Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-10-03
Fol. the REFLECTOR.
TO THE FAR EAST.
AMONG THE oRIENTALs.


entrance of the Yangtse Kiang, with
its muddy water. You pass up this
river about tnirty-fve miles Qand to be
seen only on one side) before you enter
tributary of the Yangtse Kiang, a
very large river In itself on which the
town of Shanghai stands. About
eleven miles up this river with its ad-
joining creeks are the highways of the
neighborhood.
The first part where nearly all the
foreign vessels lie at Wharves is the
American concession, called HOngkew,
divided from the English concession
by a creek; then comes the French con-
cession, divided from the English by a
creek and which adjoins the city of
Shanghai, with its wall surrounding it.
The English concession is the finest
and is where ali the principal people
live, with its fine gardens facing the
river.
Shanghai is very low and is supposed
at one time to have been part of the
sea, but now it has some very fine
buildings. The English and Ameri-
cans have municipal council of their
own with their own policemen, and
each man who commits any Offense is
triad no bic o,-D oOpC,,I N n mot or u,boF
nation he belongs to, except China
man, who is tried at what is called
mixed court, a Chinese magistrate and
an European assessor to see that justice
is done.
The punishments given vary much.
For instance three men caught COM
hitting the same offense, of different
nationalities, equally guilty, one will
get three years, another six months
and the third let off with caution.
The French concession is ruled by
French laws, French police, ETC., so
that if you were suddenly landed there
you might think yourself in France.
Shanghai Is the place for postoffices,
English, French, American, japanese,
German and Chinese very qoeer
thing you will say. You can go 10 d
French p0stofiice, buy French stamp
for five cents send letter to England;
go to an English postOffice, buy all
English stamp for 10 cents, send your
letter by the same steamer to England;
a very queer state of affairs which is
soon to be altered.
The English concession is open TO
the river; the men of war nearly all lay
off here, but the Americans and French
have wharves where the steamers lay
alongside and land their cargOes. There
is very large inland traffic from here
of all sorts of goods and the Chinese
have an imperial customs managed by
the hated foreigner, which was first es-
tablished to pay the French and Eng
lish their indemnity. Now it taxes the
foreigners good.
If anyone wishes to see Chinese
city for the second time they can do so,
but they will not wish to see another.
There are very fine drives round and
about Shanghai, and us the country is
quite low for many miles rOad-making
is easy. There are many fine resi-
dences with their grounds outside the
settlements, but the Chinese bones
must not be touched on any account so
that when choosing a plot one must
choose it without any graves in it.
Here the graves are all above ground,
some OF the collins only resting on four
bricks and mat over them. Some of
them have an arch of brick built ovt I
them, and they apparently eau bury
Outside the settlement
they have very fine rGce course,
cricket ground, lawn tennis, etc.
There are also some very fine schools,
but the best are the Roman Catholic.
though the Protestants, both English
and American, are very good.
A stranger will feel surprised when |
be sees a man going about with a
square board round his neck. On in
4uiry he finds it is form of punish !
ment, mostly given for stealing. They |
cannot touch their face or head with
their hands and when going to sleep
have to dig hole in the ground else
they cannot lie down. On the banks
Of the creeks one very often will see
pole with a basket and head In 1t,
that of amurderer, put there as warn
ing to others.
Here was the first railway started
n China from Hongkew to Wusung, a
of IL miles and it was working
irst class and freely patroniZed. But
IS soon as handed over to Chinese the
Mandarins did not like it, had the rails
aiken up and with engines and rolling
took sent to Formosa for the coal