The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-03-18
GERMANS IN CHINA.
S;A, ora! -.NCEVELCPEl FIELDS 70
-NnMERCG.

sicn-Nlst Fields Of Mica Great Ep-
portuni,, For america to supply the
Chinese with Our bicycles.
United States Consul Fovltrof Ming
DO. China, under date ,f Dec. I, has
transmitted to the state dt lartnltLt a
letter from Il we'll informed source de-
scribins the region adjacent to halo
Chou bay. which was occupied by a
German SQUADRON Nov. II, 1897. The
writer says:
My opinion CT the matter is that
Germany is looking further than mere
-~eprisal or Indemnity. She may use this
IS the entering wedge which will open
Eiao Chou bay to commerce. AS TO the
undevcluped resources OF Shangtung,
whose use would be promoted by a port
at Ching Tao, | have much TO say.
First, however. let me state what con-
slider to be the possible promotion OF
the United States commerce by such a
move. Our chief imports into China to-
day are kerosene oil, clocks, watches,
canned goods, wheat, etc. Shangtung
has usually no demand for wheat,
canned goods and the like, but she has
al unlimited capacity for cheap watches
and clocks, and with a little adaptation
to her use and financial ability Cor in
ability she could absorb 1000, 600 or
1000, O00 bikes with ease.
Il am surprised that our bicycle
makers do not see their chance. \
,-lo,l ,,,lo WOW o,,l ol,oop xr;<Co,<
too many Injuries, such as pneumatic
tires and easy saddles, that could be
sold for $25 or $50. gold, would 60 like
wildfre over this province. A China.
man does not mind the discomfort Of a
hard saddle and solid tires. So also
might the importation Of cheap watches
t. increased indefinitely by proper
agencies at the coast. These two items
have not to do specially with Ching
Tao, except that all commodities of i'm
port would be c~heapened by the reduc-
ton of freight rates. and Ching Tao
would accomplish this.
"When we consider the Oil business,
the haul from the coast is of great i'm.
pOrtance. The great competitor in Shang-
tung in this line Of trade is not Rus
sian. but the native bean oil. The price
Of kerosene is largely regulated in the
interior by the current price of bean oil,
not ounce for ounce, however. for the
frugal Chinese has the question Of rela-
tive rate CT consumption down to a fine
point. When | raised the point that
their figures did not tally, the reply
vas, oh, but you forget that one oil
burns faster than another | had not
forgotten but had never bothered my
head about the relative burning rate.
Now, what had this to do with Ching
Tao: Much. BY reducing the overland
freight rates to the great distributing
centers Of foreign goods &c. e.. Wei
Hien, Chou Isun and points farther
south) we actually increase sales and
protits.'
The writer, continuing. points cut
many reasons why 1t is desirable that
Aiao Chou bay should be opened to
commerce in substantiation of his claim
chat Germany Is more interested in Sc
curing the products Of this section Of
for any one thing else.
Vast untouched beds Of sheet mica, -
the report says, "lie within 80 miles OF
Kiao Chou bay. The extent of these
mica deposits is as yet unknown, but SC
far as have investigated they promise
70 handsomely repay those who are for.
tunate enough TO obtain a franchise fol
working them. The rolling, sandy hill.
locks, under which the mica lies, art
but poor lands for cultivation, anc
hence their use for mining urposes de,
tracts nothing from the cereal produc
lng capacity CT the region. The mica
crops out at intervals over some 5(
square miles and in veins sometimes
ten feet thick. Of course much Of it il
dlScOlored by foreign minerals, blu,
what | have seen assures me that there
are vast quantities Of good commercial.
material.
Coal is being mined in a crude
way north CT Anhin city. 200 II FROM
Alao city. The vein is very thick
eight feet in places-and is a soft btu.
minous variety. 1t can hardly be called
Irst class. The mines near IchOwfoC
are more promising in quality. Copper
and iron exist i'll many places within
reach Of Ching Tao, but the quality
has not yet been tested OF a large scale.
The copper OF Ankin county (Hoien),
50 miles due west Of kiao Chou city, j,
rich and thought to be abundant. The
outcroppings reveal small pieces of al
most pure native metal.
~'Silver bearing lead galena is very
abundant in central S%hangtung. Marble
and other building stone exist in large
beds north OF Pingtu city and could be
easily handled at Ching Tao. Gold and
silver exist, but these metals do not
count much in commerce. Tobacco is
an important product Of central Shang-
tung, especially in this country (Wei
Iien). "-Washington Post.