The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-11
THE ORIENTAL TRADE
The Commerce of the World
Attracted Toward China.
SEATTLE IN LINE FOR BUSINESS
I'll. w. Mcneil. the Coal Mine ana Rail-
roai Man, Again in seattle, and
Gives Business Men Pointers.

II. w Mcneil, formerly general man
ager Of the Oregon Improvement. and
now the owner Of coal mine IN Alberta.
Canada. which produces the only anthra-
cite coal found west OF Pennsylvania, is
In the city, guest at the Misunderstanding
hotel. Mr.. Mcneil does not lock day
older than when he was a familiar man
on the streets of Seattle. before and just
after the great fire. He is the same
wide-awake. impuisive. energetic man as
of yore, but he says he Is il Seattle this
time merely to see old faces, visit old
places and breathe once more the atmos-
phere surrounding scenes that will always
be a pleasure TO remember. He viii re-
main about week.
He says his mine In Alberta is shipping
a good deal OF coal and In a short time
he will place some of the product in Seat
tie. He says his mine is now selling coal
In Spokane and also finds a market In
certain portions OF Montana, Great Falls
and other places. Mr.. Mcneil has great
faith in the future of Seattle and said.
II always feel at home in Seattle. for
the people have more energy here than
those of other places 1t is simply won
derful how the people have stood togeth-
er. Five or six years ago they had big
fight on hand TO get their rights. but row
the conditions are changed and Seattle
has really no serious opposition from any
quarter. She leads them all. / have I'M
bounded faith in the Pacific coast and
particularly in this town. With the de-
velo9ment OF the coast viii come the
greater and proportionate prosperity of
Seattle. / tell you this Jap war will mean
a great deal for the coast. Heretofore
there was lot OF talk about our trade
with ASIA but there was nothing in 1t.
Asia, and more particularly China, was a
sealed book. We had no commerce with
them and could expect none. for they
wouldn't have any dealings with US. But
now things are changed. Heretofore
China could not get out of the rut in
which she had been travelling for thou
sands of years. The people of the empire
believed the world was fiat and that China
occupied the whole surface except foot
or two on the edge. which was occupied
by the white-faccd devils and other bar
barians. who were permitted to exist
merely because of the generosity of the
Chinese emperor Now that the Japs
have licked the everlasting daylights out
of them they will look UP. Ii Hung
Chang. who is a progressive, up-to-date
man. has once more won the confidence
of the Peking government sand he will
surely realize the wish of his life of the
last fifteen years. He will Europeanize
-
be attracted thi.her
why, 1t would make our nation rich
supplying the kingdom With sufficient ma
teriala and machinery TO put in a system
of railroads. There's not enough ships
afioat TO carry the commerce of the king
dom when trade is properly developed.
The field is almost unlimited. They will
get all their lumber from this coast. and
the Pacific coast. with the China trade at
was a young shaver | would consider the
present the opportunity of life time and
/ would go 10 the Orient and start cigar
factory, or a wooden mill, make under
wear. or socks. or stockings. or almost
anything. Cinnamon will work for 10 or
Is cents day and they are the most re-
liable cheap labor on earth. Any kind of
an enterprise would flourish and make the
owners wealthy and prosperous. The rest
OF the world could not compete with him.
An enterprise of the kind with an Ameri-
can head and Chinese labor. would be
sure to be successful. The Chinese have
no intuition that comes from the father
20 son, and il will he some generations
before the Chinese can recover sufficiently
from the rut into which they have fallen
to impart tn theta progeny that degree of
originality and intuitiye intelligence pos
sessed by advanced European and Ameri-
ear people. In the meantime the chances
for the individual are just as great as
the opportunities for the commerce OF the
nation.
I'VE viii have great times here yet. A
few years ago / did not think / would
live to see China opened TO the trade of
the coast. but the time has come The
Japanese brought 1t about The little fell
lows on the island have done for China
what 4. would have required generations
To accofrpiish -