The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-17
TRADE OF CANTON.
some CuriosIiIes Mentioned In Mr.. Ala
basfer's Report.


| Mr.. Alabaster's report on the trade Oh
Canton for the past year contains references
10 some odd features Of the export trade.
! EIGHTY thousand pounds OF human hair:
valued a, f3i9, appear in the returns, anu
| tho consul wishes IL did not, for, az the
greater part Of u comes from the heads OF
| beggars, criminals. and dead persons, IL is
not pleasant to think that II Is worn y
| IA lies nj home. even though II goes through
Iotg processes Of publication before
| IL is made up into wigs, chignons,
waterfalls. &c. The demand for what are
| called old silk embrOideries Is undated; IN
! fact the majority Of these garments are not
Old. but sOiled. and the Chinese must look
| on the purchasers much as we snOulu IT,
| gard collectors Of discarded teaso"bs u.
WORKOUT tennis suits. III Is tTue' niusn
| of the embroidery is very beautiful, Dut ,r snc
association Of ideas j. not pleasant. ing
..sceuted tea" of Canton is the only branch
of the China tea trade which the indian
culfiyatOrs cannot initiate. The trade III
mating is increasing. Last year two nun
dred and twenty-eight thousand nine nun
dred and twenty-nine rolls, valued ~
| gI23gJ7. were exported, chiefly 10
J America, where it is largely used ior car
pets, and in dry, hot climate morning eau
Ne cooler. cleaner, or better; put IL Is 10. ~
| suitable I'm damp weather, for II gets rap
idly mOuldy, and breeds ileas to an intoier-
able extent. All article Of export when
has come into prominence of late years Is
class bangles, OF which the value last year
was SIS. 202. These bangles are exported
chiefly To Bombay, land it Is strange
that Canton should supply Brush
province with glassware. Brass put
tons. 10000 pounds in weight were
exported. The manufacture zwas miro,
duced hy foreigners, but has wow passed
into native hands. Buttons are the Jew
elry of China The magnitude OF the eX-
port Of fans from Canton Is shown Dy the
| fact that eleven and One-tnird millions
| were sent through the customs IN the
course Of the year. The majority
are simple palm-eaf fans, ana 20
| chiefly to America, where thelr hsn'-
ness and cool appearance nave brought
them into great favor. For decorative
purposes Canton fans cannot colil-
pete with Japanese. and for ar
iistic beauty the Canton paper ians
are surpassed by those OF Soochow
and Shanghai; but the feather fans made
from the quils Of the wild goose are strong,
useful. and cheap. Preserved ginger, chow
chow "a mixture Of ginger bamboo, oranges
&c.1 and cumquOts, or little oranges
were exported 10 the extent Of over three
million pounds, valued at tll.lJ'. IN tne
interest OF little boys at home the Con-
sui thinks II could be wished that the eX-
\ port were larger. for. although the ginger
NAV not be as pungent as that OF the west
7 Indes. the preserves are wholesome, agree
able, cheap, and, as far as the leading
firm Of ChylOng is concerned, cleanl!
made. As 10 Chinese medicines, pepper
mint oil and rhubarb have established their
fame abroad. and when better known Fu-
erh tea will probably take the place OF
SIENNA. as il is equally effective and far more
agreeable. or general medicines 2,G2-
Ssh were exported last year. exclusive OF
special drugs, and 2CSS cwt. OF pills. An.
other Canton specially is teapots enclosed
in wadded rattan cases. They are
not particularly handsome, but for
a traveller who wants TO take warm
cup Of tea 10 soiace him during a
long railway journey they are invaluable
B as they keep the tea warm for consider
able time. and keep the teapot from upset
ting or getting broken" Wooden blankets,
} as an article Of import. are increasing;
b white blankets are naturally not greatly IN
demand in a country where soap and water
are rarties, and blue, being suggestive OF a
: funeral II, are not in favor; but every
passenger by night boats seems to have a
red blanket. Otherwise w0olens are used
chiefly for uniforms and table and chair
covers. Gloves are not in demand, for the
long nails are endangered by them.-Lon-
don Times.