Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-23
THE WHEELBARROW.
USED EXTENSIVELY IN CHINA AS A
MEANS OF TRANSPORT.

USED EXTENSIVELY IN CHINA AS A
MEANS OF TRANSPORT.
They Each Garry Six Passengers or coo
Pounds of observation-disclosures and
Regulated-Hard on the Streets-How
They Diner From Our wheelbarrows.
The wbeelbarrow 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 on the types used in west
erl countries, for it is 20 constructed
that the load, which sometimes is very
great in bulk and weight, is carried
ovef the wheel, and not between it and
the man Who pfepels it. The high cost
of timber and 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 cost of about 16 shillings.
Its weight is 100 pounds; extreme
length, 6 feet 6 inches (including shafts);
extreme breadth, 8 feet inches. and
height, 8 feet 6 inches. The wheel is 8
feet in diameter and has an iron tire
n inches wide by quarter inch thick
70 aid in steadying and propelling
the vehicle the wheelbaYrow man wears
strap across his shoulders. which is
attached to the shafts Oh each side.
Boxes, balesof goods, OR whatever the
loads may consist of, are secured to the
wheelbarrow by ropes. The charge for
carrying an average load is about Is.
3D. 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 214d. 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
a rope loop, which serves as foot rest.
Thus a native is wheeled for miles over
the. rough roads of the country, with
severe jolting, accompanied by pecul-
lar squeak of the axle III the case of most
barrows Immediately behint- lie wheel
barrow, between the shafts, there is a
long, Oblong shaped basket, in which
the wheelbarrow man lleeps his few be-
longings. On the Great plain wheelbar-
rows are occasionally seen with sail
set, when fair wind proves great help
to the trundling Of the barrow over a
level way.
Since the institution of cotton mills
at Shanghai (fereign settlements) the
wheelbarrow has been extensively used
as passenger vehicle, especially for car
rying workwomen to and from the
mills. One man can wheel six women
for distance of about three miles,
morning and evening, the charge being
Is. Sd. per month. The average earn
ings of a wheelbarrow man are about
SID. per day. About 4, 900 licenses are
issued monthly to the same number Of
wheelbrrows plying for hire in the
streets Of the foreign settlements at
Shanghai, where, being under the mu-
nicipal regulations. they are perhaps
the best in China. The fee for a license
is IL I'D. q month, and no wheelbarrow
is allowed, according to the regulations
to carry more than 81 chests of tea or
SO boxes of kerosene oil or 2O1s boxes
Of soap go pounds each) or 10 boxes of
soap (52 pounds each) or 2 bales of
American piece goods. The width of
the packages must not exceed four feet
&c fur 10 30 ~
barrow-and no wlleelbarrow 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 so wheelbarrows NAV
be seen travelling one behind the other,
each carrying two barrels of English
portland cement and pushed BY one
man. Very frequently, however, a load
! is carried on one side of the barrow on
ly, SO that the edge of the IL inch tire
cuts. into the macadam 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 a three quarter inch
ring and rolled in the usual manner is
the only kind Of macadam roadway
that Will stand this severe traffic. It is
extraordinary to see a Chinaman skill
fully balancing and propelling heavy
Load ON one side of barrow, and, con.
sideringp that there are about 1000 Of
these vehicles travelling through the
streets of the settlements, in addition to
large traffic of other kinds, the upsets
and accidents are remarkably few
Iron Age.