Anna Louise Tittman Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

A. Just general teaching, I guess. Not one of the specieized parts
of teaching. Well, now let's see. Hqw far did we get? [in the diary]
"Saw them making sun baked brick out 6f mud, much like the mud pie &-
dustry of rrly childhood. There were Y,rnmberable private corporatiws.
The excavations aLmost ~ontinged,~' (chuck~es) I must 've made up a ,
word, "presented a very neat appearance.
Q. I didn't quite-excavations, did you say?
A. Yes. Yes, excavations.
Q. I'm not sure what that mans?
A. ?hat mans a hole. They were building, putting . . . 'I Fnnwnbqable
private corporations. The excavations almost, "there's a little d~@h
after that. 'There were, I said, ''inzlumberable private corporat yons .
The excavations -st c~ntlngd,~~ I guess that rneant they came toether,
the companies almost cam together.
Q. These are the brick companies, is that rf @t?
A. Yes. Mud brick. "At the cemetery,ll we're in the cewteuy now. But I
say, "The buildhgs were presented in neat appearance at,the cemetery. We
first went to the rich rrlanls burial ground where very elaborately p
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coffins sit on top of the ground. During an epidemic, &~Lcans ma e them
build brick houses over them. Well, they complied, but l@f't an ope
thm@ which the spirit could come and go. The odor &opt was of deconposition
of h m flesh.
At the poor man's cemtery, an aTdinavy cemtery, there *re flve very large
munds where eighty to one h-d bodies had been burieq-in--each, during
the cholera epidemic. !this was done under the direction of the hrican
Red Cross in cooperation with the Chinese officials. Othpr graves were a
weird assortmnt of munds with no marks or sod arranged Wth no idea of
order, the whole resembling a dump. The odor was ffcrcec;! Bodies had been
wrapped in matting with just a little dirt; thrown over tkm. Dr. Fields and
Miss BmtlettJsaid that before American Red Cross requi
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bwial that the
bodies we= thrown into the grass and weeds, hogs and do devouring them.
Q. Why did you go out to the cemtery?
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A. Well, I was suppose ta get an impression of . . . 1
Q. Was this part of your job to check sanitation, too?
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fitsiyan--October 3rd continued.
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"Had a very interestin4 time browding
A. Well, you checked the way they were camd for, and I sent perio 'c report;~
to Washington. I don't know haw many of them got mere. But they
had me come to Washington when I cam back to report.
mng the queer and attractive little shops. I stopped $ one where only
Chinese black velvet sandals were sold, and remved ry erpmus shoe and exhibited
an enormous foot to be fitted. I had four Chiney waiting on me,
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