The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-29
CHINA LETTER.
Ensign Il. ID. Parker Writes Enter
tanning From the Seat of War IN
the East.

We have been here since Thursday evening
(ths Is Monday anu expect 10 ieate 10 10
better this time. spent both Saturday ant
Sunday ashore and have seen enough o
Hong Kong 10 convince me even as strange
sees It. II is one OF the most attractive spot
in the East.
The distinction between uptown and down
town is much more marked here than 1t IL IL
most places from the fact that uptown is a
the top or on the sides ol high and steel
II Chimney Top were terraced and brickeC
up all the way, you would have ABOUT wha
the hill portion OF Hong Kong Ia. Evel
down by the waters edge, the land and ser
views are good, the houses are large and
handsome g, the park in the centre OF things IL
luxuriant with tropical evergrrens and now
ers, but the Peak, as upper Hong Kong u
called, Is the most beautiful place tor living
have ever seen. The plateau IL higher and
the view exceeds that from West Point: which
ia saving good deal. The first day l went
wandering sounds loo sloww for there IL
nothing slow about Jinrickishas.
20 walked 10 the terminal station OF the peak
atramway and exposed my life In CLIMB tC
the summit. There Is no suaking and circlipe
about this traraway, IT attacks the hill in the
centre and goes right up at an angle slightly
less thani90 The cars ore controlled by an
endless cable which pulls an ascending and
at the same time checks descending car. &c
house has only friction to contend with. An
extra Or clutch rail- TO be seized If the cable
breake}ls provided for the beneft OF nervous
ladies' 3 About half way up, could look
down and Sespractically the entire harbor---.
thIck Withmen-of war and big liners OF all
the greaterpations, and dotted with number.
less native sampans. The trade OF Hong
can, Japanese liners are lying In the 1harbor
ali the time The shipping therefore max es
a very pretty sight, even when yon stand on
your head and look down on ~ from The
At the TOP / found a handsome hotel fro!t
which while resting, could get capital
three-quarter round view. ~ ust IN Iront lsfa
big Jagged peak which las not, ye5sose6 az as.
left are several other big peaks. bali covered
with handsome houses. The English. Anew
q number OF things. How toFbuiIds mug
dwelling places now TO lay ~ o1s ~ssnn,s SSeer,s,
enjoy life from the innocenL mans stand
point II don't mean 70 say they deHt un.
derstand the other stde) ~ 4s
Aa walked along the splendid s0tta pads
lawns, flowers and so on almost asS much as
looking down few Thousand Lea ipto ahe
gorges and valley and at the sea beyond: he
slDeeson Locked like prs n oea
more graceful shlpsapc chored below. Ss
I had run across q civilian acquaintance at
the hotei-aL New York engineer, and took
with PIN very wan roaha hf Hne I g
Z long only 10 the millionaire GLASS. They
were solidly built with glass encl9sed
are very pretty and lux uriailt, and ip nnany
osses beautiful perfect lawns and ND
Sometimes the tennis courts were u mason.
Hong Kong people seem;to get aImfSlk every
thing There is In HE except GfAad 0pefsi
with repose that We eAmericans skuoW noth:
iGT S tes pagna We
air, or strolling or riding In chairs along the
faultless picturesque walks up there, could
have been much happier anywhere In the
world. The Chinese servant does more than
you expect him to do, Thinks and smiles
most of the time. If you expect guests, you
tell ah cam five piece men come tonight
and he does everything. He considers do.
seek to be greater gentleman than his
master. He doesn't charge much either.
Most things come at about half price out
here.
can goods are often cheaper than at home
and of course the products OF the country-all
the necessaries OF life are very cheap indeed.
A dollar (Mex) In Hong Kong go centsl seems
home.
/ dined at the Peak with the American
spoke of. UP there. as ut the big Hong Kong
Hotel below. the people usually dress for din
ner. After a very good dinner with some
Chateaw LaRose cisret which would come
high at home. we see the night views which IN
It's way, is as tine as the other, 80
A hundred thousand lights were twinkling
below us over far out into the harbor where
every Sampan had It's lantern. went down
about ten O'CLOCK and returned 70 5tne snip
for "all night In"
Next day after Sunday inspectior, and a
struggle to restore my room so as to leave
space TO dress in, l again went ashore ana
after a jinrickisha ride into the country
again visited the Peak. The jlnrickishas are
wheeled chairs with buggy shafts De
tween which the Coolie burns the Wind
The Coolie never gives out except at a very
steep hill. For al his labor,-he Will run iol
an hour or TWO without stopping. and VII
keep at 1t pretty much all day,-he gets y, iot
(mex) or &c gold an hour. II you don't Ike
The ever present ricksha, you can get chail
with two coolies at each end OF the swingint
shafts. This Ia like riding on movable
jogging board. If a rickshaw man thinks
you are "Grlffin a new conner TO the East
he always demands two or three times MI
money. Yesterday we hired RickshaWs ,,Ioi ,oi
exactly one hour for which we owed l2c. we
paid ten cents each for soda water which ou
coolies seemed TO want, this Of course as
"Cumshaw" or gift and then handed them y
instead of l3c 20 save trouble In MAKING
change They look ed outraged and asked TO
4Oc, | threw the 20c on the ground and walk
ed Off Last night however tried the expeIl
ment OF paying the exact fare i5c My coolit
objected. but as paid no attention TO him ~
his coolies became violent. We were down or
the western front with no policeman in sight
but a threat to report their number hushet
them :or d moment. AS We showed OIL how
ever. they shouted in loud and angry voices
.Sut.6.o. sut-fi-o" meaning believe TO ecu
Off the heads OF the foreign devils" ! usually
overpay a little out here, but no matter what
YOU pay here or In the Philippines, the drive
always makes noise unless you ignore hin
We dined at the Hong Kong Hotel which
compares favorably with the best New Iort
hotels, and after eating heartily and skipping
ner. AS the veranda was not very breezy
we smoked our cigars in Crickshaws which
made their own breeze while we looked a
the people. o..
Hong Kong Is more truly cosmopolitan
than any place have seen. AS you stand a
q street corner, you may easily hear Rus
sian, German, French, japanese, Chinese
English all spoken within eaay earshot. Tht
population consists of 100000 Chinese or more
and 14,OOO Europeans, but the Chinese keel
out of the way.
watching the English soldiers with their cap
perched on one side OF the head and helt
down by their chin straps, the Japanese IL
their graceful national costume, the Chimes
women with their coats and trousers, and al
the other odd looking people
From our standpoint every store Ia bar
gain counter.
We sail in .an hour or two the landing
party Of which l am the mo. man" drill
every day. We may have shot at th
Ceestials.