The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-30
THE CHINESE TELEGRAPHS
Wide Ramifications Of the Lines in
the Celestial Empire.
Under Government Control - Early
Opposition Overcome--EngIf sh the
Language of Telegraphy-How Ma
tive Messages Are Sent-Training
schools for Operators Established.

| NEW YORK, July 29.-In view OF the
great interest now taken in news from
| China and in the methods OF its dissemina-
| ton from various points there, enquiry has
| been made in regard to the system of
teIegraphic communication in the Celestial
Empire. In answer to questions on behalf
of reporter. William Barclay Parsons.
Chief Engineer of the Rapid Transit Com
mission, who was in China in 1898 and 1899,
(! gave the following account OF the existing
conditions in that respect:
THE telegraph system in China is pure
| ly a Government affair. 1t is called the
| Chinese Imperial Telegraphs and is under
| the management of a Government officer.
| styled the director general Of telegraphs.
The system now Families pretty much all
over the Empire, reaching nearly all the
| principal cities, in the interior as well as
on the coast. The telegraph lines extend
| even to parts Of the Empire where for
eisners are practically unknown. In my
travels there had telegraph line near
| me nearly all the time. 1 even sent a
\ telegram from Chang-Sha, the capital of
| the province OF Human, in which, up to
that time. the presence of foreigners had
Telegraph lines in China are well con-
structed on wooden poles, with glass in
sulators. similar to those used in the
/ United States. In some parts of the in
terror, when the lines were first estab-
lished. they were bitterly opposed by the
inhabitants as foreign innovation and
the poles were cut down A few heads
We're cut off, however. and open antag-
onism to this form OF Government work
was thereby soon made unpopular
THE curious part of the Chinese tele-
graph system is the fact that even in the
interior where there are no foreigners. all
the telegraph blanks are printed in Eng
/ Hsh. The Chinese language being lido
graphic. having character for each word
1t is impossible to transmit it by the
ordinary Morse signals. 1t is, therefore
necessary to telegraph either in a foreign
| language or by using Arabic numerals.
BY the latter method Chinese dictionary
is taken, and number given to each word
at all likely to be used in a telegraph
despatch. The telegram is written out in
Chinese and telegraphed in numbers. and
then, at the receiving end. is translated
b5ck into Chinese. English was chosen
Is the other medium CT communication be-
cause that is the commercial language of
the Orient as French has been that OF
diplomacy or as Latin was the common
language of learned men in the middle
ages.
In order to become a telegraph opera
tor Chinaman must learn not only tele-
graphy, but English. In Shanghai, ITEM
tsin. Canton. and other large cities, schools
have been established where both English
and telegraphy are taught. In all the
towns I visited 1 found operators who
spoke English. and they usually did SO
airfz tnn In,
teIegrapher is the only man in his town
who has any knowledge of English, and
when foreigners arrive he is called upon
to act as interpreter between them and
the local officials. Throughout my exper-
ience in the Empire all my telegraphic
messages ere sent and received without
single mistake. This is the more note
worthy from the fact that used cipher
coce. The building and extending of teie-
graph lines were still going On when l was
in China.
The ocean cables. which run TO several
CHINESE ports. are all under foreign con-
troll. On the Government land telegraphs
the charges are very high. Each word is
charged for, including the address and
signature. on scale according to dis
lance. the expense of the construction OF
the line, etc. 1t is probable that in the
earlier days of Chinese teiegraphy some
as operators. bat now, so far as / know
all the operators are Cinnamon. the native
schools furnishing enough to supply the
demand 1t is likely that in the higher
ranks OF the service there are some cleo
trical experts who are American or Ems
lish. but even these may have now been
dispensed with All the operators use the
oid-fashioIed recording instrument, with
notation on paper, although some OF them
may have become skilled enough to read
the signals by SQUAD.
'Sheng, the director general OF tele-
graphs at Shanghai, is man with whom 1
became well acquainted. His name is pro-
nounced as if>it were spelled 'Shurg' He
is a very bright, Intelligent Chinaman, OF
decided ability, indeed, and is the possezsor
Of considerable wealth. He is a man who
is able to retain his official position under
all administrations. For a number OF years
be has been the head of the telegraph sys-
TEN, and he mas also been the director gen.
eral OF railroads since 1895, when the pace
was created He does not speak English, |
but every other man in his Office does. His
administrative offices occupy an entire
building, in which English is the COMMON
language most of the men there native
Cinnamon, having been educated in the
United States. They use American type
writer's. Besides holding his Government
positions. Sheng is the head of the China
Merchants Steamship Company, a private
corporation. whose vessels go all alocg the
east and up the rivers. At the outbreak
OF the recent hostilities he put all these
steamers under foreign flags. He is about
fifty-sM years old. and is q mandarin of
the extra first-c,ass. or highest rank
which entities him to the exalted distinc- |
ticn Of wearing the carved red button"