The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-16
ON ROAD % PEKN
Mckenzie Davidson Furnishes
Description of 1t.
IT is VERY INTERESTING
And, 1t Might be Said, Very
Valuable at This lime.

gunpowder works. Tien-Tsin. writes 10
the Journal:
The road from Tien-Tsin TO Pekin,
eighty miles long, IS the most interesting
in the world today.
The hearts. as well as the thoughts,
of all civilized people are conferred in that
eventful stretch of Chinese territory.
An allied army, representing the United
States and all the great powers of Eu-
rope, has been ordered to fight its way
along that route and rescue the white
men, women and children besieged in the
British legation at Pegin by the countless
Boxer hordes. 1t is modern crusade.
AS know every inch of the read from
long experience in the service Of the Chi
nese government. I propose TO .enllghten
the American public concerning the ceness
and scenery, the cities, villages, rivers,
bridges. canals, monuments and curiosi-
ties that lie along this road, destined in
any event to be historical.
The allied army viii take route some
where west of the Pei-Ho river, and be-
tween that river and the Grand canal.
1t would not be convenient to follow the
bank of the river all the way, because it
is extremely winding. One has TO cross
its S-shaped loops, in travelling by land,
over and over again. Besides. there is no
particular reason for keeping to the river
bank, because the country is nat and
offers few natural obstacles TO the adj
vance of an army. Although it is fiat, it
is full of interest. China may seem TO US
a savage country, but this part of il has
been inhabited and cultivated and cult
waited as long as, or perhaps longer than
any spot in the world, not excepting
Assyr.a and Egypt The methods of ag-
riculture and gardening in this part OF
China alone make it the most interesting
and peculiar scenery in the world. An
other thing which lends a strange charm
to the region is the fact that all the i'm
portant buildings are Of light blue brick
The Pei-Ho river is shallow and very
broad in places. Sometimes It is twice
the breadth Of the North river. The
channel is only suited for light draught
vessels and is hard to follow. The Chi
nese boats are poled up the river and sail
or drift down. The Chinese have now
blocked the channel. A large part of the
country through which the allies are
passing can be flooded by means of the
Grand canal This rises high above the
surrounding country
I will now begin at the beginning OF the
route by taking a glance around ITEM
Tsin the starting place Of the army and
the center of European activity in China
in ordinary times.
The most remarkable building at TEN
Tsin is the Imperial arsenal. with which
I was connected for years. 1t is of enor-
nous extent, like city, in fact, 1t IS
fully mile square. and contains four
miles of railway. It is completely sur
rounded by walls like all public buildings
in China. These walls and all the public
buildings they contain are entirely built
of light blue brick, as light as the blue
blotting s2er which We ordinarily use.
This color is produced by burning the
brick with millet stalk. The strange form
of the buildings and the light blue color,
so unusual to Europeans, make a scene
in the clear atmosphere that is unearthly
and fairylike. The bricks in the cornIces !
of buildings and the tops of the walls are
carved in the form Of dragons and other !
strange images.
The building Of this arsenal was origi- |
nally suggested by General Chinese"
Gordon. The Chinese, although they in /
vented gunpowder. had then forgotten 1
the art. In my time It turned out four !
tons of gunpowder a day II lies on the 1
east side Of the Pei-Ho river. three miles I
south Of the foreign settlements, which /
are themselves south Of the Chinese city. |
in his premature advance a month ago 1
toward Pekin. He destroyed some eight /
Mauser rifles and lot Of mod /
ern cannon there. It was retaken by the /
Chinest and again occupied by the Eu- /
ropean allies after their bloody battle to
capture Tien-Tsin. The American troops !
are now guarding It.
After leaving Tien-Tsfn the allies IN the
recent advance marchtd through alevei |
showing signs Of minute cuitiva-
ton. but now largely abandoned by tts
The first place q any i'm
portance they reached was Pe.t-sang.
village and station on the now toru-up
railroad nine miles from Tfen-TsIu. Pet
Sang, Ike trevy village not important
enough u have a wall. has a moat around
It, which Is largely q receptacle fer sew
age. The country here IS a good enc for
making earthw0rks fgr military purposes.
but the advantages ought - he with the
Europeans and not with the Chinese.
The land is gwen up almost entirely 20
the cultivation AZ miIIet the principal
Chinese grain mad % truck gardening
The truck gardens are tia most interest
ag. The caobages. asparagus. peas. to
-na.o-e ru7l-,yfnv and other ,-ererst,,ez