Nearly two years ago the finest official Ghat has ever held ellice in this district closed a very successful three, years as hien official in Laian, 15 miles from here. He left. with the universal respect of the common people. These two years have been spent in seeking another office, but, progress sive officials of this kind are not always in favour with their superiors, and ho has had to wait two years longer than he ought.
His New Appointment is to a chou city in the north of the province, Hoiichoufu. He has just passed through here en route to his new appointment. Calling on us, he was describing some of his phus "'Phe literati and yamen runners stand like a wall between the official and common people," he said. "The first thing I want to do is to tear down that wall so the people can come directly to me." And he will do it, He will throw tire-thirds of the yamen runners out of their fat, parasitic job, pai every opium-smoking subordinate out of his yamen, and know every part of his district eforo he has been there six months.
Shi, Our Military Official, is dead. We mourn him not because of any marvellous ability shown in effies. He collected the pay of ten soldiers where he kept five men. He was an ardent spiritualist in belief, his scroll of honour being a daub approaching some Chinese character, the same siid to have been written by' a pen in the hand of am unseen spirit. He believed in the planchetts board and was in all things most superstitious for so enlightened a Chinese,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.