Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-06-30

room for Democrat, in opposition to
petition signed by 500 Democratic
patrons of the Office. He was appoin-
ted acting United States marshal at
Tien Tsin on January 1, 1898, and
commissioned marshal by the president
February 10, following.
Up to the beginning of the present
century Tien Tsin was small place,
noted only as a military station /; but it
has grown to be a city of great infu-
ence. Today it is the home of 1,000,-
900 people, with an annual export and
import trade aggregating 65,00O,000
taels. The foreign settlement con-
tains population of about 1 200, and
it's public and private improvements
rank with many of the best cities of
the United States. The mud holes and
swamps of a few years ago have been
filled in, and the mud shanties have
given way to buildings almost palatial
in style and comfort.
The greatest drawback has been the
filling up of the Pei-Ho to such an ex-
tent that ships are no longer able to
reach the city, as in former years, but
are compelled to discharge their car.
goes into lighters of shallow draft neal
the mouth of the river, and not in
frequently outside the bar, necessity
that adds greatly to the cost of trans
portation.
A river improvement fund of $780,
900 taels has been raised by the for
eign municipalities and the viceroy of
the province, and the work of redemp-
ton is being rapidly pushed forward,
with hope of success, 1t is expected, {,
therefore, that ships will be enabled to
land their cargoes at the city bund
after this year. The Tien Tsin and
Chin. .Kiang railroad will also be COM
pleted in the near future, thus giving
Tien Tsin shipping facilities that will
inure to the benefit of North China.
As indicating the Importance of the
United States in North China, the
American consul at Tien Tsin, Mr..
Ragsdale, has recently made a careful
census of the Americal citizens in his
consular district, with the following
result:
Tien Tsin, 10; Pekin, 81; Tsun.
Hua, IA; Tung- Chi, II; ao.Ting-Fu,
20; Kuh, Wa, Hsien, L; Pilot Town
(Taku), IA; Li.Man, Z; Kalgan, 81;
Fen -Cho.Fu 6; Jen-Tsen, q; Tong
Chen.1. total. 2S7.
The growing political Importance of
Tien Tsin was conspicuously recog-
nized last year when Russia establish
ed a resident agent there with an an
nual salary of $4,000, leaving no
doubt as to the eventual attitude of
the car toward that territory.
The city is rapidly developing into
the most important military head
quarters of the empire. China's hig b.
est generals are concentrated there for
the protection of the capital city. The
strategic value of the place is enhanced
by the fact that it is soon destined to
be the focus of vast railway system,
ramifying not only to all parts of the
kingdom, but penetrating northward
and westward, into and across the
present Russian possessions.
The United States consulate on
Meadows road, several blocks away
from the river, in the English conces-
sion, is one of the most imposing and
substantial buildings in the foreign
settlement, in which it occupies a GEN.
tral and prominent position. It con:
tains the Offices of consul and United
States court for the district, of which
the consul is judge, and a large re-
ception hall where Chinese officials are
entertained. The upper stories con-
stitute the consul's residence. On
each side of the entrance to the
grounds is a lodge, occupied by the
official messengers, who are uniformed.