The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-10-23

nouis ny
@ - q er!" Whew!
- 49, : --J Pigtails would
be flying too. Travel at the rate of a
few miles an hour even would be too
exciting, too destructive of nerve It's
sue. John Chinaman is an economist.
He eats only just enough to keep up
steam. Rapidly consumes steam and
calls for more food. That would be
waste to good Confucian.
One authority on Chinese affairs
makes out a good case showing that
the present trouble is all due to the
construction of the railway along the
Pei-Ho. 1t destroyed the carrying
trade of the natives, calamity scarce
ly to be estimated in the west. The
Chinese inherit their industries and
their spheres. 1t is against all nature,
tradition and superstition to change
vocation or field of work. AS well
drive peasants from the soil which the
family has owned and titled for gener-
atoms as to take away the business of
the freight carts, sedan chairs and jim
rikishas. While these vehicles may be
upon their special reuter- as inherited
interests.
But if the carrying traffic in China is
slow in method the unflagging powers
of the men and animals make up in a
measure, and travellers by sedan chair
over the most miserable roads often
get on at the rate of 80 and 35 miles
iOhf n
includes treasure, is saved from acct
dent and from loss by thievery. Slow
but sure is the Chinese motto.
Common country roads in China are
wonderful affairs. The land for high
way purposes is forced contribution
from the owner, and he gives as little
as he dares and that just where it suits
his interests. The owner always gives
a slice from the edge of his land SO
that half the road will encroach upon
neighbor, and as plots are very irregu-
lar the road winds and twists around
like old village lanes
Being so narrow that only one vehi-
Gle can pass at time, delays are fire.
quent, for the land owners ditch and
trespass Roads are never repaired,
because it is no ones business to con-
tribute soil for the purpose, and they
soon become deep trenches. Fields are
drained into the roads, and in the
rainy season they become little canals.
According to proverb, road becomes
a river in 1000 years. When a road
col
there is no help for it but to take to
an old one which has once been aban-
doned as useless. In districts where
the route is liable to be flooded the
roads are not elevated, hence at times
are impossible except for men wading.
The government of China does moth
ing in the way of providing for inland
transportation. Yet there is urgent
need Of improvement. for, to say moth
ing of the travel in sedan chairs and
jinrikishas, the freight is enormous.
Freights are carried by caravans of
mules and ponies, by carts and wheel
barrows. A traveller by chair will have
his luggage taken along by man with
a wheelbarrow. The caravan system
In the meantime some rulers have at
tempted to keep pace with the world
In providing for inland transportation.
China's ancient canal system was TAX
en- as an evidence that the Chinese
were derived from the Babylonians.
After canals came roads, which were
doubtless borrowed from the Romans,
pp11o v,Io tod
war built roads for military purposes
to connect the widely separated parts
of the empire.
Next to the great wall the Grand ca
nal of China is monument to human
industry and public enterprise. This
extensive waterway, which appears to
be river rather than canal, origi-
nally furnished communication be-
tween Canton and Picking. The canal
proper connects Tien-tsln with Hang
chau. in the province of Chehkiang,
south of the Yang-tse-K iang. The
route between Hangchau and Canton
used to be along the natural channels
of the rivers. The canal was formed
by turning the waters of the Yellow
river into abandoned river beds, lakes
and marshes and connecting them by
cuttings SO as to make an unobstruct-
ed although winding channel for sew
eral hundred miles.
The Grand canal when in order serv-
ed the purposes of ordinary river boats
and was used to transport produce
from the southern provinces to the
north until the introduction of steam
ers along the coast. Since then the ca
nal has not been kept up as 1t was for
merly. But the Chinese utilize every
stream of any Importance for naviga-
ton. Their patience and ingenuity are
marvellous. Neither rapids nor shall
lows are allowed to bar navigation. A
Chinaman will somehow drag his craft
over shoals and pilot it in rapids which
would seem impossible to men of other
countries. What nature has provided
the Chinese utilize with rare genius
and industry, and their failure to i'm
4 ,. i.,ss
~ ~