The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-29
THE POWER OF CHINA
A Veteran of the TaiPing Re-
belIion Talks on It
NO LIMIT TO IT'S RESOURCES.
A cemr.as Of Chinese oGorasn Tells :
Thrilling story and Tells SONS
TasGds Faets-

neut Egufe IA TIC ~ tAAS iS1Nat+|s
that country 81 ISL lie served on noth
sides Of diisereat periods in that struggle
and at one ufBe bad price set on ms heaa'
but he could now 30 back aad eat "sth ts's
Fnsnis ia their palaces. lie traselel bun
dreds Of miles ii China, ate as the Illness
ate. Nved as they lived and theneoy De-
came personally and Thoroughly ae-
auainted with tho condition Of affairs IN
the Chinese empire. The story OF h's
career RI that country and his opinion %
the probable result 81 the war Win japan
has peculiar interest. lie told this story
in an Interview witiIa Posr-lSTrLLfs EScEE
reporter last night, IN which hessid
I'll vas in Issjl that went u shanghai
on The merchant steamer CoTtss IS junior
officer. IL April Of fhe same year. as ths
steamer was leaving Shanghai. she caught
re near the cornbines OF the matches near
the boilers aud had - be scuttied0 NO
lives we're lost. however. ] was3 taken III
with what IS known as Shanghai FEVER,
and vas in led for three months.
ehanced 10 meet n friend named Charles 70
Hill. Of the lrm Of Fegg 4 Co. who Iook
care Of me. After my recovery ne miro
duerd me 20 GEN. Frederick r. v ard.
native OF Brooklyn. y. h., who vas Ia
command of the Chinese contingent. cor
what may he called the ever-victorloas
army. exemplliied IN ths service o. 1etA-
q. q. Gordon called Chinese AoYdons VINO
was murdered at Khartouin.
at was Just PRIOR 10 TINS time THAT tho
Tai Pings were giving serious trouble 10
the imperial government. sna had gone 80
far as to actually threaten the settlements
in and about some of the treaty ports,
This vas especially true Of the ports
nround Shanghai. | engaged ms self ia
the imperial Chinese navy under Sens
Ward and within a year had command 81
the korieor = Chinese gunboat. which
carried 0s-pounder cannon, many small
arms and about sixty men. About this
time Gen. Ward Was Killed near Ningpoo
IN battle with the rebels and Gen. Bnrge-
vine. native OF North Carolina. succeeded
him "a commander OF the forces lie bad
had command but short time when Ii
Hung Chang. the present viceroy and
Bismarck of China, became dissatisfied
with the manner in which the cam
paign was being conducted and
withheld the funds to pay the
troops. The paymaster vas
mandarin Of the Red Button. The troops
had become almost ia a state OF mutiny
for want of pay TO get the neeessarles7 OF
life The headquarters OF the Chinese
contingent was NJ this time at Sung
Keong. about thirty miles from Shanghai.
Gen. Hnrgeytne repaired TO Shanghai TO
the residence OF Takee. the paymaster
general, and demanded ~. 600 taels 20 pay
the troops. Upon being refused he struck
the mandarin, which is considered an uIl=
pardonablc offense in China, and ofor
which he was deposed After a fuitless
attempt at an interview with Prince
Kung, Burgevine failed 10 get tie required
redress and an English artillery officer.
Mai. Holland, Was placed in command.. NJ ~.
Tfoliandahaving failed To- make q success
OF bis command, Gen. Gordon Was APP
pointed 20 succeed him. Bnrgevine APP
pointed me one Of his aide de camps on
his Journey TO Takee, the paymaster gen
eral. and though I was a spectator VI the
assault I took no hand in the matter. but
was deprived of my command by order of
the Fulai, Ii lung chang. governor of
the province I'm which VAR was being
waged. and Of SIX months pay due me.
~ applied to Gen. Gofdonfor position
under his command. but by reason Of my
being with Burgeyine In the encounter
with the mandarin the futai would not
give his consent then took command
of small merchant steamer that belonged
10 Fletcher a Co and went among the
rebels or Tai Pings. who at that time had
possession of the silk-groxing districts,
Fletcher & Co. being large purchaser of
raw silk %
"There | had an opportunity Of beeom-
ing personally acquainted with the rebel
rtor ! took Gen. Burgeyine with me and
he interviewed the cWongs. both AT 500
Chow-Foo and Nan in, The stronghold
cities OF the Tai Pings forces.2 H6 became
60 iAvorahly impressed that he offered his
services to the Tai Pings cause. which
were gladly accepted. Finding that |
could get no redress from the impeFiaI7
government. | went With cen. Burgeyine
and fought with the Tar Pings against the
imperial forces and also against Gen. Cor
don / selzed tia same steamer which
| had commanded in the i@perial serv-
ice. right under the feet Of t&s Sung
Ksong force. 80 or near the east
gate of the allied city OF sung keong
For this piratical act a reward was offered
by the Futai of i0.o0D tAes for the head OF
Gen Bnrgsvine and coo taels for my
head. After serving the Tai Pings for sir
months without pay and seeing the cause
hopeless, Ne made arrangements with
Gen. Gordon for the force under Barges
vine ID surrender.
The circumstances which lei un 20 the
eapttllation were peculiar and of nlosE
interesting character. Curiosity leo me
into dangerous pre- xtmity 10 Gen. Gordon's
forces az Soo-Chow-foo. ! was shot AZ
several times but bore a charmed life Tn
ou this ono occasion | went again Within
the range OF NordOn's guns ana when day
light appeared aud | could be seen from
which Was answered, aud Gen. Gordon
himself came cut and offered 10 render any
assistance that was desirable This led
60 an inteTvtea that same night at mild
night between Gen. Gordon and Bargeyine
Which consumrated the plans oi sur
render. The plans were frustrated at that
time as the doings had partially be-
come known 80 the rebel chiefs
wAo summary ordered t3sn. Baresv inc
and me 10 attack some imperial
stronshoids about too milss away. The AZ.
tack Vas made she next day and the Impe.
rialfsls we're com leteiy routed, bat az a
fearful cost, which VAS the loss Of the
gunboat by bali from che Imperial boat
lnto the magazine. / WAS seriously
wounded. but quickly recovered. aud
about lao Europeans Surrendered 90 Gen.
Gordon.
Il vas offered and accepted command
ii q gunhoAt Ia the Imperial forces and
served with Gen. Gordon until the close OF
the var. Gordon presented me with
Hag. which l carried CA my boat and still
have in nav possession. After The close Of
the war ! returned 10 san Francisco and
took command 81 the steamer Gen. Me-
Pearson, ia she quarteFmAsser's aspari-
meuI Of the Untted states navy. Then |
was ia command Tor nineteen wears Of the
ovegon 4 California railroad ferry al PoE&-
land
sis Vas the Tai Ping war whleh started
the Chinese governments 30 improve It's
army aud navy. Gordon had shawn them
tbas lie eoald do wakh Aooo GIsc3tgined
tFoops what conEd nos be done " TIA - 600
troops ludsE the mandarin or rsoYtnclai
SYSTEM. as thea oFgAn,se1 and COM
fnauued. As things are how Janan un-
Hsslsied cannot eoDs Ntth China. Japan
hSs about AsUAeeo people, rs against
81 1sse 40 ~ "a 40 to % peGple in China
Japan Is nearer 81 koyeA than ChlnA bat
the strength Of China IS iaeKhanstlble.
whereas japan would soon lie gripYled