The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-27
JOHN RUSSELL youNo,s CHAT.
He Tells of Many Interesting Places He Has
Visited in All Parts of the World.

Visited in All Parts of the World.
New York all and Express
Il have visited every place in England made
| famous by either scandal, poet or statesman
since left home last March" said John Russell
Young to reporter at the Astor House yester-
day. English social lfe" continued the ex-
minister to China, ''has vast attractions to a
man of twenty-five, but went to England to
seek rest and quiet. Society, charming as it is
In London, had no attractions for me, and 1
spent my time wandering about London and the
country, visiting places celebrated in history as
the stage which scenes were acted which
have influenced she growth Of nations.
have seen all the picture galleries and art col
lectons. but the place IN England which had
most attraction for the House of Com
mons. Every night was there. 1 heard Glad
stone make his great speech in favor of home
rule for Ireland, and I think before long the
Irish must obtain self government. After the
debates were over had some interesting talks
with the opposers of home rule. One argument
which they often used could find no answer to-
They told meto look at the corrupt government
of New York, Chicago and all the cities where
the Irish held sway. They claimed that, should
home rule be granted to Ireland, there would be
a repetition there of the Tweed ring, and a sys-
tenn of bribery and corruption would be insti-
tuted such as has been recently brought to light
in this city.
II crossed the channel from England and went
to France. The last time was in Paris was at
the time of the Commune. The war'cloud which
PEELED, but heavier cloud seems to me to hang
over the capital of France now than then. Every
thing seemed gloomy and depressed. Life on
the bouevards is no longer what / remember 1t
in 1871 This is, perhaps, imagination on my
part Travel in the East NAV have changed me
and so altered my mind that no longer receive
the same impressions that / did fifteen years
ago, but was disappointed with Paris and soon
returned to England
II can almost say that I have not been in
A nrjn Hvn hona xuha
home from my mission to China, last February,
l only crossed the continent from San Francisco
to Philadelphia and sailed at once for England
While was in China / travelled all the
country; passed my summers at Chez Foo and
my winters in Pekin, at the house which has
been used by every American ambassador who
was ever sent to China. Now every body goes
to the hill some twenty miles back of Pekin.
The Russian ambassador and myself were the
only two foreign representatives who continued
to pass the hot weather at Chico Foo.
Chinese journalism is of the most primitive
description. The Pekn Gazette is the Chinese
official organ. 1t is printed on bright yellow pa
per- and is composed of six pages about four
inches wide and six inches long. In it all the APP
pointments to official positions are made pub
lie, and all the imperial DEGREES are printed in
it. Besides the Gazette there are two Chinese
papers printed in Hong Kong two in Shanghai
to much The Chinese don't for European
news. Beyond some story copied from the En-
glish papers there is nothing in them.
my first trip to Pekin was made in house
boat. Forty coolies dragged the boat on which
I passed my days up the TienTsn river Be-
hipc it another boat was dragged on which
slept and took my meals. This is slow but
very luxurious way of travelling A railroad to
connect Pekin with the seaboard has been much
talked of. but the government seems 10th to give
it's consent to such scheme I TALKED to Lii
Hung Chang, the viceroy of Tien-Tsin, on the
subject several times. He is the Bismarck
of China, and no official action is ever
taken without consulting him. He told
me that to start a railroad in China was a seri-
Gus undertaking He said that there are now
$50. GOO, 900 people in China. The vast majority
of these poor, and By working hard can only
obtain handful of rice day to support life.
Several millions Of these live in boats and their
only business is to carry freight up and down
the rivers. Should railroad be built almost
all these people would be thrown ont
of employment and the government would
have to support them Should the pro-
posed road be sbuilt it will follow
the line of the Grand canal, beginning
at Chinkiang about 100 miles north of ShanS-
hal, on the Yang-tse Kang river, and run direct
to Pekin. While l was minister l employed
some of my time making collection of the pct-
ures of all the men who have ever represented
the American government in China The col
lection is almost complete. Gushing and
Burlingame being the only two ambassadors
whose pictures failed to procure. The coec-
ton is now at Pekin. l hope my successors will
continue to add to it. Among them the
likenesses OF some of the ceverest men who
have ever been in American politics."