Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA By Mitchell Echikovit The Chinese have always believed thnt Chinn is the most civilized nation on earth and that it is the center of all the world. In 2-MS li. C. Shi-Hwang-ti, who was only thirteen yours old. claimed the throne of China and became emperor. He was small, but very ambitious, and he spent his life rebuilding the empire. He built a new capital and strove to improve the law and to enforce them. He also divided the country into thirty-six provinces in each of which three officers were directly responsible to him. China was troubled by the invasions of the fierce Tartar tribes from the North who wanted possession of her fertile lands. So in 214 B. C. the Emperor ordered the people to build an earthwork in northern China to keep those enemies out of the country. It has become the most famous wall in the world. The Chinese completed the wall in fifteen years. The builders were three hundred thousand troops of the Chinese prisoners of war and all the criminals in the country, including many dishonest officials. Many of them died from starvation, over-work, and heat from the sun. But it was one of the greatest of all engineering feats and should be considered one of the seven wonders” of the world. This most wonderful work was done by unskilled laborers. A brick or dressed granite shell was made and filled with earth. This was covered with n very hard coating of bricks in lime. They were of a much better quality than the brirks used in building today. The wall begins at Shankaikwan. which is on the southern point on the boundary between Manchuria and China, and winds into the mountains of western China. The highest point in the mountains, over which the wall has been built, is five thousand, two hundred twenty-five feet above sea level. The wull is about one thousand, five hundred miles long, fifteen to twenty-five feet thick and twenty to thirty feat high. In the wall there are more than twenty-five thousand square forts or watch towers which are placed from one hundred yards to one mile apart. If it had been built in the United States. It would extend from the city of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, to a point one hundred miles west of Topeka, Kansas. Many years after the Great Wall had been built, conditions changed. Northern tribes did not try to invade China again, but the Chinese began to look for other lands because the cities and farms of China were too crowded. In a few years millions of Chinese had moved over the wail into Manchuria and built their hornet there. Many Japanese, Russians and people from other nations have come to live there, too. The protection of the Great Wall really did not amount to much because China was conquered often by the huge racial movements of the Tartar hordes who also invaded Europe. The Chinese thought it was a protection because it did prevent small raid and really It must have seemed almost impregnable to small raiding groups. Only a man with much courage and with tremendous military power would dare to attack an obstacle, whose watch towers were so close together in the passes and not more than one mile apart in the for away wilds. Russia built railroads across Munchurin after she received permission from the government of China because she wan looking for a shorter route to the sea. Later Japan fought with her and took a part of that railroad. China has built railroads in Manchuria, too. There has been much trouble between China and Japan because of the Chinese bandits who were interfering with Jupun’s railroads. Last fall Japan sent troops into Manchuria. Several battle were fought and the Chinese troops went over the Great Wall again and again. They depended upon it for protection as it had once been an aid in keeping out invader . But airplanes flew over it and the pilots dropped bomb among people in the cities. The shell from cannon and high explosives destroyed parts of the wall so the Japanese could enter to fight the Chinese. The Great Wall is of little protection now a it is left unpatrolled in most place . The gate of the posses ure still closed ut night to protect the cities near them, but there are no soldiers or guard on the wall any more. Today many people in China believe that Shi-Hwang-ti’ rampart, built along the frontier like a monstrous dragon, protect Chinn from evil influences, but the Great Wall, crumbling as it is, may in time lose its power to do that.

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and salomi sausages draped around the vegetable stand affording rather a decorative air to the Ghetto. Great pile of fruit, polished nnd shiny, lay on the wooden plank alongside the vegetable stall . later on I noticed that a poorer quality lay in bock of thc c piles; nnd if the customer were a greenhorn, the salesman would quickly slip in poor fruit and place the good on top. Presently our uttention was attracted to a woman arguing with a dealer, insisting that she ought to have one more apple udded to the pile of apples on the scale because of a stiff breeie blowing; she claimed that it made the apples heavier than they really were. After a lengthy dispute she finally won by helping herself to an extra apple, then hurrying away. There were no ntnndnrd prices; the sale price was fixed to the mutual agreement of both dealer and buyer. It was quite annoying to have the merchants take hold of my arm and pull me to their merchandise. talking at the same time of the wonderful bargains they had to offer, but I grew accustomed to it and endeavored to get rid of the next dealer who approached me. by motioning that I was deaf. Much to my surprise hi began signing to me. The sign could be readily understood although they were rather crude. He was not the only one either who could converse with the deaf, for nearly all of the clerks, including women, were able to do so. By pulling my pockets inside out to indicate that I hud no money. 1 managed to evade the rest of them. Money talks, you know, but lack of it talks louder and more plainly. Suit of clothes were hanging above the crowd swinging in the breeze In front of a clothing store. On seeing them I was reminded of the swinging fans in Singapore, used to drive away flies. In many instances next to them were fish stores which gave the clothes a strong odor. Pity the poor buyer with a dull sense of smell! Pity more his friend who has a keen sense of smell! Great piles of fish from different waters were urranged to tempt the fish loving Jews: hut they also attracted flies, much to my disgust. IJttle hoys worming through the crowd with the merchandise which they were selling in their arms, needles, lemons and small articles, drew my attention. The whole family in this locality worked. I discovered. The dealers were mostly women, while their husbands were generally inside the houses or else aiding their wives. On the walk close to a building stood an old Jew grinding out horse radish by hand. Being fond of horse radish nnd aware of the fact that the Jews made u good brand, 1 bought a dime's worth nnd took the customary shed helping. All of a sudden burning tear poured down my cheeks us It was fiery hot. The tears blinded me, much to the amusement of those who saw me. The Maxwell Street horse-radish. I know now by my own experience, is the strongest of any hrund mnde. Shoes were purchased in the open; the customers at on top of empty packing boxr trying them on. Darns or hole in the heels or soles were no secret. Great loaves of twisted bread in different shade and sixes, generously covered with caraway seods, were piled high on bakery stands. Half a loaf could he bought. The dealer held the huge loaf on bis stomach to cut it in half, using a large knife with such expertness that it arrested my admiration. 1 am part Norwegian and a lover of Norwegian bread, hut I must confess that here I discovered that I like Jewish bread better. Every imaginable kind of goods was being sold on the street , even hardware. Pipes for «a!«-were rusty from open exposure to weather. The variety was so extensive that I sow pruticnlly no duplicates. Beginning to be foot weary our thoughts turned toward home, so we left the Orient behind for a modern world nnd a much needed hath. The strong odor of fish staved with me. as my clothes were saturated with it, for some time; hut I hod had too interesting a time to mind that. ! » is impossible in the number of word to which this essay is limited to tell but very little of whnt can be «cen in the Ghetto, hut in my feeble way I hope I have conveyed some idea of the place.

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TEXAS RANGERS By Viola Hanion Way back In the thirties more than a century ago. Texas Ranger were just beginning to be heard of along the border of Texas and Mexico. They were just a band of hnrd-riding, adventure-seeking fellows craving excitement. They got what they were looking for. too, from their blood shedding tights with both Indians and Mexicans who were never friendly to one another. When the Indian question in the United States was finally settled, some of the tribes especially the Comnnrhes, one of fhe fiercest, had revenge overflowing in their veins because the white people were settling down and starting ranches on their hunting grounds. There was so much manslaughter taking place that Texas asked for volunteer fighters, and they were called her ranger . These men knew no fear, could ride a horse and shoot both rifle and pistol. They were skilled in the use of a lariat und kept cool in times of trouble and excitement. Some of the most famous men in charge of the companies were. Captain Ben Me Cullock, Sam Houston. Colonel Burleson und Captain Roberts. The duties of a ranger at this time were to hunt down Indian and Mexican trouble-makers and to keep them under control. If ever a fight were started, a ranger was there to stop it and to investigate the case. They were also sent out at the call of Communities to aid in bringing the Indian attacks to a stop. The C-onmnche war and the fights with the Apaches show us just what conditions things were in at this time. In the year of 1840 the Comanche had made an attack on a settlement then called Victoria. More than four hundred redskins battled with the few inhabitants of the settlement. They succeeded in holding the Indians off for a day and a night, but on the next day the Indians drove the few families of the settlement from their burning homes to a raft on the river. The Indians were embarking in their bouts to attack them when the rangers appeared and scattered the marauders. Another incident which also shows the bravery of the men at this time was when the rangers were culled to hunt down the Apache-, an Indian tribe that hn long ago been wiped out. At this time this tribe was under the leadership of a very old chief, Victorio. Not far from San Jose. Victorio settled hi camp among some boulders from which the whole country-side could be overlooked. Victorio sent a band of Indian to raid the town, lie did this several times and at last the settlors pursued the Indians. Two posses were sent out but they were both ambushed in o narrow defile and killed according to the clever plans of the chief. About 1880 the modern ranger force were beginning to be in existence. They were in some ways like the old ranger but they were more skilled in their work for they had to hunt down bandits, murderers and the like, besides watching the Indians. Dick Dublin was a desperate outluw. lie was in the jaws of the law one minute and gone another. A company of rangers under the command of James Gillette was always on the lookout for him. Dick was thought to he staying with his father. On Investigating one day they were told that he hudn't seen Dick since he left so the rangers rode away. They stopped nl the sound of a horse's hoofs and noticed a rider jump olT his mount nnd disappear around the house. They turned back and on nrriving at the cabin, they heard the voice of Dick. They were about to close in on the party when one of the men shouted a warning to Dick. Like a streak he was flying up a ravine and disappearing behind a sheltering boulder. The rangers soon sighted him and Jim took aim and shot at him for he thought he was reaching for his gun a he was running. The bullet, hitting him in the hip. travelled through his body to his shoulder. This was just once when the ranger were called upon to do their duty. In 1878 the first really organized companies began work. These rnngeis are naturally peace-ful and law-abiding. Even though a gun is not needed, one is ulways hanging in their holsters. The qualities preferred for a Texas ranger are: grit and ability to fight, resourcefulnes-and loyality to the State of Texas nnd to its ranger force. When u cowboy mukes an application for a position as ranger, he is examined by the commanding oflicor, mentally and physically. In add it ion to this he is given a horse; if he ran ride it properly, he is given a gun test. If he succeeds in hittiing the murk, he is told to get hm own horse, nnd firearms. Amunitiun is furnished free. If his mount should die or be killed in service, another is given to him. All rangers are given rations every day.