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Show i i DISIDA5TA0E3 Or LIFE 1 CHINA. A utNTLKMAS who recently returned re-turned to his home In Indianapolis irom a protracted sUi In Pekln, China, is giving to Uie press some peculiar statements in relation to life and Its dangers aud inconveniences inconveni-ences in the celestial empire. The following from an Interview with the gentleman gives a somewhat gloomy but Interesting picture of that thickli.ijopulatccl portion of our globe The autumn harvest is such an event. The whole surface of North China is dotted hero and there with dense growth of sorghum 'kaoliang), a plan: which nature has appsrenuy devised for the express purpose of raeeUng the wants of that reglon.Just as the palm and bamboo are adopted to the tropics. The sorghum plant grows to a great h lent, often irht nr ten feet. By themidJIeof Jnlyithas attained such a groth that It is hard to see over it, and from that time until the harvest is gathered it Is a constant os-enrrenee for the natives of tbe village vil-lage to become confused even ingoing ingo-ing short distances from one town to another If. by any accident, a wrong taming is taken, the traveler is as much lost as In a tropical forest, with the disadvanuso that ha cannot climb a tree to seo his way out. "Of this state of things the bad characters are not alow to Lake advantage. ad-vantage. Tra vellng becomes at anch times difficult and dangerous, not so much because it Is hard to find the way a because there is great liability to be robbed, and a great probability that if one Is so attacked one will not bo abls to objin assistance. Tha small bands of unkempt soldiers the only provision for keeping order in any particular regioo-bave soma resemblance to electricity, not in the rapidity or decision of their move-m.ats,batln move-m.ats,batln the circumstances that they are an altogether lnvhnble force. They are never on hand when wanted, and are otn non existent. ' Bat when the kaoliang crop comes np to ita fall height Jhese wretched troops are at lbs raaxlmnm of their nseisssness. They cannot see far ahead of Ahem on ancountof the dense forests of kaoliang; and If tbey came upon a large oand of thieves in foil course of gathering; their plunder, and if they deded to attempt to stop the proceedinss a wild and improbable apposition It would be wholly out of the question to do so, as the thlevs could retreat into these kaoliang Jangle, Jan-gle, where nj mounted soldiers could follow for two rods. The result of this sort cf tBfctf is thet in seme d!s-irlcts d!s-irlcts the kaoliang urns is one ot fear and trembling for those who are obliged to go abroad. "Tbe arrival of a stranger at this season is the signal for a plot to stop him and strip him of anyaaperflaous baggage, and often of the most of his clothing. This plunder of travelers is a well recognized Industry of some districts, and Is at its maximum dur-tep dur-tep tb comparatively idle intervals w hen tho crops have been hoed forthe last lime and are nU yet ripe. There are certain prefectures where the population pop-ulation seems to take SIndly to this bccupatlon at almost any season of the year. In these regions the farmer in the field who eees a stranger coming along the road will sally forth to rob blm, armed with his hoe, and when he has rlucd-ml his victim (o quiet ly back to his work as if nothing had happened |
