hal family system often prevails. Sometimes a family will be
composed of a hundred people--several generations. The following from
Dugald Christie will give a glimpse of some of the strange customs of
these people.

He says: "There was in Mukden a wealthy family who had land in the
country adjoining that of some poor people. A dispute arose over
boundaries and they went to law. Having money to back him the rich man
won the case. The next day a son of the poor man committed suicide at
the rich man's door and he had to compensate the parents heavily. When
that was settled another son did the same, calling on all to witness
that he did this because of the injustice his parents had suffered at
the hands of this man. This time a much heavier indemnity was demanded
and after months of haggling it was paid. Then a third son killed
himself in like manner and the payment of the still further increased
blood money reduced the once wealthy man to a state poorer than his
rival. Again the law suit was heard and this time the country family won
the case."

Another Manchurian city of note is Harbin. This is located in the great
agricultural district of the country. Twenty-five or thirty years ago
this was open prairie, but one night two Russians pitched their tent on
the spot that is now the center of the city. Like Jonah's gourd, the
city almost grew up in a night. For years it was about the worst city to
be found, there being at least one murder committed almost every day.
After changing trains at midnight and rambling around a few hours I
would say that it is not filled with saints yet. During the
Russian-Japanese war it was one of the great gateways, more than a
million soldiers passing through it.

From Harbin west one passes through the Kuigan mountains. This is said
to be the coldest place of like latitude on the globe. Here grows in
abundance the Edelweiss, which is so rare and so prized in Switzerland.
Mr. Taft, in "Strange Siberia," calls attention to the fact that one of
the Manchurian towns here is named for Genghis Khan, who was one of the
great military geniuses of the old days. He united the vast hordes of
warring tribes of Siberia into one vast army and swept over this whole
country like a mighty conqueror. Our American soldiers who were sent to
this section of the Far East sure got a glimpse of Manchuria that they
will never forget.

Before the world war many of the Chinese and Manchus crossed the line
and worked