The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-20
CHINA'S NAIL SYSTEM.
How Letters Are Transported In
the F1owery Kingdom.
individuals and Firms Manage the Post
Office and Perform Efficient Service
Guarding Against Robbery-A Gov
efment System to Be EstAblished.


efMent System to Be Established.
In report just published by tho
state department, Samuel Gracey,
United States consul at Foochoo>
China, tells how the mail is carried in
the ''fiowery kingdom" China has not
yet esta blished government post offices
or postal system for the masses of
the people, with all her adoption of
modern ways, but private enterprise is
depended upon to render communica-
ton easy between various parts of the
empire This private transmission of
mail is conducted through what are
called ''letter shops" No stamps are
used, but the chop" or sign of the
keeper of the 'sletter shop is always
placed upon the envelope.
In this country when the govern
ment wishes to send communication
it incloses it in an envelope marked
official" or ''public-free" and it goes
through the mail as other letters ex-
cept that no postage is paid. In China
imperial edicts and other official com
munications are carried from city to
city and province to province by couri-
ers. Generally they make the trip
afoot, but in case of great haste they
are provided with horses at convenient
relay stations. Official letters or dis
patches are thus conveyed in cases of
emergency two hundred or two hun
dred and fifty miles day. In districts
where transmission of official COM
munications is frequent each station
master is required to keep on hand
from ten to twenty horses or donkeys,
and the local representative of the
government is held responsible for all
delays that occur. These official court
ers, who correspond to our star route
mail carriers, are not allowed to carry
private dispatches or letters. their OPP
erations being restricted to the trans
mission of government communica-
tions.
The public is served by the ''letter
shops, a carrier system organized by
private enterprise transmitting the
mail from one station to another. Con-
sui Gracey says at the treaty ports the
letter shops are used by natives only,
but in the interior, or at places not
reached by the foreign postal arrange
ment, they are employed by foreign
ers as well, though chiefly by mission
aries. These speak well of the sYs-
tenn for its security" he says, ''but
they do not consider it all that could
be desired in respect to quickness of
delivery. 1t somewhat resembles our
express business, as it transmits par
cells of moderate size and weight. 1t is
said to possess two decided advantages
over our western system-insurance
against loss and monthly settlement of
accounts. All the letters and parcels
to be sent may be registered and in
sured"
Before a letter is mailed or delivered
to the carrier its contents are displayed.
and the keeper of the letter shop then
signs his Chop" or sign. so that it's
point of origin may be determined.
Parcels may be transmitted in the same
manner, the charge for CARRYING being
a percentage of their declared value.
The shopkeeper gives receipt for the
letter or package, and he thus becomes
for its safe delivery or its
return to the sender, with seal I'M
broken. In some parts of the empire,
the consul SAYS, about two-thirds OF
the expense of transmission is paid by
the sender. the remainder being
collected from the receiver. Thus the
shop is secured against entire loss from
transient customers and the sender
has some guarantee that his letter will
be conveyed with dispatch. Native
who are regular customers
keep an open account with the shop
and make their settlements monthly.
In some of the larger cities and |
towns the letter shops are numerous |
but in many remote villa ages there are !
none. In Shanghai there are nearly /
two hundred. Some Of the shops en- /
ploy solicitors who go from house TO !
house working up trade, competition /
IN many cities being strong. In the I
northern provinces the shopheepers !
initiate the government and employ a +
system OF mounted carriers. Horses /
or donkevs are used, the RELAYS being Z
a bout ten miles apart Each carrier Or /
messenger IS intrusted with seventy /
or eighty pounds Of mail matter. and /
travels about FIVE miles an hour-Inuch 4
slower than the government carriers. s
For short distances and in central and i
southern China the messenger travels I
on foot 4: rapid gait. When the mes 4
seDEer arrives at a station he hands +
ever the mail 10 fresh carrier. lie +.
starts a. once. says Consul GraceF.
no matter what may be the hour of
the day or night, and regardless OF +
S-inds. rain. heat or cold, he continues
dc journey until he. too. has eomplet +
% his service and handed the parcel &
5ver - third messenger. and thus X
reaches IS destination"
This pony express, ike that which
vas in use across the western plains Of .
re nited states forty years ago. Is
sometimes subject 20 interruption by
but the Chinese hare
way OF compromising such villaiay and
tisr.s nrafAa.ino tnAlr noS.=i SA>Hi4.A-