On the 15th day of the 1st Chinese month, immense crowds of people swarmed into the city from alt direc ons. Many processions came. in from neighbouring villages, carrying banners, animals made of' paper oF cloth and alleged musieat instruments. In the main streets, all traMe was blocked for hours by the multitudes, Of course there were no vehicles of any kind, even pedestrians could not make their way along the streets, For Instance, a school teacher attempted to go home for lunch at noon, but was unable to reach his home; at last ho bought some food at a restaurant and returned to school.
Those crowds should afford materia) for an interesting study. gregarious aspects of psychology. Why do they come? How do they manag fo enjoy Ik? The so-calle fainment furnished by processions would hardly be sum cient to ainu normal ten-year-old child, unless hho was labouring under some sort of excitement. Yet tens of thousands of people, of all ages and all degrees of, intelligence, struggle with each other for standing room in the streets all day and part of the night; fand seem to be under the impression that they are having a good time. No doubt the main attraction -is the crowd itself. If the streets wore almost deserted, perhaps there would be little pleasure in watching the processions.
One unusual feature of the celebration was the absence of idols in the processions. 'The civil officials had Issued proclamations, forbidding the carrying of idols, on' the ground that such superstitious practices are degrading to the people. It should be Interesting to observe the development of this idea in the future.
Troops Return to Barracks During the disturbance at Sian, the soldiers who had been stationed at Sutsien were moved elsewhere. Now they have returned, and it Is to be hoped that they will resume their road building and other public works. They have a fine reputation for hard work and good behaviour, For some time past, this section of country has been rather quiet and peaceful, free from the danger of Targe robber bands and kidnappers. Occasionally "robbers. try operations fon a small scale, but such attempts fre not always successful. Some days since, a bank messenger was in a town' west of Sutsien, carrying $20. Four robbers set upon him, robbed him and apparently tried to kill him. He recognized the robbers and gave their names to the officers, but after a short time, he died from the effects of his Injuries. It Is reported that all of these robbers were captured and sent to some higher court, where they will probably be sentenced to death.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.