Balmy Season Preceded by Goodly Number of Fires, In Keej with Tachienlu Trad ion chien lu, Feb. 4
To-day, according to the Chinese calendar, is the beginning of spring. Tachienlu lis had a long and cold winter, though, so far, there has been very little snow. As a rule the snow comes later, usually during April and May, and sometimes in March. During the present winter there have keen several very cold snaps, somewhat similar to those which passed over Europe and the North American continent. The winter at 9,000 feet is usually quite cold but this year we experienced some terribly cold spells with fierce biting winds. We at-buted this cold weather to the nds passing over the high snow mountains surrounding Tachienlu, but later we read or heard over the radio that other parts of the world had similar cold spells. Two days ago the bite went from the wind and we felt a soft, mildness in the air, reminding us that spring was coming. And to-day, Feb. 4 it actually begins.
Tachienlu is not only famous but quite notorious for its New Year fires and this year was no exception. For the second time within a few years a young American has saved the city from the flames. Two days before the Chinese New it looked as if Tachienlu would be completely destroyed by fire. Apparently, without anyone knowing anything about it, a wealthy musk firm in the centre of the city a mass of flames. From our front door step we saw the smoke and flames high and being carried south by a strong wind. hold of the situation, organized a li band of water-carriers, and proceeded to attack the fire. By this time the smoke and flames were seen from different parts of the city and the fire bell began to ring bringing the fire brigade and the fire engine on the scene, This. outfit began to fanetion after the disastrous fire of 1934 when the young American, Mandeville became the hero of the hour.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.