Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-09-10
Ii AND ELECTRICITY
aS FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE
AMERICAN ARTICLE.
"e touches "A Switchboard with n
ihS stick I'm the Power
mouse of the Niagara Power Com.
Pany, and the Stick Is Threw
violently From His Graxn-LA
scared but Not Injured.

Niagara Falls. n. Y, Sept. S.-The
special train bearing LII Hung Chang
n his party arrived here TODAY.
ram was falling mt the time and the
visitors dampened their silk blouses
and gold lace somewhat in the Journey
20 the Cataract house. where rooms
had been engaged.
immediately upon arriving here Ii
sat Tor a dentist and hau his teeth ex-
ahmed. The rain was a great disaD-
continent. There was no cessation in
the uoWnpour for several hours, when
hhaiiy the sun struggled through the
clouds. Carriages We're quickly sum
nloned and the visitors spent two
hours III inspecting the wonders of
Niagara.
AT the electric power house of the
Niagara Falls Power company the dis
tlngulshed visitor had his first expert
ehce with American electricity. the re-
SUIT being as startling as it was ex-
pccted. With his usual curiosity and
leslfe 10 make a personal investigation
OF the machinery before him, he poked
at the switchboard with his walking
STICK. The metal ferrule closed n cir
ut instantly and Lis stick was vio-
lently thrown from his grasp. He was
naturally much astonished " the effect
Of the sticks contact with ,up switch
board, and, fortunately. he suffered no
damage beyond a good scare.
Last night Iii and his party passed
their first night in an American sleep
ing car. Before this novelty they en-
Joyed dinner in n dining car. This
meal, which was especially prepared
by the Pennsylvania railroad dining
car people. was quite elaborate. The
menu card was decorated with the
American and Chinese flags inter
twined, and a fac-simile of the auto
graph of Earl Iii done in yellow.
Talks About the War.
Ate: eating a rather hearty neal Ii
cent for George W. Boyd. assistant
general passenger agent of the Penn
sylvania Railroad company, who pilot
ed the train over the lines of his com
pany. and spent about two hours ques-
tioning him about railroads. He had
a map Of the United States before him
and he branched off TO the War OF the
Rebellion asking the names of the
states that seeded from the Union.
Ii asked particularly aboEt the battles
in which Grant participated, and all
Of them were indicated on the map for
his benefit. he dwelt long on this sub
icct, and maryIed that although the
southern forces succeeded in approach
ing quite close to Washington. they
were not able To capture that im-
portant point. The story of the as
Sassination of Lincoln also Interested
him greatly. He inquired what be-
came of Booth and where Lincoln was
buried. The deep interest he shows in
railroad matters conyInces those who
paid attention to the subject that his
principal object in visiting this coun-
try is to study American railway con-
struction and management, with a
view 10 the adoption of some of the
features in a proposed general extern
sion of the Chinese railway system. In
fact. the viceroy intimated to-day that
he is negotiating for the service of an
American civil engineer. who. If he
accepts the offer made him. will 60 to
China in the near future ana take
charge OF the railway extension
scheme ncw being outlined. Ii SAYS
there are only about 200 miles of single
track railroad in China at present.
Only three trains are run each day,
and there is no traffic at night.