Evening star., 1900-07-14
PROVINCE
The Part of China Where the Box
ers' Uprising Began.
BETWEEN PEKIN AND TIEN TSIN
How the Country Manages to
Swallow Up Its Conquerors.
OF THE EMPIRE
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
Copyright. 1900. by G. NJ. walker)
The Chinese province of Shantung the
home of the Boxers, is, in fact, a great
island. Long before the construction of the
Grand canal cut 1t entirely off from the
mainland the Great Yellow river QIoang
Ho) rushed out of the western mountains
and split itself against the rocky hills of
Shantung, dividing its waters One half
flowed north to empty into the Gulf of Pei
Chilli, while the other half turned south into
the Yellow sea. Earlier than this the sea
itself had covered the lowlands. but the de-
posits Of silt has borne down from the Itch
pla.eaus of ShenSi and Shansi by the river
have gradually forced the salt waters back
The location. soil and climate of Shan
tung have been singulary adapted to the
development of sturdy and virile race.
and the province has been noted as ,he
home of Chfna's greatest warriors and
sageS. The tomb of Confucius, within its
borders, Is the mecca of all educated China
men The province has also been noted as
the place of origin of nearly all of China's
great secret societies. and it has long been
notorious for revolts and seditions. 1t is
not at all surprising, when you know the
character of the people and their history.
that the Boxer movement started in Shan
tung.
in the mountains which part the waters of
the Hoang Ho, lies the prosperous village
OF F'ei-Cheng, near which the Boxers nHIr-
dered DIR. Brooks early this spring. at the
beginning of this years anti-foreign move
ment. The Boxers were originally organ
lied to protect themselves from a oand Of
outlaws who were in the habit Of plumber
ing them occasionally. but. usual with
such associations in China. they sonn fc lnd
1t more profitable to join hands with their
plunderers and to extend their operations
Plnnder the Original Motive.
There can be no doubt that the chief mo-
tive at the beginning of the present Demon
stration was the hope of rich p.under in
the great province of Pei-Chili, which lies
north across the marshy plains of the YeI-
low river. The political complexion of the
movement has been supplied by those who
like many earlier Chinese intriguers have
simply used the already organized secret
society to accomplish their purposes. 1t
will not do to believe too much of what is
told Of the rabid anti-foretgn sentiment
among the Boxers. At Tai-an, right in t.i-
heart of their home country for over
twenty years most successful mission has
been maintained and one of its largest ns-
tive congregations is in the village of Fci-
Cheng before mentioned. Neither the mis-
sionaries nor the native Christians at these
points were disturbed.
1t seems strange if the Boxers were start
Ing OUT on a mission of determination that
they did not begin with the foreigners near
est at hand, or why. IL they had overlooked
these. that they should attempt to force a
difficult passage north across the flats anG
marshes instead of attacking the treaty
port of Chifoo the German settlement al
kiao-Chou, both of which were near and
easy to reach. After leaving their province
the first point the Boxers struck was Cheng-
ting-fu. large city lying at the foot of the
mountains near the western boundary Of
Pei-Chi,i. Cheng-ting-fu Is an old city and
has one of the finest ancient temples to be
fNt,p ON ir,,v,, bro
Buddha, over sixty feet high. The Catholics
here have a large mission, claiming over
$4,000 converts, and a fine cathedral. When
the Boxers attempted to loot it, a pitched
battle occurred with the native Chris iians,
in which the Boxers were beaten with
loss of seventy killed. The Catholics Calm
a million converts all told in China. Al
vancing northeast about fifty miles. the
Boxers reached Pang-ting-fu. the capital of
the province, which lies about eighty miles
southwest of Pekin. and almost 10O miles
due west of TTen Tsin. with which i; is
connected by river. Pang-ting-fu was the
present terminus Of the Luhan railroad
being built by the Belgian syndicate from
Pekin southwest to Han-kow, distanre OF
about 800 miles. At Pang-ting-fu the Boy
ers ignored the presence of large body of
American missionaries. but attacked the
party of Belgian engineers engaged oil the
road and pursued them when they attempt
ed to- escape down the river to Tien Tsin,
finally cutting off and killing several OF The
party.
Points About Tien Tsfn.
To this point the Boxers held their forces
together. but here they separated part of
them following the railroad as 1t skirted the
foot hills at the western edge of the plain
toward the capital at Pekin, while the
others struck east across the plain toward
Tien Tsin. Tien Tsin, the great port of
North China. has the largest foreign popu-
lation of any Chinese city except Shanghai.
Tien Tsin lies on the western bank OF the
Pei Ho North river. at its junction with
the Grand canal, about thirty miles from
the coast. The population of the native
city is usually given as about 100000, but
IL the suburbs and river population, which
really belong to it, are included it will be
found to be nearer 2.0O0,OO0. The Pekin-
Tien Tsin railroad. which runs from the
mouth of the river up to the capital passes
Tien Tsin on the opposite side of the river.
and does not cross the Pei Ho until ii
reaches Yangtsun. about eighteen miles
of the bridge at this point which prevented
the reinforcements from reaching the re-
lievtng force that stopped at Langfang.
about forty miles from Tien Tsin. and just
half way to Pekin.
From Langfang the railroad makes q
sharp turn to the west In order to pass
around the ancient royal hunting park that
lies south of the capital. Passing An-ting
ffty-four miles from T1en Tsin. the next
station is Huang-tsun an important village
only fifteen miles from the capital. Huang-
tsun Is particularly easy of defense as IL
lies on a commanding elevation with the
raging torrent of the Hun river on one side
while the headwaters of the Feng and
Lung rivers protect the eastern flank. Feng
tai, so frequently mentioned In the dis
patches. is really of no Importance except
as being the junction Of the Pekin. .Tien
Tsin railroad with the branch to Parting
fu. It was formerly the terminus of the
main lines. though 1t was almost five miles
from the walls Of the capital city. but after