The morning times., 1896-07-12
The Chinese High FunctiOnary Who Comes Here
Next Month Goes Through the World Laughing

Chang that our railroads were built by
individuals. ''Tney get permission from
the government, and are allowed to char rye
a certain amount per mile for carrying
people,
Then IL enough people travel the builder
is bound 10 get rich, is lie not?'' said Ii,
laughing.
That idea dwelt with him; and looking
out over a Poppy field a day later, he
said to himself: Ten thousand per.
sons working on that field. Poppy rails
ing will soon be stopped in China to stamp
out opium. What will all those people do?
They will take tie railroad 10 the next
town. What railroad: Why, the railfoad
which l shall build
what Will they do there?' asked the lis
tener. TOO Interested 10 conceal his cur:os-
ity. How Will they support themselves
there"
by working in the factory
What faotory?''
1.-The factory which l shall build. We
need a factory for turning out the vases
which you Americans want in such qua:i-
tity. Now we can only half supply you"
In conducting this conversation Ii Hung
Chang spoke in a mixture of Chinese and
English. He under stands English per-
fectly, and could speak it If lie would.
But he is abSurdly proud of being Il pure
blood Chinan!an. There are few China
men in China. The blood of the emperor
is half Tartar but Ii is the real article.
His skin is Il pure golden color, and his
eyes slant in the true Chinese way. He
is very handsome man with his shaven
skull He stands feet inches in those
wooden shoes of lis aud his frame is the
frame of man who weighs 200 without
feeling his flesh
How can | act like Westerner?' he
asks, WHEN my ancestors have 50 richly
able tributes?'
In the past few years Ii Hung Chang has
built u hundred factories in China. He
has put silk looms there. that Chinese
silk, which used TO he dear, has become
mex pensive. and he has employed artists
who can work by stencil as well as 10y
brush. so that Chinese decoration has
been reduced to a mere song.
The candlestick which cost Ii Hung
Chang 0 cents To make. ana 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
China. If he can get good American dol
lars for himself and his industries lie Will
not refuse them. But the Americans are
learning tie cost of things. and Ii Will
find his reign Of immense profits must
change to one OF fair profit only.
MAKING CYCLES.
1t is said that LIS last and greatest
investment s the making II
bicycles. Rmmor has it that hundred
thousand bicycles made in Japan VIII
shortly arrive here. They were made on
the granted land OF Ii Hung Chang. Ii is
untaxed property. and lie pays no rental
for his buildings. which We're put up by
granted servants at no expense. The md-
teria in the bicycles cost song and the
labor even less. for Chinese workmen Will
ingly work for i iurDip day and u dinner
OF rice. Those machines, says this rurnor,
can be sold here for S13 apiece, such as
they are. That is the way the Ii Hung
fortune was made.
The personal characteristics or TINS
statesman are great good huiucr. He is
always good -Iatured, always laughing.
1t is wo years TO day since the emperor
took away that yellow riding Jacket and
deprived him of the priced peacock feather,
and for six months Ii had to appear pub
lie and direct the army without these dec
orations His soldiers hardly knew him
His title of prince, bestowed upon him a
few years ago. was threatened. and he was
to be deprived OF the guardianship Of the
crown prince. But through all the old
Chinaman was unmovei. He knew that his
was necessary u the emperor, and