The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-25
QUEER ROADS IN CHINA
Curiosities OF Travel and Postal Serv-
Ice in the Flowery Land.


From the Washington Star
Minister DENLY has sent TO the depart-
inent OF state very interesting description
OF roads in China. Outside Of the cities
they are Of the most primitive nature. ba-
Ing merely lines OF ruts across the fields In
summer they are fathomless. impassab,a
Dogs, and travel, except on foot. is practj-
eaIly suspended. The pig-tailed Orientals
nave never taken much trouble with road
making, partly because throughout the
greater part OF their country the plains are
a net-Work OF waterways, natural and arti
fetal while human labor for CARRYING bnr-
dens has always been preferred to that of
beasts over the narrow aud circuitons
mountain passes. Roads for military purnosas
seem never to have been thought OF bV tina
Chinese. The great campaigns of the MoR-
gol and Manchu emperors were conducted
with hordes OF flying cavalry along no fixed
routes.
China has telegraph lines now, but pre-
Vlous TO their Introduction intelligence was
conveyed to the center of government from
outside provinces by an elaborate system az
post stations. These were placed about
thlrty miles apart, and RELAYS Of horses were
constantly kept in readiness for the iplne-
rial couriers. By such means dispatches
were sent to distant provincial capitals at
the rate OF 700 miles per day. Kubla Kahn.
the mongol emperor. had more than 10. 600
post stations, with 100000 horses, especially
Kept Ior the use OF messengers. In connec-
ZION with the mounted couriers an
elaborate system Of foot messengers was
also maintained. The latter were swift run
ners and their stations were only three
miles apart. By them the emperor is said
TO nave received news from places ten DAYS
Journey distant In twenty-four hours or in
formation from points 100 days away with.
10 ten days. Fruit gathered in Peking in
the morning was thus transmitted to the
summer place, distant ten days travel, ar
irving on the evening of the next day.
Express couriers who carry imperial mes
sages between Gartok and L'Hesa. the
capital OF Thioet, make the entire distance
OF oUO miles on horseback In eight days
without relief, riding night and day. Dis
| patches are placed inside their robes. and
the latter are sealed upon their bodies. so
That they cannot be removed until the end
OF She journey, when the seal is broken by
the proper official. These messengers are
lifted at the post stations from one horse to
another and arrive at their destination
with cracked faces and eyes bloodshot and
sunken. They sometimes die on the way
from exposure and fatigue.
Inc elaborate system of posts for imperial
| messages in China seems never to have sug-
gested the establishment OF a government
postal service for the public at large. All
private correspondence is transmitted by
private postotfices, of which there are sew
eral 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
1ustihes regular mounted service, letters
and small parcels are carried at the rate of
seventy-five or eighty miles a day. The
charges for small distances are not excess
| I've, a letter being sent from Pek-
ing to Tientsin for about 10 cents.
For long distances, however, the
postage Is disproportionately large. The
United States legation has frequent occa-
sion to communicate with missionaries in
the interior, particularly in the province Of
Shantung. From Peking to Chinanfu, the
capital OF Shantung, is about 225 miles, and
the usual charge for transmitting letter
thtther is 40 cents. Competition forces the
postal establishments to be very careful and
reliable. At river ports at the hour of the
sailing of steamer the competition between
rival firms in soliciting patronage through
their runners is very brisk. That the sys-
TENS of government and private post should
exist without leading to the construction of
proper roads and highways is remarkable.
In Northern China, where waterways are
not so numerous as in the south, intercom-
munication 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
ferryboats are Intentionally constructed
with high side board so that the carts can
not be driven on without unhitching. This
| gives employment to crowd of hangers on
in lifting on and off the carts for a compen-
sation. In time of flood there is apt to be nc
way Of crossing the streams at all. Where
nature has afforded no convenient impedi.
ment bad characters sometimes dig holes in
the road so as to obtain employment in
| helping carts through,