Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-10-26
CHNA'S MAIL S\>TF.N.
How Letters Are TRANSPORTED IN
the FiOwcry Kingdom.
1ndi, dusl- aud iirns Nnnae" I've Inst
bfi"~ and Perform ~, lent >.r>tc"
Guarding against E"th,rN t,"N
ernncnt ~ stem Ia he LIST .4I,!i-hcd.

erment system t. I,rIst.l,!i-hcd
IL a report iu>t Iul,:~i,l D.. he
stat. 1,.rnr,.u..,.- >.,,.1,., ,.,.,..,...
1-,,., 80.
49,.
- "a
'''' '"'N' N'''t'''''''' "'''" mas mex
Y'' '>'a"'.Ni''" government post "ii'''>
"r postal sF>'''n = '.'' :'a.~''~ -
Tho people, VIA a.. her q: : '.f" 81
modern "aE>' but private enterprise -
depended upon u render c"iHHuI!"iI-
hon easy between various parts 4 tie
empire. This private traU>Hl> >ion II
mail = conducted through what are
called "lrttcr shops. y" stamps are
used but the 'ch"p' or sign - the
keeper ~ the "lcttcr shop j. always
placed upon Ia" envelope.
In this country when the govern
Ineut wishes to send n communication
Il lncl">rN II III an envelope marked
""hicla! or ''puhhc-frcr and II goes
through the mail a other letters "X-
rept that n" p">'aE" paid. In 'hIna
imperial "HI't> ana .h"r Official com
Hnnicaii"hs are carr 30 from chy t.
c'tE anu PROVING" I" province by c"nri-
IT'S 'th"ra'Iy tAt. make the trip
1lo"'' put IN 'a>r "i great haste they
ar prov 'ded with horses at convenient
relay stations 'iIr'al letters or dis
patches are 'huA c"hvtEr" IN cases OF
emergency wv" hundred or US" nun
urea anu hlty miles day III districts
where TRANSMISSION OF "l!Icial com
inuhicati"is Is frequent each station
master Is required l" keep on hand
IRON zen |" twenty HORSES or don!'tys'
IN" th' i"taI representative OF the
government Is heid Responsible Tor all
delays that occur These Official COURT
ers, VINO correspond to our star route
mon .aii ierS' are not ail""ed 10 carry
pN"'e u,'P""'e' W ie,''rs' 'helr OPP
a'i'n' oeihs reS'Fie'e" 10 the trans
n.ission Vi government cohmuniea-
'iohs
Inc pubic IS served by the letter
SHOPS carrier system organized by
private enterprise transmitting the
mali from one station to another. Con-
sui TRACEY says at the treaty ports the
letter shops are used by natives only,
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
GELS 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
10 De sent may be registered and in
sured.
Before a letter is mailed or delivered
10 the carrierits contents are displayed,
ana the keeper OF the letter shop then
signs his chop" or sign. SO that its
point OF origin may be determined.
farceism may be transmitted in the same
manner, the charge for carrying being
percentage OF their declared value.
The shopkeeper gives a receipt for the
letter or package, and he thus becomes
responsible for its safe delivery or its
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
merchants who are regular customers
keep an open account with the shop
and make their settlements monthlv
. In some of the larger cities and
towns the letter sbons arc n,marors
but in many remote villages there are
none. In Shanghai there are nearly
two hundred. Some of the shops EN-.
ploy solicitors who 90 from house to
house working up trade. competit;o,
in many cities being strong. In the
northern provinces the shopkeeners
initiate the government and emnlov +.
system of mounted carriers Horse.
or donkeys are used, the RELAYS being
about ten miles apart. Each carrier or
menssenger is intrusted with seventy
or eighty pounds of mail matter. and
travels about five miles an hour-much
slower than the government carriers.
For short distances and in central and
southern China the messenger trayels
on foot at a rapid gait. When the mes
senger arrives at station he hands
over the mail to q fresh carrier. He
starts at once" says Consul Gracey.
mo matter what may be the hour Of
the day or night, and regardless of
winds, rain, heat or cold, he continues
the journey until he, too, has complet-
ed his service and handed the parcel
over to third messenger, and thus it
reaches its destination"
rms pony express like that which
the United States fortv ,,aors 90 :.
so,not;,nos .,,h;oot "eo, :.
hiohwavman Int ~. ch:,as III ~
wav 81 comnornd;re snoh r;,,.;-
thus projecting tbe;r nostai .ayn;a na
The robber bands Of each d;s+r;ct noI.
lect blackmail from the shonLeensrs
and for regular sumo ro;d tho,, ~.
only do not modest +ba -nasscn 80, ~
themselves. hut thew aoreo 40 t.an
other marauders from do;nr co Iaroe
firms engaged in tho carrv;no h,,,;ras.
and in TRANSPORTING travcIers INV corts
between given points are in tho hah;+
of contracting With tho br;r,nd. o..
~SH