The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-14
THE WHEELBARROW.
UsED EXTENSIVELY m CHINA As A
\ MEANS or TRANSPORT.

Thsy Each Garry Six Passengers or 900
:. Pounds of Merchandise Licensed and
l ,Regulated--Hsrd ON tho streets--How
They Differ From Our whesIbsrrows.
The wheelbarrow affords one OF the
chief means Of travel and transport In
China, especially In the northern part
of the empire and throughout the Great
plain. The Chinese form Is decided
Improvement OH the types used In west
ern countries, for It Is 10 constructed
that the load, which sometimes Is very
great in bulk and weight, Is carried
over the wheel, and not between IL and
the man who propels 1t. The high cost
of timber aud the bad roads through
out the country necessitate the wheel
barrows being both rude and strong,
with axles and wheels able to bear the
strains which they experience. The
wheelbarrow Is generally constructed
of oak, at a cost Of about 10 shillings.
It's weight is 100 pounds; extreme
length, O feet inches (including shafts) !;
extreme breadth, 3 feet 3 inches, and
height, 8 feet inchea The wheel is 3
feet in diameter and has an iron tire
II inches wide by quarter inch thick.
To aid in steadying and propelling
the vehicle the wheelbarrow man wears
q strap across his shoulders, which Is
attached to the shafts on each side.
Boxes, bales of goods, or whatever the
loads may consist of, are secured to the
wheelbarrow by ropes. The charge for
carrying an average load is about 1s.
6d. per mile, but varies according TO
the load and the state Of the road to be
travelled over. The wheelbarrow has
seating accommodation for four people,
two on each side, and the fare for four
people is AID. per mile.
Passenger fares are lower than those
for merchandise ON account Of the avoid
ance of labor in loading and unloading.
A cushioned seat Is provided for the
passenger, who generally sits with one
leg resting ON the front Of the barrow
and the other hanging over the side in
q rope loop, which serves as foot rest.
Thus native is wheeled for miles over
Hhe rough roads Of the country, with
severe jolting, accompanied by a pecul-
lar squeak Of the axle In the case Of most
barrows. Immediately behind the wheel
barrow, between the shafts, there Is q
long. oblong shaped basket in which
the wheelbarrow man keeps his few be-
iopgings. On the Great plain wheelbar-
rows are occasionally seen with sail
lset, when q fair wind proves great help
TO the trundling Of the barrow over a
level way.
Since the institution Of cotton mills
at Shanghai (foreign settlemepts) the
wheelbarrow has been extensively used
ias passenger vehicle, especially for oar
xying workwomen to and from the
mills. One man can wheel six women
hor q distance Of about three miles.
morning and evening, tho charge being
la I'd. per month. The average earn
hngs of q wheelbarrow man arc about
.6Xd. per day. About 4, 900 licenses are
issued monthly to the same number Of
wheelbarrows plying for hire in the
streets Of the foreign settlements at
Shanghai, where, being under the mu-
nicipal regulations, they are perhaps
fthe best in China. The fec for license
hs 11Hd. a month, and no wheelbarrow
lis allowed, according to the regulations,
Ito carry more than 6X chests Of tea OF
8K boxes of kerosene oil or 20H boxes
of soap go pounds each) or 10 boxes OF
soap (52 pounds each) or Q bales of
American piece goods. The width of
the packages must not exceed four feet
that is, two feet ON each side Of the
barrow-and no wheelbarrow is allowed
under any circumstances to carry more
than 600 pounds Of dead weight.
These regulations are, however, not
strictly adhered to. Sometimes in the
streets Of the foreign settlements at
Shanghai about 80 wheelbarrows may
be seen travelling one behind the other,
leach carrying two barrels CT English
portland cement and pushed by one
man. Very frequently, however, load
IS carried on one side of the barrow on
ly, 80 that the edge of the ID inch tire
outs into the maoadam roadway like a
knife. The bales sometimes project
three feet ON each side, the man push
ing the barrow being almost invisible
from the front The municipal roads
are chiefly Of macadam, and the dam
age they sustain from this traffic is
very great. 1t has been found, after re-
peated experiments, that granite broken
to pass through three-quarter inch
ring and rolled in tho usual manner is
the only kind of macadam roadway
that will stand this severe traffic. 1t is
extraordinary to sec Chinaman skill.
fully balancing and propelling heavy
load on one side Of barrow, and, con.
sidering that there are about 1000 Of
these vehicles travelling through the
streets Of the settlements, in addition to
q large traffic of other kinds, the upsets
and accidents are remarkably few
Iron Age.