The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-16
ROUTE OF NEW CHINESE RAILWAY.

pany behing the scheme includes
some Of the great names in American
financial circles. The prestige of these
names was almost great enough to
impress the government officials of
any country, but the Chinese authori-
ties consented to the granting of the
franchise only after much persuasion
and circumlocution. The story of how
the franchise was obtained is highly
interesting.
WHY THE FIRST PLAN FAILED.
Twenty years ago American capital
lists tried to secure a railroad fran
chise in China and for a time the. work
of protection vent on, as it seemed
successfully, because the true nature
Of the project was not thoroughly
brought home to the government and
people of China. But when the real
meaning of it burst upon them, the
storm of opposition was so great and
violent that the scheme perforce was
dropped. This opposition, however,
was not occasioned by any inherent
objection to progress on the part of
the Chinese. AS they looked upon it,
1T would violently interfere with their
religious customs. The worship of an
cestors which prevails in China in
cludes a very laudable reverence for
the remains of the departed. To desc
crate a grave not only means torment
1T brings condign punishment on the
living person who commits the depre-
dation. or who permits it TO take place.
If was though that a railroad would
destroy several graveyards; hence the
opposition. Therefore, the scheme was
laid by for years
Some time after this first attempt to
Introduce a railroad in China, there
occurred an anti-Chinese riot on our
nTvn Pacific coast. A number of Celes-
tails were killed and others We're
wounded. A. w. Bash, collector of
customs in Seattle befriended the
families of the dead Cinnamon and
enppested that they sue the United
states government, offering to lay the
matter before the proper officials in
washington. He did so and succeeded
finally in securing a general indemnity
Of 500, OO0 Bash made nothing out of
Us part in the affair financially, but
he became persona grata in Chinese
circles. and was made the recipient of
many marks of consideration. He
rested on his laurels a few years. Then
the thought occurred to him: why
not use this influence to secure a
chinese railroad concession" He went
to New York and interviewed leading
men on the subject. He met Colonel
James McNaught of railroad fame,
and. with his help raised a syndicate |
composed of 20 stockholders, each of |
whom contributed $1,000 TO make a sur /
vev in China John ". Foster was |
retained as legal adviser. Ex-senator
Washburn of Minnesota and Clarence |
Cary accompanied the surveying party /
to China This surveying party actu- |
ally covered one thousand miles of |
territory. But the scheme, after ali, |
was voted a failure, and Senator Wash |
burn, accompanied by the others, re-
turned in disgust, virtually agreeing |
that the project was .mpracticable. |
The scheme was shelved, but it had |
che good result which bears directly |
upon the enterprise of today The |
leader of the surveying party was one |
Captain Rich, well known in Ameri- |
can engineering circles. The great |
capabilities of Captain Rich appealed |
to Sheng, or, as he is known today, |
Sheng Ia Jen, the latter parts Of the |
name meaning Great Man"
WON FAVOR OF SHENG Ia JEN
Sheng is a parsonage of great power
at Pekin. With Ming he divides the |
patronage of the empire, as far as
railroads are concerned. The emperor |
portioned off the prospective railroad |
system OF China into two great divis
ions-the north and the south. The
northern half he placed in charge of
Mug; che southern half he placed un- ;