The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10

than his fellow governors in his methods
OF using his exalted poAition to feather his
own nest: and having longer head than
most y.ceroys and q very keen eye for
the main chance ~ ID supposed to have
accumulated much larger fortune than
any other viccroy.
One way In which Ii for many years
made an enormous s,iIn Of money was to
use thousands Of soldiers In his own pri-
vate enterprises without paying them a
cent for their labor. In the course OF time
he purchased extensive estates in the RICE
growing regions and raised more bushels
OF rice every year than the bonanza farm
ers OF North Dakota used to raise Of
wheat. He got his labor Tor nothing, and
his great crop Of rice was almost clear
profit. He simply turned his soldiers loose
In the rice fields. and they had to be con-
tent with the rations and the miserable
pittance paid TO them by the government.
The great man also became his own con-
tractor for army supplies. He would sell
his own rice to the government for army
rations at an enormous profit, and pocket
ed handsome rake-cff on all other sup
plies furnished to the tens OF thousands of
soldiers In the Pechili province. Then he
was chief supreme OF the custom houses
for long distance around the Gulf or
Pechili. and there Was nothing mean about
the stream Of COLA that poured Into HE
strong box through this channel. 1t has
long been notorious that one OF the meth
DDS he employed was to import large guam
titles OF goods through his agents without
the payment Of q cent OF duty and then
sell the goods at round figure to his
countrymen. This method OF money max
ing finally involved the old gentleman in
trouble. Charges were made against him
and he came near losing his official head !;
but his power was 20 great and his real
services to the state were 20 valuable that
he was almost invulnerabls In spite Of the
many enemies who have always been
ready to accuse him.
There was once q viceroy named Tsei-
Kwo-Fan who WIS said to have hied with
out leaving single enemy behind him,
for, according to his gatirical countrymen,
he had killed them all while he was alive
Early In his political career Ii Hung
Chang Ii said to have found this Illus
trious example. but for many years he
has been too powerful to think 1t worth
while to pay the slightest attention to his
rivals and opponents. except those who
were so powerful themselves that ne could
not with impunity infiict personal ven-
geance upon them.
One OF the greatest sources OF money
getting employed by Ia Hung Chang dur
Ing the later years Of his career as vice.
roy was as money-lender. There IL
Htte uoupt tnAt ne was the king or
pawnbrokers the world over. His loan
offices were scattered far and wide over
his province, and he loaned great sums
OF money on mortgages and on pledges
of personal property. In a country
where no legal rate OF interest Is fixed
this business has brought enormous re-
turns to Ii Hung Chang.
No wonder that the old statesman could
not understand the character Of such a
man as Chinese" Gordon, who refused
to accept the $780, 900 which Ii offered him
as reward for his services in the sup
preston of the Tapping rebellion. In
his ably prepared official reports on the
events Of this war, Ii represents himself,
at Gordon's expense, as the savior of the
throne. and as having secured peace in
the empire: but, on the other hand he
would gladly have bestowed substantial
rewards on the leader to whose military
genius he was indebted for his success.
Gordon was chagrined by LIS failure to
recognize his invaluable aid in the re-
ports he sent to Picking, and his wrath
was only aggravated by the offer Of
money The British soldier left the
country In high dudgeon, but when he
visited China fifteen years later he had
forgotten his bitterness OF feeling and
met his old comrade with cordially and
warmth.--New York Sun.