The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-12

ing through the income taxes Of the world
discovered that Ii Hung Chang was one
OF the six richest men on the globe. \
dozen years ago Gen. Grant. travelling
through China. as Ii Hung Chang's guest,
announced him the happiest man ne had
ever known. Thus in history the great
Chinaman viii stand forth conspicuous for
two widely diverse things. great wealth
and great happinessi He is the happiest
rich man in the world!
This wealth, which, in time OF peace,
is the first thing you hear OF the emf
nent Oriental statesman and warrior, was
gathered by him in a most American way.
He founded new institutions and reaped
the benefit OF them while benehting his
countrymen. Where he scattered Occupa-
ton among 10000. the $4,000 were work
ing to amass wealth for him.
China. when Ii Hung Chang rose from
the masses and attended a college, was
an unprogressive country. 1t had neither
railroads. telephones nor hospitals. Now it
has all three, most of them owned by Ii
Hung Chang.
In China the fact that a man can repeat
the 1000 verses and can recite history
admits him to any station Of preferment.
All the emperor's court would be drawn
from such men If there We're enough of
them to supply the demand. In the sixties,
when China had its embroglio, Ii fought
and was speedily raised from one rank to
another. When the war ended he was Civ
en- a white button and a black feather.
Thirty years later he got his yellow jacket
and his two-eyed peacock feather. That is
the greatest example of quick rise in Chi
nese history. 1t is always done by illus
trious ancestors. Ii is from the common
people.
When Ii Hung Chang comes TO this
country in a few days he steps foot upon
a soil which 1t has been his long wish to
visit. When he first knew America he was
poor man, and this country enriched him.
He says America is the only country that
can give anything to China" He admires
our commerce, loves our factories, listens
with open mouth and ears to our institu-
tions and absolutely worships our army
victory to US. Had 1t not been for the
American education of its japanese colo
nels, Japan could never have taken foot
of territory from China.
The special problem which Il Hung
Chang comes to America TO study Is what
TO do with the surplus population of Chi
ma. He knows we have great industries
here and he wants TO see how we manage
them. He and Grant agreed, on Grants
visit to China, that China would soon have
to provide means of support for its peo-
pie TO prevent those awful annual famines
and Ii thinks he will find out here how it
is done.
About the admission Of the Chinese into
the United States he is enthusiastic. He
wants the Chinese TO come here. "Our
problem is oYercroWdtng, says ne, You
have room to spare. Would that a thou
sand might come where one now finds his
way here. Just so much less to starve in
crowded China!
Our railroad system he is going to know
all about. During the war year ago an
American correspondent told Ii Hung
Chang that our railroads were built by in
dividuals. ''They get permission from the
government, and are allowed to charge a
certain amount per mile for carrying peo-
pie"
Then if enough people travel the build
er is bound to get rich is he not?" said L.
That idea dwelt with him; and looking
out over a poppy field day later, he said
TO himself: Ten thousand people work
ing on that field. Poppy raising will soon
be stopped in China to stamp out opium.
What will all those people do? They will
take the railroad to the next town. What
railroad? Why the railroad which shall
build"
What will they do there?'' asked the
listener, too interested to conceal his Gu
riosity. How Will they support them
selves there?"
BY working in the factory"
What factory"
THE factory which I shall build. We
need factory for turning out the vases
which you Americans want in such guam
tity. Now we can only half supply YOU"
In conducting this conversation Ii Hung
Change spoke in a mixture of Chinese and
English. He understands English perfect
ly, and could speak it il he would. But he
is absurdly proud of being a pure-blood
Chinaman. There are few Cinnamon in
China. The blood of the emperor is half
Tartar, but Ii is the real article. His skin
Is pure golden color, and his eyes slant
in the true Chinese way. He is a very
handsome man, with his shaVen skull. He
stands feet in those wooden shoes of
his, and his frame is the frame of a man
who weighs 200 without feeling his flesh.
How can 1 act like a westerner?' he
asks, when my ancestors have so richly
endowed me with the ancient and honora-
Bile attributes?"
In the past few years Ii Hung Chang
has built hundred factories in China. He
has put silk looms there, so that Chinese
silk, which used to be dear, has become
inexpensive. and he has employed artists
who can work by stencil as well as by
brush, so that Chinese decoration has been
reduced to a mere song.
The candleStick which cost Ii Hung
Chang nine cents to make, and which sold
TO an importer for 50, is declared no idle
story. This takes place every day. Ii likes
the United States, but he also likes Chi
ma. If he can get good American dollars
for himself and his industries he will not
refuse them. But the Americans are learn
ing the cost of things and Ii will find his
reign OF immense pfOutS must change to
one of fair profit only
1t is said that Lis last and greatest mer-
camille investment is the making of bicy-
cles. Rumor has it that a hundred thou
sand bicycles made in Japan will shortly
arrive here. They were made on the grant
ed land of Ii Hung Chang. 1t is untaxed
property, and he pays no rental for his
buildings, which were put up by granted
servants a no expense. The material in
the bicycles cost a song and the labor even
less, for Chinese wOrkmen willingly work
for a turnip a day and a dinner of rice
Those machines, says this rumor, can be
sold here for $l3 apiece, such as they are
That is the way the Ii Hung fortune was
made.
The personal characteristics of this
statesmen are great good-humor He is
always good-natured. always laughing II
is two years to day since the emperor
took away that yellow riding Jacket and
deprived him of the priced peacock featb-
er, and for six months Ii had to appear in
public and direct the army without these
decorations His soldiers hardly knew him
His title of Prince, bestowed upon him
few years ago, was threatened. and ne v-as
to be deprived of the guardianship of the
crown prince. But through il all tho ola
Chinaman was unmOyed He knew tba+ b,r