The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-04-05

tle-shcd than business room. IL was
lighted from the roof and was filled
with from 600 10 1000 round-headcd.
pig-tailed. ycllow-faccd men. each Of
whom seemed 70 be yelling at the top
Of his voice and each pushing his fin
gers into the face Of his ncighbor.
These men were buying and selling
silver dollars, just AZ our brokers do In
Wall street. and they made more fuss
J than all the bulls and bears OF New
York. At eight o'clock the rate was
fixed for the day and the news was
photographed" by means Of carrier
pigeons 10 the various banks OF the
city. The pig cons Of Pckin are large
| Is used for messengers. and they are.
perhaps. the only pigeons in the world
that whistle. As they fly through the
air they make whistling sound
which. in the case OF flock. sounds
like whole school Of boys operating
tin whistles at the same time. This noise
comes from actual whistles which are
tied TO their tail-feathcrs by their own
crs, and the noise OF which scarcs
away the hawks from them. IL Is a
curious sound and | heard 1t many
times before could find out whence 1t
came. They are the tickcrs OF the
Chinese banker, and they give him all
the quotations.
1 The foreign banks which do bust
ness in China have large capital
stocks. and they pay big dividends
The Hong Kong 4 Shanghai Banking
Company. for instance. has a paid-up
capital OF $7.j0O.O0o. 1t has a surplus
OF $1,000. 900. and its proprietors are
liable for $1,000. 900 in addition 10 the
capital. IL pays interest on deposits
| OF six months at the rate OF 4 per
cent. and ? per cent per annum on
daily balances. 1t has immense cs-
Establishments throughout the East. and
| its banking Office here at Shang-
hal will compare in size and appoint
mcnts with the best banks Of Wall
street or London. 1t is the same with
a number OF other great banks here in
China. English and French capital
manages them. but Chinaman al
ways counts the money and figures up
the profits and losses on one OF these
little boxes OF buttons strung on wires
which makes up the Chinese calculat-
ing machine. and upon which all China
does its ariihmetical problems. These
banks will give sou drafts on any part
| Of the world. or letters Of exchange
and credit. which will be good any
| where. Their chief officers are among
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.
Tientsin 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 business is
with the foreigners. 1t is nearly all
done on credit. The silver dollar is
so heavy that it takes more than a
pound OF silver 10 pay a tcn-dolai
gold purchase. and the result Is. every
thing is charged and settled at the end
OF the month. The purchaser signs
what is called s'chit,' little slip Of
paper stating that he has made the
purchase. and these are kept until the
account is rendered by the proprietor.
II the foreigner takes drink AT n bar
or treats his friends he will write out
chit. II he plays game Of billiards
another chit. and il he buys shoes or
sugar he renders the accounts in chits.
That you are unknown to the store
keeper makes no difference. Any man
looking half deccn: can get credit in
China. and am surprised at the care
lessncss manifested in such matters, |.
corclcssncss which. however. does not
extend to Cinnamon. 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 nc
tons Of Hou Qua, the Canton million
airc who died few years ago. leav-
ing at least so. One OF the
Chinese firms Of Canton had failed.
owing a great sum to foreigners. Ilou
Qua got up a subscription and paid the
whole indebtedness. lie headed the
list OF subscribers with $l.V00.O0 out
OF his own pocket. saying that "Chincse
credit must remain untarnished. y
This is the same man who. when the
English were about 10 lombard Can
ton unless their demand Of $4,000. 900
was paid within forty-cight hours.
headed the subscription list with the
sum OF $l.l00. 600. II give" said he.
$500, 900 as thank Offering for the
business prosperity have had. ! give
900. 900 as a testimony Of the fidelity
OF my son And 500. 900 rs a mark Of
the affection which | bear my wife.
This man IIou Qua. though dead. is
still greatly honorcd in Canton. Ills
gardens there are among the sights Of
the city and his name Is synonymous
with business honor.
a few OF the rich men among the
Chinese are Christians. and ! visited
one Of the most noted Of suc. az Foo
n ri. AZ