The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-19
A CHINESE TALK.
Willie Loo Chong Interviewed
About China.
He Returns From a Six Months Visit to
China and Talks to "A Reporter
About What lie Saw.
From the Aueu to, Ga, Chronicle,

From the Augu ta, Ga, Chronicle.
William Loo Chong, the Chinese merchant
at the corner of Broad and Marbury streets,
has just returned from a six months trip to
his native country. He went by the Union
Pacific line to San Francisco, where he took a
sailing vessel, which landed him at Canton,
China after fifty-one days from the time he
left Augusta. The fare from here to Canton
was $2G4.45 exclusive of hotel expenses be-
tween here and San Francisco.
Loo Chong gives very glowing description
Of his trip. He says that great change has
been wrought in China since he came to
America, twenty years ago. The country is
rapidly becoming civilized. Boiled missionary
is no longer a table luxury with the rich mani
DARN. His epicurian taste has become more
conservative and refined. He now satisfies his
appetite with rats and rice, and allows the
good work of soul-saving to proceed without
interference.
Loo Chong says when he left there church
simply monopolized worthless space and was
the loncsomest looking structure in the whole
country. Now they can be found almost as
frequently as in this country, Notwithstanding
the numerous by ways crooks and turns the
nickles and dimes Of the good little American
Sunday school boys and girls have to pass
through before they reach the benighted little
heather.
"The Chinese" says Chong, 'fhave become
enthused on the subject of railroad building
| There are two lines OF railway in operation,
and road is now III progress of construction
between Shanghai and Pekin, q distance of
1900 miles. 1t will take seven years to COM
plete the road" With shrewd wink Chong
assured the reporter that the "Melican man"
does the "bossing," and the Chinaman does
the work on the road. The cars and locomo-
tiyeS are similar to those used III this country.
Canton, the native city CT Chong, he says, has
a population of six and half million souls.
There, as we'll as at Shanghai, are many Eng
fish, German and French people, who are great
factors in promoting civilization. The main
desideTatum among the Chinese is money
making, and they countenance tue influx of
foreigners because the arts and sciences of
ciyili7 ION enable them to develop their re-
| sources and increase their wealth.
ut costs a rich man in China about ten dol
lars day to live anyways decent, while a
| Coolie manages to scuffle along on twenty-five
| cents. When eggs of an uncertain age are
| lying around loose he is resigned to COM
| promise without the quarter"
If ChOng's statements are brewed from the
| fountain OF unadulterated veracty. the cheap
| labor rates paid in China are delusion and a
snare He says that good field hands COM
mand from thirty-five to fifty cents day,
| while good men in the stores and banks mako
| from fifty to one hundred dollars per month"
| lie qualified the assertion, however, with an
| honest shake of the head and the simultaneous
! observation that good men" in China were
amazingly scarce. This exhibition Of truth
lulness on his part ought to inspire credence
| for all minor details
He told the reporter that he "ought to go to
| China and get job in the custom house" He
! says that "a man of ordinary business tact can
make salary of three dollars day from the
! government and steal ten dollars day and
sleep half his time" Such a genius is very
convenient to the Chnaman in assisting him
| to smuggle goods through without duty, and
always gets well paid for his trouble.
Loo Chong's trip was without a cloud until
| he started back to America. He went out and
bought numerous articles with which to cleo
trifY those who congregato around his estab-
Th @ me- IL 6ya t1 fe ON IT,
his scheme like pile Of brick, and to his un-
utterable dsmay contiscated his entire colleo
ton. Referring to the matter he said that he
''wished the customhouse officers were in
| heiee."