The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-04-25

the first cost Of construction and equip
ment. The building Of the road. with
its entire equipment. has been done
with the English idea of permanency.
and without regard TO first cost. or the
work required Of it. No wooden struct-
ures are seen from one end of the line
to the other Stone. brick. concrete or
steel are the materials used. The road
is a standard gauge. and it's bed is
somewhat wider than i'm our country
The rails were made at Barrow, Eng
land, or by Blockow & Vaughn. and
were delivered at Takee for less than
$21 per ton, ''or at price that cannot
be touched by any of our firms" The
wooden ties come from Japan, some
from Oregon, and a few from VladivO-
stock.
The cost OF timber is 50 great THAI
wooden trestles are out Of the Ques-
ton. The station houses are all built
of light. burned brick, plastered on the
outside. The broad platforms are Of
stone or concrete filled in with earth
and cinders. At the main shops at
Tong-shan they repair cars and loco
motives and construct rolling stock.
About 500 men were employed at Tong
shan in August last, but when the shops
are run to their full capacity there are
900 names upon the rolls The company
builds all of it's passenger cars, and
also the tenders to locomotives The
sides and roofs of the cars are of Ore
gon pine.
LOCOMOTIVES.
The locomotives (mogul type are AL
English and Scotch, with the exception
of one American engine built by the
Grant Company. American cast iron
wheels have been tried, but did not
give such satisfactory results as steel
tire wheels from Europe"
The passenger cars are of an inferior
quality rs regards comfort, but they
are superior to the treatment they get
from the natives. Two trains were once
fitted out with the Westinghouse brake.
Owing to some trouble, the directors
failed to adopt the system. There is one
detail of the rolling stock that is
American-"all cars have the Janey
coupler. 1t is a source of regret to the
general manager that he cannot man
ufacture this indispensable article. but
must pay the American price for it."
WAGES.
! Details concerning wages present
some incongruties. Foreigners, OF
course, get much more than natives.
| but not more than the same class Of
men receive at home. Most of the en-
| CINE drivers and machinists are ma
tives, and they do good work" A
common laborer gets 81 (MeXican) per
month; fireman, IS to Sc! engine driver.
! $14 to $45. At present the two highest
paid native drivers on the road get
SAL and SAC, respectively. An English
! 5000 (MeXican) per month; a section
I hand gets 81; q foreman, Sc; a native
clerk, $50, if he can speak and write
| both English and Chinese. All the
work possible is piecework. The trains
are run by the English staff system,
| and only one train is allowed in block.
In August, 1895, all construction was
at a standstill. Nothing is being done
except to keep the few trains neces-
sary running. What the future policy
will be as regards railroads no one can
tell. Certain lines will eventually be
built. The Chinese government already
sees the necessity of connecting Pekin
with the Yangtze valley. Prejudices
lack Of funds. internal dissension, and
jealousies between viceroys are some
of the factors that have to be dealt
with before we can set on foot any or
ganized system for the further con
struction of railroads. At present the
outlook is gloomy, but there are riffs
in the political clouds, and, in time
the sun Of prosperity and progress may
break through"