Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-27
A PEEP INTO CHE-FOO.
Its Importance Center for Tele-
graphic Communication.


From the Loldnn Express.
Che-Foo has played prominent part in
many of the Geographic dispatches that
have come of late from the disturbed dis
tricts of northern China. AS a matter Of
fact it forms an important center for the
dispatch of cabegrams, and thither the
other week repaired well-known news
paper correspondent who now sends an
amusing but interesting account of the
town and its people.
Naturally he remarks, Il soon found
that the place is half-delrious with ex-
element at what is happening In Pekin.
Rumors are born run their full course and
die faster than large staff can run them
down. 1t is curious how 1t all happens. A
ship sighted from the north is almost GER
tain to be the bearer of news. Before she
can reach her anchorage the first accounts
of what she has to tell are lodging about
the streets and over the stone walls from
compound to compound.
IF you question the man who SAYS
plies with ready tongue that it was sig
nailed from the ship to the station on the
bluff before the ship anchored.
After while part of the news the ship
actually brings comes ashore by way of
the boarding officer of the customs and
port officers. That starts new crop of ru-
mors, based on the rumors about Taku
another batch, which Immediately multi
plies into myriad.
Finally, the official dispatches come
along to one consulate or the other-there
are nine here-and in the course of a few
minutes, or hours, as the case may be,
bulletin is posted with what the consul
thinks advisable to make public.
That starts on what very quickly be-
comes devious course Most of the con-
sulates-all those which get informaAasn
from the front-are on the bluff. ~
BY the time the official report gets down
into form Its author in Taku would have
difficulty in recognizing it, This is natural
enough, especially when one considers the
mistakes that the official bulletin makers
In Taku make themselves.
Inc American gunboat Yorktown was
the sole defender of Che-Foo when L ar
rived, but it's commander, Taussig. was a
man OF sense and early in the day had seen
the Taotai, and had told him very plainly
that II there was an attack on the foreign
settlement Chinese Che-Foo would be de-
stroyed utterly and some foreign power
would annex the country about 1t certainly
The Taotat said he was for peace, and
hoped 'Io there would be no trouble.
There had, however, been curious eofnes
on at the forts for several days and nights
which greatly excited the foreigners, espe-
cially the missionaries. Reports were com
ing IN constantly that more and more
troops were assembling at the forts
Searchlight drill and signals from fort to
Tort at night added to the excitement and
the talk of an outbreak was perhaps nat
ura1.
There are two forts at Che-Foo. both
admirably situated for the destruction of
the foreign settlement. Each is on a hill
SO high that 1t would be extremely difficult
to damage them from the sea, because
naval guns could not be elevated suffi-
GENTLY. Each fort mounts several large
krupp guns One is on one side of the town
and the other is on the other side, so that
II 1t came to an attack the foreign settle
ment would be helpless.
After all. however. Che-Foo is not a bad
place Perhaps its charms were exagper-
ated by long residence in Bombay, but the
nne bracing air. clear and cool, made IT
seem almost like getting back to Gods own
country. The women one saw about the
place had color in their cheeks, and the
children were sturdy and rosy.
The town Is all hills, and there are M
rickshas and very few chairs, none public.
The only reliable way to get about is IN
walk. II you want to go out on the bay
you must take sampan.
Inc business houses, which have a great
zeal or water work to do, have puIlboats of
their own. but the casual sotourner roes
per sampan. When his ship lies well ont
IN the roadstead 1t is a matter of half a
DAY out and back. The sampans are much
more crude and clumsy than those of Hong
Kong and Canton, or even of Shanghai
For speed they are not to be compared to
the japanese. ~