Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-04-04

The foreign banks which do husi-
ness IN China have large capital
stocks, md they raY big dividends
The Hong Kong 4 Shanghai Banking
Company. for Instance. has paid-up
capital OF a., 500. 600. Il has surplus
Of $1,000. OO0 and Its proprlotors are
liable for ~. 500 600 in addition 10 the
capital. Il pays interest on deposits
OF six months at The rate OF per
cont, and 2 per cont per annum on
daily balances II has Immense &c.
Establishments throdg out The East and
lts banking office here at Shang-
hal win compare in size and appoint
nAents with the best banks OF Wall
street or London. u is the same with
a number Of other great banks here in
China English and French capital
manages them, but a Chinaman al
ways counts the money and figures up
the profits and losses on one Of these
little boxes OF buttons strubY on wires
which makes up the Chinese calculat-
ing machine, and upon which all China
docs lts srithmetical problems. These
banks will give you drafts on any part
Of the world. or letters OF exchange
and credit. which will be good any
where Their chiof ofilcers are among
the leading business men OF the East
and they all seem TO be making money.
Speaking OF the credit system. there
are large stores run by foreign mer-
chants at Shanghai, Hong Kong.
1ientsin and at all of the ports OF
Japan. These have stocks OF goods
which would sell in any American
city, and the most OF their buslAoss is
with the foreigners II Is hearty all
done on credit The silver dollar is
90 heavy that It takes more than a
pound Of silver TO pay a ten-dollar
gold purchase, end the result Is, every
thing is charged and settled at the end
of the month. The purchaser signs
what is called a "chit," little slip OF
paper stating that he has made the
purchase, and these are kept until the
account is rendered by the proprietor
IL tho foreigner takes drink at h bar
or treats his friends he win write out
a chiI II he plays game Of billiards
another chit, and II he buys shoes or
sugar he renders the ascoUnts in chits.
That you are Unknown to the store
keeper makes no difference. Any man
looking half decent can get credit in
China, and ] am surprised at the cafe
lessness manifested In such rqatlers,
carelessness which. however, does not
extend " Chihamen. The Chinese
themselves do business largely on
credit and every Chinaman OF note has
his bank account
The honesty OF the Chinese in their
business dealings is shown in the ac-
tions Of Hou Qua, the Canton million
aire who died few years ago, leay=
ing at least $50. 100000. One OF the
Chinese firms OF Canton had failed,
owing a great sun: TO foreigners. Hou
Qua got up subscription and paid the
whole Indebtedness He headed the
list OF subscribers with $1,000, 600 out
OF his own pocket. saying that 'Chinese
credit must remain untarnished
This Is the same man who, when the
English were about TO lombard Can
ton unless their demand OF &C. 600. 900
was paid within forty-eight hours,
headed the subscription list with the
sum OF 81. 100. 900. 81 give" said he,
$500, 900 as a thank Offering for the
business prosperity | have had. give
$l00,0 as testimony OF the fidelity
Of my son. And $500. 600 az q mark OF
the affection which l bear my wife"
This man Hou Qua, though dead. is
still greatly honored in Canton. His
gardens there are among the sights Of
the city and his name is synOnomeus
with business honor.
A few OF the rich men among the
Chinese are Christians, and visited
one OF the most noted Of such at Foo
Chow the other day. 1t is a city big
ger than Chicago. and IL is one OF the
chief tea centers Of China. II lies IN
the mountains about four hundred
miles south ef here, and it is in what
is called the Switzerland OF China. 1t
has a bridge OF solid granite running
across the river which flows by the
city, twelve hundred feet long and
containing fifty arches. 1t is called
the bridge Of ten thousand ages Its
pathway is twelve feet wide II is
more than one thousand years old,
and is as solid to-day rs tue granite
OF which IL is built The city has
wall six miles in circumference, and
its Wholesale fish market Is equaled
by no place, not even Billingsgate in
London. This rich man OF Foo ChoE
is known as All Hok, and he gave
$4,000 not long ago TO found a school
or college to teach Chinese boys the
science and culture Of Christendom.
He is a Christian himself. and just be-
fore arrived in Foo Chow our Bishop
Fowler, OF the Methodist church. per-
formed the marriage ceremony which
united his son TO a Chinese maiden.
The ceremony was the Christian cere-
mony adapted 10 the Chinese, and the
Bishop tells me he had great trouble
in getting the young lady to say that
she would take this young man TO be
her welded husband 1t is Chinese
etiquette that the bride keep perfectly
silent on such an occasion, and the coy
damsel would not open her lips The
Bishop refused to go on with the cere-
mony, and the young lady finally com
promised the matter By nodding her
head. 1T was not embarrass-
ment," said the Bishop. 70 me. ''that
made the girl tongue tied. for felt Of
her hand and IL was warm and moist
as yours or mine. Had. she been
troubled II would have been cold and
clammy. She thought il would be i'm
proper 10 answer, and she refused 10
do So" As evidence OF the gegsnne-
ness Of All Hok's conversion had
long since destroyed his idols, and he
gave the gold crowtf which covered
the head OF one OF them as present