Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-30
MODERN PROGRESS IN CHINA
Projects Calculated to Lift the Empire Out
of Antquity's Slough
ELECTRIC BATTERY UNDER THE THRONE
Commanding Influence and Enter
prise of shcnG Ta-Jen, the Man
ut thcB HcIm-Pcrsonnlity
and Progressive Plans.

new star Of the first magnitude is now
seen in the political skies of China. So vast
mas his power become, so perfect his net
work OF commanding influence in court and
commercial circles that he has already cast
the great Ii Hung-Chang into partial eclipse
rms formidable luminay is doubly interest
ing, says writer in Harpers Weekly. Not
only is his wonderful career full Of peculiar
and dramatic features, that never could be
duplicated outside of China, but he stands
today at the very forefront of China's march
to the goal of medern enterprise and devel-
opment.
This remarkable leader is Sheng Ts-Jen,
VINO Is better known in his own land as
Sheng Taotoi, because for many years he
held the position of Taotoi, or governor OF
customs, at the great city of Tien-stin. Curl
ously enough, too, the name of Sheng has
been closely linked during his whole career
with the name of Ii Hung-Chang, whom he
now menaces with his prestige. During the
Ial-plng rebellion. when LII Hung Chang
was governor of Soo-chow, and commanded
It's military forces, he was materially aided
In financial way by wealthy banker of
that city named Sheng Some time later,
when LII was advanced to the powerful post
OF Satrap of Tien-tsin, and became grand
secretary and premier of the empire, he
tor, and took the bankers son, now known
as Sheng Ta-Jen, under his protecting wing.
Ihe young man was quick. competent, am
bitious, not heavily handicapped with scru-
pies, and rose rapidly through the lower
grades of public life until, twelve years ago,
no captured the lucrative post of Taotoi of
the province of Chee-foo. All these positions
In China go to the highest bidder, and it is
generally understood that Ledy LII in this
emergency befrtended sheng by handsome
loan, which he soon repaid. No eooner was
he safely intrenChed as Taoto than he began
to extend his power at a rapid gait He
sent his deputies forth to relieve distress
during a famine, paying little attention to
the boundaries of his own section in his
practical bonevolenCe. He battered the sani-
tary conditions by clearing out streams that
paralleied the Yellow river and pursued
such general crusade on new lines that
rivals looked upon him with alarm and
hatred, the more so because the powerful Lii
ltung-Chang was known to be his hacker.
undismayed by enemies, the young reformer
extended his lines of power in commercial
directions. He bought a silk factory, rose to
the head of the Imperial Telegraph company
next to Ii himself and the death of Tong
K!ng-Sing placed him in the management
OF that influential lever the China Merchants
Steamship company Then he rose to the
san richer postHof customs Taotoi in Tien-
tsin, grew rapidly as the favored protege of
the great chancellor, and came into close re-
lations with the foreign affairs of the en-
pire. Foreign diplomats liked him, for Sheng
was always brilliant, adroit, obliging in man
ner, contrasting favorably with the dictato-
rial, brusque airs of his old superior.
UNDER AsTEMPORARY CLOUD.
1t was thought sheag had surely reached
8 tatal crisis in his career during the
calam4ous war with Japan. Power drifted
temporarily from the hands of Ii Hung
ChanG' and his close friends and allies were
regarded as doomed to go down in the
crash. But the enemy reckCned without
knowledge of Sheng's versatile power to
hedge' and feather his nest. Despite some
rather malodorous military specuations in
the matter of guns and ammunition which
the censors traced 10 Sheng's Office door. the
agile diplomat weathered the storm in
most mysterious way. His wonderful luck
remained riddle until it was learned that
no mad two powerful strings to his official
bow. While an ally of Ii Hung Chang, he
mad also worked into the good graces of LIS
formidable rival, Wing Tung-Ho. This august
parsonage was formerly tutor of the en-
peror. and is now the NEST powerful influence
at court. Weng and Sheng were natives of
the same city, Soo-chow, and to this con-
venient friendship Sheng owed his political
saiVatlon In those cloudy days. Finding it
extremely profitable to- make unto himself
friends Of the mammon' of Lis old adversa-
ries, Sheng proceeded next to carry favor
with another of Lis long-standing rivals the
great Viceroy Chang Chih-Tung, to whom
all tho development Of central China is
chiefly due. This granite fortress was can
tured by Sheng's adrot methods of approach
He seems by instinct to know the weak
points in every big Chinaman's armor. and
aims with a keen pair OF eyes.
1t so happened that Chang Chih-Tung had
a troublesome elephant on his vice regal
hands in the shape of some iron mines and a
foundry near Han-kow. He wanted to un-
load, and here was the seam in his armor
The oIportune moment for Sheng to play his
cards at that game arrived while Ii Huur
Chang was on his pleasure junket around the
globe. He went to Chang and magnanimously
offered to buy the iron elephant at a fat
sum and the only slight favor he had TO ask
by way of return was that Chang would
recommend him to the director general of
all the railroads of China included In the new
schemes of development. Sheng was artistic
ally diplomatic in accepting Chang's well
known views about railroad building, such as
exclusive Chinese shares and no foreign money
except by way of leans. The contract was
made. With the warm support of the i'm
per!al tutor and the powerful patronage M
the influential vlcroy, Sheug lost no time in
besieging tho court at Peking. He went he
saw he conquered. Obstacles melted away
before the magic of his combination of
Diplomacy and cash. He captured the dl-
rector generalship prize, was advanced to a
position where he can memorabilia the throne
direct, secured sanction for starting an i'm
Dera bank and obtained the fullest author
ity to raise fuods for the great railroad plans,
chiefly from Chinese.
A CHINESE TALLEYRAND
Sheng Ta-Jen therefore. now firmly In
trenched in power, in the prime of life about
so years old, rich, keen, fercely ambitious
and a Talleyrand in his methods, is the en-
bodiment of China's progressive policy Ah-
soutely in control OF the empires telegraph
and steamship lines he now becomes autocrat
of its railroad destiny as well He confrcnts
the problem of railway construction under
conditions that would dishearten any man of
less herculean nerve and self-assurance. He
was obliged to erouise the emperor that he
would build the Han -lcow road with Chinese
money and Chinese labor, provided the gov
ernment would adyGnee 10000 900 taels In
order to Understand this peculiar Chinese
puzzle it will be necessary to first take a
brief glance at the railroad program and then
mention the unique conditions under which
Sheng has this ihlreele to perform
The first railway China ever saw was a
short one of eighteen miles from Shanghai
to the port of Woospng. 1t was the work of
Englishmen, whoigof tired of lighterlng their
oar IN had ho