The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-25
RAILROADS FOR CHINA.
PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR IN.
TRODUtTION.
What Ii Hung ClRng Is Doing fOr
the Development OF the
Empire.

ington special 10 tie Herald says: Mr..
/ Charles DENLY, United States Minister
to China, has seTt some interesting
dispatches to Mr.. Bayard which deal
with two questions of vitalimportance
to the development and safety of the
empire The firstis the construction
of railroads which Iii Hung Chang is
urging with all tn, vigor of his great
intellect. The otter is the building
of navy to replac, the useless junks
which at present fly the Imperial flag,
and TO organize a system of coast de-
Tense adequate to protect the harbor
and shores of the country. Mr. DENLY
says: 81 have the honor TO state, as
a matter of Interest TO a great many
wise persons in the United States, and
as n part of the current history of
China, the position OF that empire as
to the construction of railroads. The
most prominent nan in China to-day
is Ii Hung Ching, who is Grand
Secretary OF the Empire, Viceroy of
the Province, and one of the heads of
the Admiralty Board. His residence
is at Ten Tsin, but he lately spent
some weeks at Pekin. | had the pleas
ure OF meeting aim on several occa-
sions. He seems to have great respect
for foreigners. He has for some years
been in favor of building rail-
roads. He has had a hard
fight in China to have his views APP
proved. The opposition comes chiefly
from the censors and the Board Of
Revenue. The censors represent that
numbers of men would be thrown out
OF employment, graves would be des-
ecrated and internal revenue troubles
would ensue. The Board of Revenue
claims that ii railroads are built the
whole revenue service OF China would
have to be changed II seems likely
in effect that the Pekin tax, which is
one of the chief sources of revenue to
China, would have to be abandoned
or ms terially modified. This is con-
summation that the foreigners most
ardently desire. The viceroys gener-
ally oppose railroads because they tend
to Capitalization of power and thereby
diminish their own influence. But
Ii Hung Chang, through all the
changes of men and measures, has re-
tanned his power, and there seems
every reason to believe that he will
succeed in his plan of
CONSTRUCTING RAILROADS.
| send to the department the dying
memorial of Tso Tsung Tang, which
contains an able presentation of the
argument in favor of constructing rail
roads in China By way of parenthe-
sig, ! will state that a dying official al
ways leaves posthumous memorial
to the government. 1t also happens
often that after he is dead some dis.
tinguished honorary Office is conferred
upon him by imperial decree. This
memorial of Tso Tsung Tang preceded
by a very few days the visit of Ii
Hung Chang to the capital, and fur
nished him fine opportunity to press
his railroad views. 1t was considered,
certainly with reason, that the best
mode of inviting the attention of the
government to the merits of railroads
would be to exhibit a working model
of an American roadway and rolling
stock. The Chinese are eminently
practical people, without much scien-
tific knowledge; therefore an actual
ocular demonstration of the thing
proposed is the surest and easiest
mode of carrying conviction to their
minds. Acting upon this peculiarly,
a complete working model railroad
was procured from the United States.
1t consisted of 100 feet of main track
and sidings, with switches and turn
table, passenger locomotive and ten.
der, mail and baggage cars, passenger
cars, Pullman parlor and sleeping
cars, different kinds of freight
cars, a full section of seats and
berths in sleeping cars, etc.
The cars were five feet long, and
other parts of the model in equal pro-
portion, and care had been taken to
make the model throughout an exact
representation Of a miniature road,
locomotive, cars, etc, in actual use in
the United States, complete in the
smallest details. The motive power
was clockwork. This model was ex-
hibited to the Viceroy, Ii Hung
Chang, in his yamen at Tien Tsin in
September last, and he expressed him
self much pleased with it, and said he
would exhibit it in PelIin when he
went there in October. On the 10th
of October the model, which had been
conveyed to Pekin, was again exhib-
tied before the Viceroy by his order,
and on the following day the Vice
roy presented it to Prince Chum, the
Emperor's father. Several native me-
Chanics who were able to work the
model went with it to the Princes
palace and worked it successfully in
the pleasure grounds of the palace.
THE PRINCE WAS HIGHLY PLEASED
and thanked the Viceroy heartily.
Two days later the Prince sent the
model to the Imperial Palace, whereit
was exhibited to the Emperor and
Empress Dowager, and worked sue
cessfully. Their majesties were much
interested and amused, and spent
some time in a minute examination OF
the model. II was the first and most
complete representation they had ever
seen of the much-talked-of railroad,
and it enabled them and the Prince to
realize many of the benefits that this
modern institution would confer on
China. 1t is understood that the
event materially assisted the Viceroy
in his advocacy of railroads for China,
and their majesties lent willing ear
to all he had to say in favor of rail-
roads, and agreed to allow him to pre-
pare for their introduction into the
country. The memorial itself is very
interesting reading. 1t shows how
strongly the spirit of progress is estab-
fishing itself among the enlightened
Chinese. Viceroy Tso formulates
seven propositions, to which he in
vites the imperial attention. He sug-
gests the manufacture of guns and
munitions of war, thei forma-
ton of modern navy, a
complete system of railroads, the
establishment OF military and naval
colleges and other reforms which the
Empire much needs. In conclusion,
Mr.. DENLY says: "China has not
been standing still. Factories OF glass,
i I. 4 -