The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-05-31


perhaps, the only pigeons in the world
that whistle. As they fly through the
air they make a whistling sound
which, in the case of n flock. sounds
like a whole school of boys operating
tin whistles at the same time. This noise
comes from actual whistles which are
tied to their tail-feathers by their own
ers, and the noise of which scares
away the hawks from them 1t is a
curious sound and l heard it many
times before / could find out whence il
came. They are the tickers of the
Chinese banker, and they give him all
the quotations
The foreign banks which do bust
ness in China have large capital
stocks. and they pay big dividends.
The Hong Kong Il Shanghai Banking
Company, for instance, has a paid-up
capital of 81. 500, 900. 1t has a surplus
of $4,000, 900, and its proprietors are
liable for s., 500. 900 in addition to the
capital. 1t pays interest on deposits
of six months at the rate OF + per
cent, and per cent per annum on
daily balances 1t has immense es-
Establishments throughout the East, and
its banking Office here at Shang-
hal will compare in size and appoint
ments 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 n Chinaman al
ways counts the money and figures up
the profits and losses on one of these
1f.+1,
which makes up the Chinese calculat-
ing machine, and upon which all China
does its arithmetical problems These
banks VIII give you drafts on any part
of the world, or letters OF exchange
and credit, which will be good any
where Their chief officers are among
the leading business men of the East,
and they all seem to be making money.
Speaking of the credit system, there
are largo stores run by foreign mer-
chants at Shanghai, Hong Kong,
Iientsin 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 tho foreigners 1t is nearly all
done on credit The silver dollar i
,
pound of silver to pay a ten-dollar
gold purchase, and 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.
II the foreigner takes n drink at a bar
or treats his friends he will write out
a chit II he plays q game of billiards
another chit, and if 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 decent can get credit in
China, and l am surprised at the care
lessness manifested in such matters, q
carelessness 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 ac-
tions of Hou Qua, the Canton million
Hire who died few years ago, leav-
ing at least $50, OOO, 900. One of the
Chinese firms of Canton had failed.
owing a great sum to foreigners. Hou
Qua got up a subscription and paid the
whole Indebtedness He headed the
list OF subscribers with $1,000, 900 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 So, 600, 900
was paid within forty-eight hours,
headed the subscription list with the
sum OF 81, 100, 600. Il give" said he,
''SSO0,O 600 as a thank Offering for the
business prosperity 1 have had. I give
100000 as testimony of the fidelity
of my son. And $500, 900 as a mark of
the affection which i 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 synonymous
with business honor.
A few OF the rich men among the
Chinese are Christians, and l visited
one of the most noted of such at Foo
Chow the other day 1t is a city big
ger than Chicago, and it is one of the
chief tea centers Of China 1t lies IN
the mountains about four hundred
miles south of here, and it is in what
is called the Switzerland of China. 1t
has bridge OF solid granite running
across the river which flows by the
city, twelve hundred feet long and
containing fifty arches It is called
the bridge Of ten thousand ages. Its
pathway is twelve feet WIDE. 1t is
more than one thousand years old,
and is as solid to-day as the granite
Of which il is built The city has a
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 Chow
is known as All Hok, and he gave
$4,000 not long ago to found a school
or college 10 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 Chinese maiden
The ceremony was the Christian cere-
mony adapted TO 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 It 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. .It was not embarrass-
ment," said the Bishop to me. ''that
made the girl tongue tied, for i felt of
her hand and il was warm and moist