The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-12
LIEUT.. CON. MERRILL.
pefrrns From . Wonderful
aOOO-Mile Inland Journey.
= COMMISSIONER TO CHINA.


rSeut. Commander J. 3. Merrill. tn
erscutiye officer OF the Baltimore ana =
~~mber Of the commission OF three an
,oiused last fall by President Cleveland 10
Investigate the Chinese riots which were
erected against American missionaries In
fh.uz at the close of the war between
nina and Japan. was in Seattle yesterday
- was seen by Post-InteIligencer re-
rsser last night at his rooms In the Raj
e<f-Grand. As the report Of the commits
xor was only recently completed at ShanR-
=. and the seal under which Il was for
~zrded to the department OF state at
Washsngton City has not yet been broken.
fkyt. Commander Merrill, who ia the first
aeuber OF the commission to touch Amer
frar soil. brings the first news OF the mar
,sloas inland journey OF 300 miles, which
tsok the commission through the heart of
cbsnz over route not trayersed since the
AIRS Of the celebrated bat somewhat apoc-
syrhai Marco Polo. so years ago.
an Americans VIII remember the trou-
Aiez 10 China which led to the appointment
n tbs commission. and the presence OF
psitlsh and American vessels In Chinese
waferx Thrown into n state OF turmoil
"A W.Id excitement by the war with ia
80. the Interior o. China presented to-
s.rd the latter part OF September. 1895,
: voIcan.c spectacle OF fury against all
Ssr,Jxpers. This feeling vented itself
sr.insf the missionaries at many of the In
Tan stations. not because they were mis-
s,ouaries, but because they werc foreign
- SONS Of the British missionaries were
riIsd. and the property OF the mission sta
.sacs including several occupied by Amer
,rzn missionaries. was torn to pieces by
A. Infatuated mobs. This state OF things
S,al,y led to the appointment OF two COM
s.sstons charged with making a thorough
srvssticatlon Of all the outrages. One OF
sh~n was . joint commission APP
syrssd BY the United States and
r.siand. the other an American commits
ssu' as Insisted upon by Secretary Olney.
= no Americans had been killed, the duty
= ths latter commission consisted mainly
4 reversing China by what is known az
4 Great North route. 30 as TO reach the
s.uots province Of Szechuan. where sew
n Of tho mob denominations against the
~duaon stations occupied by Americans had
aesrred
Makeup Of the Commission.
ne commission as at first appointed
escs.sted of s. p. Read. United States con-
II NJ Picking: r. d. Cheshire, secretary or
n, American legation at Picking. and
COMMANDER
psklng. But almost Immediately after the
noointment. Commander Barber was
tniea III, and Lieut.. Commander Merrill
vas appointed to take his place. Prior to
Lieut.. Commander Merriirs appointment
1hsr~ was considerable delay In getting
~ commission under way, and the public
vas a. that time impatient to know tho
esuse. As explained by Lieut.. Commander
Merrill last night. the reason was pre-
elssly that stated at the time in tho
washington City dispatches to the Post
yrteiligencer The delay arose from tho
ins,stence Of our state department upon
sending the commission overland instead
q up the Yangtse river. The Chinese
government was extremely unwilling to
have the journey made in this fashion.
while II had no objection 10 sending the
commission up the river In a steamboat.
A. thu American state department felt
that the passage Of the commission over
hind through the breadth OF China. ac-
eompanIed by formidable escort. would
have most salutary moral effect upon
~ Chinese. resembling as II would a
demonstration Of force. the point was In
sisted upon: and Lieut.. Commander Mer-
I'll Is convinced that a substantial advan-
ngs was thus gained. He says that the
position or the missionaries In the dis
uf1sd provinces Is now more secure than
hs ever been, and that the very pres
eaced the commission, piercing "a II did
ue vUy heart OF China. and visiting as
q 20 many OF the provincial capitals.
~ China at large a decidedly greater
Npet for the United States.
Plsisanter ms ~ Memory.
1caa't SAL that particularly coveted
- honor OF serving on the commission"
ea Lieut.. Commander Merrill. land
enuld have willingly relinuuishec II 10
&her hands. OF course II was fun of In
Wrestling experiences, and Is pleasant
enough 70 look back upon: but can as
are you that Il Is pleasanter, far as a
memory than II was as realization.
s1i, or course ala not demur. ! was at
Sheefoo with the Baltimore when the
care came from Secretary Olney. II was
on Sunday. BY the following Sunday I
rad gotten as far as Teintsin. where
n'ned the other members Of the eomrais-
sen. and We set out on our long journey
Without delay.
There were no other members of the
party. strictly speaking. but with all cur
Iorces mustered we made up regular
caravan, entirely too strong 10 be bothered
oy mountain handful OF straggling ma
randers Our main vehicle OF transpor.a-
uan was the sedan chair, and each OF the
,arve OF these required sixteen coolies.
our servants had six coolies each 20 took
after them. Tho Chinese government pro-
siied us with a cavalry escort OF twenty
nsr men. in addition to which most OF the
.scai magistrates Ia the provincial capitals
via as the honor 10 furnish temporary
escort from one city 10 another. All told
NE eavalcade numbered 200. and come
tines nearly 500 people.
The 3,ooo-MiIc Trip.
Wei left Tientsin October 6. and you may
roughly trace our Journey by drawing a
me through Pantungfu. Tsiyucn. Tung-
huan, where We crossed the Yellow river:
s'gAnfa. In Tho province OF Shensi. and
ahrnce on 20 our destination at Chentu. In
me province OF Szeehuan. where we spent
leafiy three weeks, On our return We
ssnie over an entirely different route. by
way OF ChungkinE. and thence following
w tue langtxe gogges til We reached
ssnang. the present head OF navigation.
aeFe We onrc more laid the tips 81 our
s''gers en- civilization. Thence down the
'aastze - shanghai our Journey became
=, voyage ana A comparatively easy one.
!, We reached Shanghai February l. having
80 on the road a trlae less than frur
uesshs, including stops. and having tr1v-
sied n all about s.eoo miles. While other
leftigners at various times have covered
PeFt'ons Of the same itinerary. think
- perfectly safe In saying thar no ore
We oas been over our entire line ~ travel
s.''oe the DAYS when Marco Polo told those
aage stories which have grown more
',edlele with the lapse Of time.
curing the entire trip We we're blessed
IN remarkably nRe weather. At times
~ere DELAYED by snow. but only twice
go. 80 We rsaiiy stopped. and then ny rain
..ostas which rendered the already poor
s ,,sss aN'ually tnnassable. You know the
,,a'sese newer repair anything whoa a
,lasr breaks down or IS washed away. q
imply stays down. TaeTe IS no organized
esesin ~ working the rSaGS. which Ia the
"sefiar are ili;le more than paths
Our progress was facilitated In every
ssy BY the Chinese officials. who sld ev