left Chefoo for Chinwangt o in a very heavy snowstorm. When 150 miles from Chefoo entered into a field of ice and heavy snow. ship was stopped on several occasions owing to the thickness of the ice, it boing in several places from 15 to 18 inches thick. In many places, also, the broken ico had built itself up to a height of about four feet. There were numerous seals on the ice, which made a great noiso, expecially when the vessel approached them. On two it being all the engines could do to force a occasions the ship was brought to a standstill, Passage. Arrived off Chinwangtao harbour on the 14th and let go the anchor, the ship being frozen in all around in about ten minutes.
statesman by Messrs. H. Mandl was presented to the family of China's great wharf, going ahead and astern for a considerable the 15th started to force a passage towards the agents for the famous Krupp Company of time before an opening could be made. After
Co., as Esson. Among those present were representa. tives from several consulates, and most of the leading commercial houses, while it would be safe to say that few Chinese officials resident in Shanghai were absent. The guests on arrival of two companies of Chinese soldiers which were received by a guard of honour, consisting lined both sides of the approach to the temple. The assembled company gathered round the statue, which was hidden from view by a large red curtain.
Mr. Mandl, speaking in Chinese, said they were present for the unveiling of a statue of H. F. Li Hung-chang, Grand Secretary of the Marquis of the first class. He was one of the Wen Has Throne Hall, Viceroy of Chihli, and principal makers of History in the East during the nineteenth century. Wherever he had done work special memorial temples had been erected by Imperial command, part of the funds voluntary contributions of the gentry and being provided by the Government and part by people. Europeans commemorated notable deeds be erecting statues of metal or stone so that' future generations might look on them and gain
On
our arrival at the wharf heavy snow came on, the ice having to be bove out by means of grappling irons. During our stay in Chin. wangtao there were from 30 to 40 degrees of frost, the ships being all frozen in. Left Chin- wangtao on Feb. 19th and had to break through the ice again.
secure uniformity in the national coinage the Apparently in pursuance of the intention to
Board of Revenue has memorialised the Throne to the effect that from the 1st day of the 4th copper in the various provinces shall be placed moon of this year all the mints for silver and
that the mints for silver and copper coins in Ho- auder the control of the Board of Revenue and nan, Kwangtung, Kiangnan, Fukien and Hupeh shall henceforth be called the Central, Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern mints of the Hupu.
Mints in other places are to be respectively, and all the profits and accounts will made branch ofloes of the five main mints be examined from time to time by the Hapa which will have the sola control of all the minta în China.
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