The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-25
VERY LIKE A YANKEE.
COUNT EUGENE MIrKIEWICz IS A
HUSTLER" From WAYBACK.

0A4N a Las oIOEY OF MS bEleI EOJOuTn N
China and the Vasrness Of his
schemes Is Intensely Instructive.
Concerning the exploits to China Of Count
Eugene Mitkewicz, who was recently tried
end acquitted by New York court on the
charge Of obtaining money for some of his
schemes. under false pretenses, the New
York AdrsrtjSer says: Several years ago
the count conceived the idea Of going
into that comparatively unknown country
of the Heather Chinee' and OF obtaining
certain valuable concessions for American
capitalists.
1t never appears to have struck any other
progressive and aggressive American that
this was the greatest field probably in the
world for investment. Here was a country
with 400, 100000 inhabitants and an area SO
great that even the United States would be
comparatively lost if placed i'll one corner
With all this population and with all this
territory there was but one telegraph and
one railroad, not single telephone, no let
ter-carrler system, no government mint,
aud, what was still more surprising, no sys-
TEN Of governmental revenue.
The count determined to penetrate the
barriers which had been raised about the
Chinese empire, principally by. british CAPT
tai and British enterprise.
The greatest difficulty encountered by the
count In pushing his scheme was really In
America. He first had to overcome the
natural prejudice in this country against
foreigners His scheme also was SO far
away, and at the same time so gigantic in
its conception and the results 1t promised,
that many American capitalists who were
approached were startled by its very mag
nitude.
So far the count has been unable to pro-
duce these Chinese concessions and deliver
them over to his associates in the enterprise.
But he has by no means despaired of &C
comprising this result. In fact, he said
yesterday that he regarded this as the work
of his life and would certainly succeed before
he died. The count claims that it is simply
a battle between English and American en-
terprise and capital, and that, as a natural
ized American, he is determined TO see the
thing brought to IA successful conclusion.
After many months of work the count
finally sailed for China, backed not only by
American capital, but with the letters of
introduction which guaranteed TO him an
introduction and an audience with LII Hung
Chang, the prime minister Of the Chinese
empire and the Seventh Prince. the uncle Of
the. emperor The counts remarkable ex-
perlence in China reads like fairy tale, and
is best told in his own words. Ia describ-
ing it he said:
ION my arrival at Shanghai l was in
formed that shortly steamer sent by the
viceroy, Ii Hung Chang, would be placed at
my disposal. The vessel was such as is
used only by the royalty, and from this l
was convinced that my letters Of introduc-
tion to the Chinese officials we're of the very
best. 1 went unattended, and was COM
PEELED to rely all the time upon an inter-
prefer, whose services | secured in ShanE-
=
issued an order that my person was sacred,
and this douotessly accounts for the
universal courtesy aud attention l met with
on every hand.
81 do not doubt but what this attention
was very largely due to the lavish eXpendi-
ture of money. 1t is universal custom In
China TO pay tribute to everything and
everybody, and in that country no official
considers it q crime to accept a bride, but
rather as one of their Legitimate perquisites.
l started in with the Cinnamon who handled
my luggage ana worked my way up to the
prime minister OF the Chinese empire, and
with what presents of costly silks and dia-
monds at the end of two months trip 1
found that my expenses had reached the
enormous sum of $25, 900.
IA small fortune, you might say, and in
truth it was, but in reality it was but the
beginning. There has already been spent
on these Chinese concessions certainly not
less than 5000 900, and IL will take as much
more to secure them. What will they be
worth2 No man can tell. Millions GER
tainly, but how many! 1t takes ones
breath away in very truth when he thinks
of the possibility. Just think of tine value
to-day Of the entire railroad system Of the
United States. the telegraph reaching into
every hole and corner of the land and the
telephone system now in nearly every city
of any size. Their value ID billions of dol
lars-not millions. Such must ultimately
be the value of the same kind OF property IN
Chine. where there are 400,000,000 people,
and where there is an area Of four times
the size Of the United States
Every Chinaman is on the make. l
don't care how small he IS officially, or how
young he is in years, each and every one of
them is after the mighty dollar. Itmatters
not whether it is an American dollar or a
British sovereign or Chinese tael it is all
the same TO the pigtail gentry of the empire.
1t is a very rare thing, indeed, for the for
eigueT TO secure an audience with the
prime minister of China: in fact, it was
even more difficult than securing an audi
ence with James G.. Blaine when he was
Secretary Of State, and that, you know,
was regarded as one of the most difficult
things in Washington.
81 had very indefinite idea of Chinese
customs, and had assumed, with my Ameri-
can ideas. that being presented to the prime
minister coupled with it a presentation to
his immediate family. But l was doomed
to disappointment. On my way from
Shanghai to Peking | had heard great
deal about the wonderful beauty of the
wives of Ii Hung Chang, and had looked
forward to the pleasure of meeting them.
But during my entire interview with the
minister l never set eyes on anything in the
shape of Chinese womanhood, notwith-
standing the fact that he has some twenty
odd wives, each aud every one If them with
as much curiosity as any American woman
that ever lived.
II mentioned they had but one railroad in
all China, and that, too. but twelve miles
in length. There is nothing. therefore, in
the way Of rapid transit there. You have
either to go by boat or ride in wagon
train. Both are extremely slow, and an
ordinary journey occupies two or three
days. The sristocracy of China and all visi-
tors who come with proper credentials are
carried about the streets in litters. When |
reached Pekin they took me to hotel and
gave me a sumptuous apartment in which
the predominating colors were red and yell
low. The house was built Of bamboo, the
ceilings we're low, but I must confess that
everything about it was we'll built, and the
effect on the whole could not help but be
pleasing. / have heard it said that China
men know nothing of the harmony of
color, but my experience ia that they