Evening Star Newspaper, August 17, 1924, Page 58

" An Englishman by birth and a mining engineer by profession, 1’Arcy Weatherbe has been a world-traveler by avocation. In this pursuit he has met with countless dangers, but probably none to equal the experiences des- scribed n this article and one to follow. Mr. Weatherbe is well known to most of the foreign residents in China, and especially in Peking, where he is Master of the Drag Hunt. Before embarking on the present daring venture he had vis- ited his family in_England. On the two journeys, homeward and return, he had already traveled through Kenya Colony, Uganda, the Congo, Egypt, Asia Minor, Persla, Indla, Transjordania, and Irak. BY D'ARCY WEATHERBE. O BE held for a ransom of one million dollars may appeal to the vanity of rome men, as in- dicating the vaule placed upon their persons by others. But it is far from an enviabie situation. At least so I discovered a few months ugo when I fell into the hands of barbarous brigands in the province of Yunnan, southwestern China. It had long been my desire to travel across China, following the adven- turous overland route through wild and, to me, romantic regions untouch- ed by railroads and other evidence of Western civilization. I determined to make this trip in the course of my return to Peking, despite the earnest warnings of friends, who pointed out the dangers to be run by Europeans and the cruelties to which they had been subjected by the marauders o Chinese Tibet. Disembarking at Rangoon, I too¥ train to Mandalay, and thence travel- ed up the Irrawaddy River to Bhamo. Thence my route led me to Mondam (Three-Basket World Huts) in Yune nan._From Wondam I traveled across the Yuragan Pass at an altitude of 13,000 feet and then northward to Atum-tzo, which is near the border between the provinces of Yunnan and Szechwan. Onward I marched to Yakalo in southern Chinese Tibet, where I dis- covered that my proposed route via Batang was entirely closed by Chinese bandits and Tibetan revolutionaries. This was my first setback—an annoy- ing one. But I set forth again a few days later, intending to travel north- westward to Gartek in Markham (in Kam or southeastern Tibet), and thence northward. Unfortunately, 1 was stopped at Getoding, and told that I ghould have to wait there for permission to pro- ceed from the Kalon Lama at Chamdo, the official next below the Dalai Lama at Lhasa in Tibet. 1 waited for one day, and then decided that, as it might take months for me to hear from Chamdo, there was nothing left for me to do but to return through the Yunnan province. Therefore, 1 set out from Getoding for the long trek southward. I again passed through Yakalo and Atun-tzo, nd later reached the French missiop Tzechong. From Tzechong to Talify is a journey that normally occupies two weeks or more, if one does not halt en route. I spend four days In traveling from Tzechong to Weisting, where I halted for three days at the Protestant mission. It was necessary at this place to change my mules and also to procure an armed escort. South of Weisting one enters the brigand- infested country. The Chinese mag- istrate provided me with four militia soldiers, so-called. In reality these men were merely village coolies who had been provided with uniforms and rifies for the occasion. We had a very hard journey for the next three days, as the upper Yangtze River was in violent flood and, in many places, we had to make detours over impossible looking trails at 2,000 or more feet above the river. The scenery, In places, was magnif- icent and awe-inspiring; but I am afrald that it was rather lost on me, for I was most anxious, at this stage of my travels, to reach Talitu as quickly as possible. Continuing our journey we stopped one day for luncheon, and to rest the mules, at a place called Chioho (pro- nounced “Ju Ho"), and I noticed that my “brave’ guides were busily en- gaged in cleaning their rifles. It ap- peared that they had heard that there were many tufef (bandits) in this nefghborhood, but they did not know their exact locality; neither did J. We pushed on in the afternoon, hoping to reach the falrly large town of Chienchouan-chou by that evening. This place is about three or four days’ march north of Talifu. * ok k% BOUT 4 o'clock that afternoon, wa were suddenly attacked by a large band of brigands, who came running across the paddy flelds from a big village, a quarter of a mile from the road. It was perfectly use- less for us to attempt to make our escape from them, as my mules were not good for more than a walking race; and, in any case, my baggage could not have been saved. Personally, it did not occur to me that the brig- ands desired anything but my money, suns, and haggage. They opened fire upon us from a distance of 150 yards, and kept firing at us till they were almost at point- blank range. Thelr marksmanship on this occasion must have been ex- ceptionally bad, as there were about fifty of them shooting at us, and al- though I heard many bullets striking the tree behind us, yet neither I nor my mule was touched. One of-my escorts was killed, one was shot through the stomach, and another ‘was captured close to me. The other man of my escort managed to escape into thé hills, as also did my small Gurka servant, who had accompanied, me from Burma, and my three mule- teers, The brigands hit me two or three times with the butts of their rifles, and then tore open by clothes and pockets. Most of be very excited and the worse for drink. After searching me, they led me across the paddy-flelds to their temporary stronghold in a large temple. On my arrival there I discovered that the band of brigands was much more numerous than I had at first supposed. They searched through only a part of my baggage and gen- erally appeared to be a most igno- rant lot. They did not seem to un. derstand the value of English bank notes or Indian rupee notes, of which there were a good many in my at- tache case. They left these alone, but took my silver and gold coins. They also annexed my revolver and fleld glasses, but were not interested in any of my instruments or even in my camera. Fortunately, they did not open the bag containing my shot- gun ana rifle, That night I slept on some dirty boards in the temple, being closely guarded by some filthy-looking, opium-smoking brigands, whose ri- fles were practically touching my ribs all through the long night. The place reeked with the rank smell of cooking and was heavy with opium fumes. I had had a very long and tiring day, however, and managed to sleep well. Next morning they sent oft mes- sengers to Talifu with their terms for my release. As they did not seem to know how to get their letter de- livered, I volunteered to inclose it with a letter from myself to the mission people at Talifu. To my joy, they gladly accepted my offer. I hastily wrote a brief account of my plight to the mission and also in- closed & letter to the British consul general at Yunnanfu. I smiled con- tentedly when I saw the messengers set out with this precious letten, L 4 Story of Hardships, Cruelty and Disease Told by Survivor After Period of Captivity in Desolate, Mountainous Province of Yunnan—Captured After Setting Forth on Long Overland Trail From Mandalay to Peking, Seeking to l"ulfil\l a Desire Held for Yecars—Forced to Accompany Barbarous Band as Members Loot and Burn Towns and Torture Chief Accepted ip the Ranks. UNNANFU Is about 13 marches from Talifu and about 18 marches from where the brigands then were; but, as there is & tele- graph line from Talifu to Yunnanfu, it wi not very long before the news of my capture was made known. The day following my capture by the brigands we set out on & trail leading due west, in the direction of the Mekong River. We were soon in very rough and mountainous coun- try, inhabited chlefly by the Lisu tribe, who lived in hamiets. Some- times we rested in these hovels, in which, although the human occu- pants had Invariably fled before our arrival, other unwelcome creatures had remained In abundance. Each hovel was simply Infested with lice, and it was impossible to keep free from them. On other-nights we had only the blue sky for a roof. The brigands almost {nvariably burnt the wretched people’s homes, farm buildings and stacks of cori before leaving the hamlets. 'They often went out of thelr way to do this while on the march, though it was difficult to understand their rea- son for this waste, After several days of this hard marching—I had no tent or mos- quito &ct that I could uee, and I had been wet through, owing to heavy rains, ef a number of occasions—I contracted an attack of fever. Later ubscesses formed round the roots of one of wmy wisdom teeth. This gave me g*@t pain, both by day and night; Snd roy face and aeck swelled up to & huge size. It ®as quite impossible to sleep. The twver grew gradually worse; and I could not open my mouth properly, 8o it was most difficult and painful to eat or swalfow. I had some of my own suppliés with me on being captared and, though these gradually becarne exhausted, I could get chickens and eggs occasionally, Very fortunately I had a fair amount of malled milk powder with me, or 1 do 1ot know what I should have done. Caoking was my great trouble, We almwst Invariably halted where there wad very little or very bad water. As 1 eould not always depend on this belng properly boiled, I soon con- tracted a very severe digestive dis- order. This illness, combined with piy other allments, pulled me down considerably; and I was very weak from lack of proper food and medical attention. The brigands always gave me one of my own mules to ride, but there was only a wooden saddle and some- times only a pack-saddle. As, very often, we dfd both night and d marches with only short rests, these saddles were most uncomfortable. During this 16ng march the brigands captured several small towns and villages, the inhabitants always hav- ing fled before our arrival. My cap- tors generally looted and burned these towns and villages before they left them. One morning after a long forced march during the previous night and day they attacked and captured the rather important town of Chiao- howching, where there are salt wells. As salt is a Chinése government monopoly and one of the chief sources of revenue in the province, there was a Chinese garrison there—said to consist of 200 soldlers. * x x x THE brigands numbered 250 men, of whom less than 200 were armed; and they told me, after the battle had ended, that they had killed 40 of the garrison. I saw only a few bodies in the streets, and they were_allowed to lie where they had fallen uatil we left the town. Any- way, the rest of the garrison bolted, and the tewn was thoroughly looted. Some of the leading citizens were tor- tured; while others were taken along by the brigands for further torture. ‘When we left Chiao-howching on the next day the town was partly de- stroved by fire by the brigands. ‘Two days later they captured and burned another large town, called Feng Yu. AIl that night and the whole of the next day, with very short halts for rest, we proceeded, and finally reached a wild retreat in the mountains northwest of Talifu Lake, and only some two or three days from Talifu itself. By this time, due to constant fever and other ailments, I was in"a very bad way physically, With frequent forced marches, being often wet through and Mving under genmerally em appeared to | revolting conditions, T hecame weaker and weaker, 1 could searcely sit on my mule, and standing wuas almost an_impossibility. After two weeks of this agony, we fortunately rested for two or three days at a time, snd did only short marches from that time onward. 1In- deed, T could not have endured any long sustained physical effort. 1t was here that the brigands com- menced to parley seriously with the | authorities and secured the services of Pere Degeneve, a very kind Catho- lic missionary, whom they knew and had formerly allowed to live more or less undisturbed in his parish | near Tapingtzu—a place not far d tant from our camping-places these later days. Although the brigands had told me, on the first day of my capture, that they would demand a ransom of $1,000,000 for my rolease, later 1 dis- covered that as an alternative they would try to bargain for an amnesty from the Chinese government for themselves and other brigand bands, comprising in all about 1,000 men. Their condition for my release now became a demand that they should be given 1,000 rifles, uniforms a ammunition, and that they should be put in charge, as police, of some eight to ten subprefectures or districts. In other words, they desired to be made “lawful brigands'” Through the most strenuous repre- sentations and efforts of the British consul general at Yunnanfu, H. E. Sly, the Chinese o 1 authorities had, by this time, become active. T learned that they were sending out bands of soldiers from various neighboring towns fnoto the mountains in our vicinity in the hope of effecting my release. These troops, like the great majority of Chinese soldiers, have been aptly described as “armed coolies.” They are of just the same caliber as the brigands themselves in and, in fact, form a most fruitful Wearnerse T Men of the Villages—Qath of Blood Taken by Recruits When They Are supply in recruiting for the brigand bands. The chief difference between them is that the soldiers are badly clothed and are seldom, If ever, paid: while the brigands’ conditions are auite the reverse, expecially wkhen their luck is good. * % ok ok HE particular band which had captured mg had plenty of clothes, fo0d. opium. money and loot of ali kinds—the latter including silver and other ornaments. It was no uncommon thing to see a young bandit with not less than six bangles of jade, amber or silver on each arm and ‘a silver collar round his neck, while his body was swathed in layers of fine silk—as an easy means of carrying it—and his head covered by a huge turban, comprising yards and yards of silk crepe or brocade. The greatest difficulty of these brig- ands is to secure for themselves a suf- ficlent supply of ammunition and of modern firearms. Their guns ranged from prehistoric flint or matchlocks with pistol butts down to the most modern Mauser pistols and army rifies. It fol- lowed, natural that, unlike the sol- diers who generally fire in the air when ttacking or repelling an attack, the yrizands are usually much more inclined to husband their ammunition and to aim where they fire, In this instance they did not seem to fear the proximity of, or to anticipate an attack by. the Chinese soldiers. Al- though, at this time, I was not aware how close the soldiers were to us, yet 1 fully appreciated the danger that, if at- tacked agd beaten or forced to disperse, the brigands would make short work of me In their terms to the Chinese govern- ment they had stipulated a time limit of two months: after which period. if the government did not accede to their de. mands, they stated that 1 would be killed and that a large number of them would proceed to the neighboring prov- e of Szechwan, where they would Join the forces waging war on the gov- ernment of Yunnan. 1 do not know from personal experi- “THE UNHAPPY DELIN K \ARE. STRETCHED " OUT AND BEATEN" |ine. ence whether other brigand throughout this province are simi the one which had captured me, or are so well organized, but a certain amount of discipline was always maintained and emall offenses committed by the rank and fle were heavily and ruth- lessly punished by their chief, Yang Yu- . @ youth about 22 years old. This young man, who wasmagistinguished by the fact that he had six fingers on one hand. had an especially flery temper and was an unmitigated brute. The band of'brigands was divided, ap- parently, into about four companies, cach under separate leaders, and, on various occasions—especially on the day preceding an attack on an important town or village—they were wont to be drawn up in line and harangued at great length and In flerce tones by Mr. Yang Yu-lin. At other times the band was drawn up in a square for the pun- bands ishment of offenders who had been guilty of grave or minor offenses. The un- happy delinquents were then stretched out, flat on their faces, on the ground and beaten by each member of their own company in turn. Finally, they were dragged away like eacks of corn—gen- erally quite insensible—until they re- covered from their punishment. It was Yang Yu.lin's custom to pay his men their wages in silver coins. On the afternoon before the sack and burn- ing of Feng Yu I witnessed an interest- ing ceremony. After a long march we had halted for a meal and a rest on a high graseland plateau at an altitude of 9.000 feet. The loot taken during the previous week, and including the rich haul made at Chiao-howching, was spread out on some blankets. It formed a glittering mass. First of all, the silver coins and ingots were collected and handed over to the treasurer of the bandits, the leaders meanwhile carefully check- ing the amounts. They entered these in 2 hook kept for the plrpose. The remainder—consisting of silver, jade and amber ornaments, with a fair #prinkling of gold—was then roughly placed in piles of similar articles such as bangles, necklaces and jade tablets. When all was ready, the treasurer procecded to hold an auction of the loot, and the bidding for each article was most spirited. Heavy silver bracelets generally went for roughly the price of their welght in silver, while jade bangles were sold at $5 a pair. I was unable to learn how articles of silk and other clothing were distributed, but they were worn in great quantities by members of the band. Some of the effects, when &ur- mounted by large silk turbans, added to quantities of Jjewelry, and the fancy leather walstcoats affected Ly all the bandits and the more swank muleteers were startling in the e treme. The division of the large quantities of opium captured by the band was a much more complicated affair, and in- | volved, apparently, some intricate bookkeeping. It occupicd, on one oc cawion, more than a whole day in set- | tlement. i * ¥ x % REGULAR system of espionage | was Kept up in all the more im- portant towns and villages in the neighborhood of the bandits' opera- tions; and the men employed in this work—sometimes the leaders of the companies themselves—were con- stantly disappearing on and return- ing from these mysterious errands. On these, and on special scouting expeditions at night those employed | received high rates of remuneration. This was always paid to them in sil- ver coins or ingots immediately they rejoined the bandits. Sometimes these messengers did not return, ndtably those dispatched to Talifu on the oc- casfon of my capture. Shortly after my capture others of the band were also «ent to Weisiting, at my request, to obtain medical and food =upplies for my own use. These also did not return. On both occasions ugly looks and threatening gestures were made in my direction. On two occasions 1 witnessed the curious ceremony of swearing in voung recruits who, although already armed and actually employed in fight- ing, were still only novitiates. A blanket was produced and the blood | of an ox was splashed over the middle | of it. This was then spread on th-—l ground, and three rifles were stacked upon it. On one side of the blanket Chief Yang Yu-lin seated’ himself;| and then the recruits, each in turn, presented themselves before him. They kow-towed to Yang Yu-lin, repeated some jargon of ritual which seemed to be xome sort of an oath, | prostrated themselves three times on | their faces before the rifles, voiced | another oath of allegiance and then | gave another deep bow ‘towards Yang | | such treatment | ciple of mot * | was Yu-lin. Then thev retired, grinning all over their faces and obviousiv well pleased with themselves. They were now, evidently, full fledged members of the band of brigands. Torture of the chief men of villages, or of captured spies, was among the most revolting sights of my long cap- tivity. Once, when fitfully sleeping and fever-ridden, in a temple over- looking a village market-place, I was awakened about midnight by the screams and groans of thres poor wretches who, with arms pinioned be- hind them, had been dragged all day along a very rough track in the mountain, These men were hanging from beans in the temple, suspended by their elbows from behind and with their toes just clear of the ground. They were questioned at intervals, and the answers evidently being un- satiefactory, further physical punish- ment was being administered in some manner. The detalls of this process of torture, fortunately, I could not clear- 1y see; but they elicited the most sick- ening and harrowing groans and shrieks from the pendent figures. The torture was carried on, at intervals, throughout the night. The three vi tims were dead in the morning. When the light of the dawning day entered the temple, T saw the bodies hanging from the beams, where they had been vilely tortured to death by the callous and brutal brigands. Luckily for me, 1 was given no chiefly on the prin- illing the goose that produces the golden eggs”; but I shuddered to think of what might have happened in case I escaped and recaptured. Notwithstanding the fact that I was nominally worth more to the brigands al than dead, the forbearance of the bandits was b coming daily more strained. This w. especially the case among the rank and file 'who had the, daily task of oKing after my property, transport and feeding. 1 had invariably taken care to give them all as much troub as 1 dared. All my thoughts were concentrated upon escape, but the prospects looked far from encouraging. Twice I had made an attempt to bolt for it; but each time I had been fdiled by sheer bad luck. 1 hoped that the third at- temp would be more profitable. (Copyright, 1924.) oo " YUNNAN L ) MANDAL AY s REGION - TRAVERSED BY MR. WEATHERBE. POLITICS IN A TURKISH BATH Nina Wilcox Putnam Dopes Out the Eurofean Situation After Experiencing Rough Treatment. “But the Lladr'es Is Generally Treated Kf'mfly." HE way T come to get In- terest in European politics was by finding out that there was a plece in the paper re- centiy, telling where Turkey has got a Prexident who is named after a w. k. clgarette, Tl bet they had to walk a mile to get him! And what do you know, he has only one wife, the same as our Mormans! ¥ In view of this reform, the piece went on to say, Kurope is consid- ering Wwill they let Turkey have a day of Thanksgiving or had the Bad 01d Man better be chased back into the Balkans once more. George, that's my husband, read me the piece, and right away 1 says ah now I see why they call them Balkans, why wouldn't they? Even a mountain couldn’t stand for the rough stuff that man and his family pulls, as I well know after what I went through this afternoon. And George says why, what are you talking about, you ain't been out associating with any royalty this afternoon, not with the family you come from. And I passed- that re- mark up because why argue with 2 man unless you start it yourself? So I merely says, they may be able to keep the Turk out of Eu- rope, at least I"have often heard where they don’t take many baths over there. but’ here In America where baths are as frequent as cam- paign promises, why they will never be ‘able to keep the Turk out of this country. Well naturally about then George gives me one of his my-lord-ain't- women-trying looks, and says pa- tiently will you please explain what you are explaining to me? And I says why Turkish baths, of course. And he says I thought you was speaking of European politics, and 1 says, well a few Turkish baths wouldn't hurt them none, either, but right now I was speaking of the ‘| Sultan of Turkey and how, ever since they broke up the old man's harem, = lot of that enormous family of his appear to of come over to America and taken up their old cruel prac- tices, but they call it Turkish bath- . Then George says, so that's where you was this afternoon when I couldn’t get you on the phone, and I wsays my lord, you couldn’t get me on the phone when they had me on the slab. And he says, oh I see, and I says .well, it's lucky you didn’t. What with the quick temper you got when any one is fresh to me. Toom ok kX wELL anyways, friend wlen you start out for the Turkish bath, you better take along a pair of shock absorbers. The attendant will take even .these away from you and give you ofily @ sheet instead, but. you can put ‘em on again when you dress, before you pay the bill. They are a world of & help right then. Another thing you should take wiong Is & gobd wad of chewing gum. Not the kind “that turns, as the poet says, to dust and ashes in your mouth, but be sure it's fresh. Then You,can park. your tip for the at- tendant in it and leave it lay against a wisdom tooth while the bath is going on. Believe you me, that is the only place you are going to have left to arry it. Well, the first thing they do at one of these baths is lock you in a cell, all alone with a sheet. When you got your mind made up to appear in the sheet and nothing else, they leave you come-out and not before. Half-Dozen Famous Pirates Of all the pirates who sailed the Spanish Main, there are six that left their mark—in mos® cases a black blot—on the pages of histo: Any one who pretends to know any- thing about pirates should be fa- miliar with the names of this fa- mous half dozen. D'Oregon was the first real Gov- ernor of Tortuga, the island which was the pirat'e den. He was able to handle them as no one else could. When he was fifteen he was an of- ficer in the French marines and was sent to the West Indies with a col- onizing group. The scheme they had in “mind fell through, so young D'Oregon, tried to settle in Martin- ique. There he had trouble with the governor, who deceived and mis- treated him. Angry and revengeful. D'Oregon sailed to join theh pirates and in a short time became their governor and director. Bartholomew Portuguese was a fear- less pirate who became famous for his many narrow escapes and his willingness to stiek his head into any kind of a trap—and he always got away. L'Ollonais was a Frenchman who was kidnaped when he was just a boy and worked as a slave on a ‘West Indian plantation. Later he es- caped to join the pirates. He was noted for his cruelty. His chief pleas- ure was burning up captured towns. Henry Morgan is perhaps the most famous pirate. He was a Welsh farm boy with a love of adventure, and so he ran away from home, going on a Bhip bound for Barbadoes. The cap- tain of the boat sold the boy into slavery, and, like many another pi- rate, as soon as he became free Mor- gan joined the British pirates on the Island of Jamaica. So well did he do that he soon bought a share in a pirate vessel, and shortly afterward he was made its captain. He was a naturat leader and began running the other pirates with ‘a high hand. He did away with the pirate republic and set himself up aa king of the pirates. Blackbeard was the fiercest looking pirate you could imagine: e had a long black beard which he braided into little tails with colored ribbon. Sometimes he lighted tapers in the end of it! He had come of a respecta- ble English family and was a sailor when he joined the pirates. He boldly raldéd’ along ‘the coast of North America, ‘'whers he was aided by a colonel named Bonnet. Blackbeard They have got single Sheets for the single ladies and double sheets for the double ladies in what a per- son might call the most shty sense. When you are wrapped up in the sheet and your self-consciousness, the lady jallor cr chief inquisitionist or whatever the Turk for it is, leads you to a shower and there ain't the least use in saying you never take one because this is the exception that proves the house rule. Then, after you get all an ready to decided to quit pirating at one time, and settled down in North Carolina and was even pardoned by the gov- ernor. The spell of piracy drew him out again, however, and with Bonnet |he went back to his™old trade. He was finally killed in a thrilling battle with a ship sent out by the Governor of Virginia under command of a brave young officer, Lieut. Maynard. Bonn# | was later captured and hanged. Capt. Kidd was the last of the fa- mous pirates. His father wad a Scctoh slergyman, but. the son had a roving disposition and went to sea as a boy. He became a merchant cap- taln and settled in New York about 1691. When war broke out between England and France he was given a commission as a privateer. So brave was he that the king gave him a special commission to go out and clean out the pirates. * Kidd set out in his ship, Adventure, for Madagascar, then the stronghold of the pirates. No one was home and his expedition failed. His men were grumbling and the situation was des- perate, so Kidd decided to turn pirate himself. He captured a big boat call: ed the Quedagh Merchant, in which he collected a lot of treasure. He kept up his pirating until his name became so famous that England sent out a special warship to capture him. Kidd was finally arrested and hanged. I Grease in Diamond Mining. I South African mines grease is an important aid in the extraction of diamonds. A table with a riffied top is smeared with about half an inch of grease. Comcentrated ore is then passed over the table with the aid of running water. Garnet and olivine have no affinity for grease, but dia- monds adhere to the greasy surface. The grease is later removed, heated, and run off, the diamonds being left in the vessel. They are then boiled in sulphuric. acid, for cleansing pur- poses, and sorted. Tragic for Him The old gentleman met the ground with a thud. A small boy who was ‘watching burst into tears. “Dom’t cry, little man,” sald the old gentleman. “I'm not very much hurt.” 7 “No,” whimpered the youngster, “but it was my banana you slipped on” | | you | ness, ‘W | are too | it it is clean or not, and I can prove tell her to go to where you ‘would like to tell her to, only for you being 4 lady, she opens the door to the hot room and for a moment vou believe she beaten you to it and sent there in person. sut, as soon’s you are locked in, you commence to find it ain't smoke, has |on account there are no visible flames, at it is steam, and pretty soon you realize there is several other lost souls wandering about in the dim- the same as in that famous poem about hell that Gen. Sherman wrote. * X % * LL several hours after you cant’ stand it another minute, the she-devil comes and lets you out and gives you a clean sheet, but you weak by this time to care it by the fact that the next place vou allow them to take you Is the morgue. 1t's called the scrub room, but the title didn’t fool me any more than the average name on a summer cottage does, such as “Never Inn” with all the folks sitting around on the porch, or “Idle Hour” where ma works so much harder than when she’s home. Well, anyways, “Scrub Room" didn’t prevent me recognizing the stone slab, Tunning water and all, but 1 was so near dead I didn't care. Here i where they hand you over to the cook. Anyways, that is what a person thinks at the time, on account, after having all the pin feathers steamed offen you, the attendant now slams you down on the slab and grabs a handful of salt. I hope to tell the cock-eved Terra Cotta that before she ts through all you then need is a little pepper and a sprig of parsley in your hand before you are ready for the oven or electric bath cabinet, as it is playfully nicke named. 5 After which, when you are well done, they take you into the hese room and put out the fire with & ceu- ple of nozzles of cold water. 2 This is the—as you might say—last gasp or process, and when it Is all over you are allowed to go drown your self in the swimming tank if desired. Or if preferred you can wrap up in a blanket on a steamer chair- and listen to"the women talking. I chose the pool. Well, I slept it off in the dormitory, and, after that, when I was safe out of Turkey, I commenced thinking over the rough time I had had, and, believe you me, I decided to do some- thing about it. And I did. I went back and bought a season ticket. You know how we women are—we just love being miserable, it-makes us feel Ko good. And this is how I come to be so in- terested in Kuropean politics and have a ‘opinion on the Turkish ques- tion, like we modern, educated wom- en 18 supposed to have. But, of course, I realise where this is only the woman’s side of it and ladies is generally treated kindly. (Copyright, 1924.)