The Washington times., 1901-08-11
| AN ADVENTURE
IN PEKIN


dens. its Struggling canals and tortuou:
streets, its filth, and its picturesqueness
was sweitering under the burning rays o.
an Oriental sun in midsummer. over tn,
great level plain lowered haze of super
heated atmosphere, which. hanging op
pressiveiy in the listless air, Slapped tn,
last vestige of energy from the -tailet
populace.
With such conditions thoughts of physi
cal exertion were even more than ordi.
nariiy distasteful, and. although it hao
been with a definite enough purpose that
We had left the building of the United
States Legation. We presently found our
selves. l and my companion, the attache
loung1ng idly inside the restaurant Hang
Heong, where We ensconced ourselves in
private apartment and slipped sakL In
der the soothing influence of this bitter but
effective product OF Eastern civilization
We revived somewhat. The disquieting
babel of voices from the street was soft
ned by the intervening walls, and as the
cuted our orders with silent and decorous
solemnsty our existence became distinctly
more endurable.
There is certainly something strange
about Yang F<is conduct / broke in at
length. when We had recovered sufficient
" TO permit other topics than the heat to
occupy our thoughts. He has become
quite puzzle of late. DO you think he is
holding off for more money! We cannot
bankrupt ourselves on one mandarin, with
all those other chaps to be attended to-
Il cannot quite make it out" replied the
attache whose name was Ibbotson. Xxi
went into the project with sufficient en-
thusiasrn, but he is acting very queerly OF
late. No, il can't be more money, for he
knows you have already paid more than
is customary for the preliminary palm
greasing. This concession business is an
old story in Pekin now, and the price of
a mandarin is pretty well established
The s.. GO you have paid HI is 500 more
than he had any right to expect, and the
promissory note for $4,000 when the deal
is completed is pretty tidy bride, even in
China.
Ibbotson took another sip of saki, and
called waiter TO bring some cigars. He
picked out a strong one, lighted it from
the taper which the olive-eyed purveyor
handed him, and pulled at it for moment
in silence.
81 think" he resumed, that ri mist
have another iron in the fire. 1 have
watched him closely, and believe that he
is negotiating with some other party on
very similar business to ours
THAT seems hardly likely" l rejoined.
''Who else could have the same motives
for building a railroad from Yang-Kok to
Quong- Ching? It's a political move. and
you know how secret it has been kept. 1t
is not likely two Governments Should con-
ceive the same project at the same time
No." replied Ibbotson. the motives
may not be the same, and the lines of
road may not coincide exactly. But diff
ferent motives might lead to the selection
of very similar routes 1t may be Gov
eminent affair or it may be private
capitalist who is after it, or an adven-
turous company promoter with no capital
at ALL"
Having no better theory to advance, /
admitted that that might be the trouble.
1t was just a month since i had come TO
Pekin es the confidential agent of the
Government of the United States charged
with the delicate and important mission
of securing a concession for the construc-
ton of a railroad in a portion of the de-
minions OF his Celestial Majesty where
the Washington Administration sought to
acquire a predominating influence. As it
was essential to the success of the I'M
dertaking that its political nature remain
unsupported all my negotiations had been
carried on under the cloak of private
enterprise. Only the United States Con-
sui at Pekin was acquainted with its real
purpose-he and the Attache Ibbotson.
who. for his thorough acquaintance with
Chinese customs and with the language
of the country. had been delegated to as
sist me in my dealings with the Pekin
officials.
iG hfTf Nay tO s.
sions in China; it is beaten path follow
ed by all concession hunters. wide but
tortuous. and, lined with maandrins.
Yang XII was one of the most influential
nandarins at the Chinese court, and his
for manipulating deals to a
successful issue was as wide as his ex-
pansive cheek bones and extensive as his
Gaging queue To Yang Xxi accordingly we
addressed ourselves. and bound that en-
terprising individual to our cause with
bonds of many golden links His retaining |
fee being duly discharged, We further en- !
listed his sympathetic interest by the is |
sue of a promissory note in the sum of |
81. CO., payable on the final ratification by |
the Chinese Government of the terms of |
the concession which We sought
For a time Yang Hi was all assiduity. |
His palace in the official quarter was open |
to our reception at all hours, and many a |
potent wide-famed mandarin had We met |
within its spacious drawing rooms. But
Of sudden growing GOODNESS came up
On Yang Hi. Invitations to visit him
grew fewer and fewer, till they stopped
appointments deliberately
made were as deliberately broken; our in
to other mandarins ceased. |
When we ventured upon remonstrance we
we're assured that our matter was receiv-
ng all due attention. There were formal
ties to be observed and difficulties to be
and time and patience were
necessary. With these explanations we
we're forced to be content, though |
,hafed az the delay. and Ibbotson said
here was something the matter with
fang HI
1t grows dark early in Pekin. When Ib-
poison and 1 left the Hang-Heong the
nyriads Of hanging lanterns in the streets
were performing their nocturnal duty of
making the darkness barely visible. From |
occasional shop windows there came in
CLEANS which shot their mar
'ow effulgence out over the darksome
,avemeat. They were at considerable dis
ances apart, and chiefly from the eating
booths. These were literally patronized
hungry crowds thronged them Over the
tide brick or iron stoves caldrons of oil
we're seething and bubbling, where were
icing fried quantities Of crabs. sausages.
ritters. in the forms of cakes and balls |
n thin lluted fans and lattice work.
Ibbotson and 1 walked on aimlessly,
topping now and then to watch the per-
ormers in the booths. 1t was somewhat |
ooier now. though still close and oppres-
i've. The street which we were led |
rom one gate to another in the Chinese |
ity and without the Tartar City. We