Arizona republican., 1899-05-12
The Development of a Quarter
 of a Century.
PRESENT AND PROSPECTIVE
PlanS for inc GridirOniRa of inc FIOwerV Kingdom In Which inc Whole World Is interested. American Capital and Enterprise are Beginning to Cut an lmporf- ant Figure.

Washington, May 11.-(Special)- Railways present and prospective in China form an interesting chapter in the publication just issued by the treasury bureau of statistics, enitled Commercial China in 1S99." With 6,000 miles of waterways now open to navigation by steam vessels of all na- tions. with 5000 miles of telegraph now in daily use, with over 300 miles of railway in operation, and over 5000 miles projected, the details of the proposed network of rail- way lines to connect the great waterways and cities of this densely populated empire are Interesting. The statement is as follows
 "China's first railroad was opened in 1876 between Shanghai the New York of China, and Wusung, IA miles distant, lying more directly upon the sea coast on an estuary of the Yangtze, with which Shanghai is con neeted by the Wusing river. Its ex- istence, however, was very brief, for native prejudice and superstition were so strong that the local authori- tics bought up the line, which had been constructed by British enter prise, tore up the rails, and abandoned 1t. Five years later, an English en- gineer, who had been placed in charge of some coal mines near Tient- sin, found in existence tramway over which coal was transported on cars pushed by Chinese workmen, and gradually extending 1t north and south. finally placed a steam engine upon it for use in transporting coal. and Chinese prejudice after finding that the use of the engine did not bring the disaster anticipated. gave way and the roadway developed into one for general traffic, and extended little by little until il reached Tient- sin at the south and the treaty port of an-hai-kwan on the north. and proving successful and popular, was further extended from Tientsin to within a short distance of Pekin, with which it was connected by an cleo
 
 so popular that it soon became nee essary to enlarge it's facilities, it's patronage being gathered from native as well as foreign interests and in-/ dividuals. From Pekin it has been extended southwestwardly to Paoting, and thence is expected to penetrate the important coal and iron regions lying within easy reach.
 This comparatively short system of $50 miles, connecting the capital of the empire with two of the important treaty ports on the coasts and with Paoting, the capital of the province in the interior, is the germ from which has sprung prospective railway system of more than ten times it's present length.
 ALL INTERESTED.
 In this prospective railway enter prise all the great nations, or at least of all the great na- tons, are interested. Starting from the extreme northeasterly of China, is projected Russian line to connect with the great Russian trans-Siberian railway. now nearing completion, and which will bring its great traffic to the ice free ports of Port Arthur and Talien- wan on the Gulf of Pechili. To this Russian line the Chinese has already given as- sent and work upon it is in pro- gress, the men and property utilized in it's construction being guarded by Russian troops, thus bringing into northern China a Russian influence and military force which have led the map-makers and students of the great affairs of nations to already shade. justly or unjustly, that DOT ton of the map of China as Rus sian sphere of influence" This Rus sian line passes near to the impor- .ant treaty port of Newchwang, where American and British commerce. is already we'll established, and in order to minimize the danger to this com nerce by the proximity of the Rus sian interests, British capital has ar ranged for the construction of a road from Shan-hai-kwan, already touched oy a completed line from Pekin to to Newchwang, thus giving ! ready railway communication with he capital, the great port of Tientsin. md thence toward the Yangtze valley. where the British have arranged with China that there shall be at least no in favor of any other government, and which valley is thus