Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-12-31
QUEER ROADS IN CHINA.
Curiosities of Travsl and Postal Ser
vice in the Fl0wery Land.

Minister DENLY has just sent to the
Department of State very interesting
| description of roads in China. Outside
of the cities they are of the most primi-
tive nature, being merely lines of ruts
across the fields. In summer they are
fathomless, impossible bogs, and travel,
except on foot, is practically suspended.
The pig-tailed orientals have never taken
much trouble with road-making, partly
because throughout their country the
plains are network of waterways, nat
ural and artificial, while human labor for
carrying burdens has always been pre-
ferred to that of beasts over the narrow
and circuitous mountain passes. Roads
for military purposes seem never to have
been thought of by the Chinese. The
great campaigns of the Mongol and
Manchu emperors were conducted with
hordes of flying cavalry along no fixed
routes.
China has telegraph lines now, but
previous to their introduction intelligence
was conveyed to the center of govern
ment from outside provinces by an elab-
orate system of post stations. These
were placed about thirty miles apart, and
relays of horses were constantly kept in
readiness for the imperial courers. By
such means dispatches were sent to dis
tant provincial capitals at the rate of 25O
miles per day. Kubla Kahn, the Mongol
emperor, had more than 10000 post sta
tions, with 100000 horses, especially
kept for the use of messengers. In con-
nection with the mounted couIiers an
elaborate system OF foot messengers was
also maintained. The latter were swift
runners and their stations were only
three miles apart. By them the emperor
is said to have received news from places
ten days journey distant in twenty-four
days away within ten days. Fruit gath
cred in Peking in the morning was thus
transmitted to the summer palace, distant
ten days travel, arriving on the evening
of the next day.
Express couriefs who carry imperial
messages between Gartok and L'Hasa,
the capital of Thibet, make the entire
distance of 800 miles on horseback in
eight days without relief, riding night
and day. Dispatches are placed inside
their robes, and the latter are sealed
upon their bodies so that they cannot be
removed until the end of the Journey,
when the seal is broken by the proper
off1cial. These messengers are lifted at
the post stations from one horse to an
other and arrive at their destination with
cracked faces and eyes bloodshot and
sunken. They sometimes die on the way
from exposure and fatigue.
All private correspondence is trans
mIffaH hxrr 20 e Il.
there are several rival establishments in
each city. These firms employ their
own couriers, who travel on horseback,
on foot or by steamer when possible.
Between cities, where the business JUS
titles regular mounted service, letters
and small parcels are carried ut the rate
OF seventy-five or eighty miles day.
The charges for small distances are not
excessive, letter being sent from Peking
to Tientsin for about 10 cents. For
long distances, however, the postage is
disproportionately large. The United
States legation has frequent occasion to
communicate with missionaries in the in
terror, particularly in the provinces of
Shantung. From Peking to Chinanfu,
the capital of Shantung, is about 225
miles, and the usual charge for transmit
ting letter thither is 40 cents. Com
petition forces the postal establishments
to be very careful and reliable
In North China, where waterways are
not so numerous as in the south, inter
communication has always presented
serious difficulties, which no attempt has
been made to overcome. The large rivers
are to be crossed by ferries only, while
the smaller streams must be forded. At
the ferries the ferry boats are intention
ally constructed with high side board so
that carts cannot be driven ON without
unhitching. This gives employment to
a crowd of hangers-o in lifting on and
off the carts for compensation. In time
OF flood there is apt to be no way of
crossing the streams at all. Where ma
ture has afforded no convenient impedi-
ment bad characters sometimes dig holes
in the road so as to obtain employment in
helping carts through.