The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-24

any other way. If the dollar were quot
| ed at GOO cash, the dealer would give 500
cash for it, or its component parts, and
make 20 per cent by the exchange; and
the average native can accomplish more
with 500 pieces of copper than with a
single silver piece stamped as one dollar.
The lender wishes all the dollars he can
get, because he has means Of buying% in
a large way at very close to quotation
rates. Small silver will not enable him
to make such purchases except at a dis
count of 10 per cent, and then only in
limited amounts. So he will gladly give
$l.lS in small silver. for cart-wheel
dollar and profit by the operation. That
premium of Is cents furnishes a visitor
to China with his one small comfort in
money affairs.
FEW RAILROAD ROUTES.
Chinese have always travelled by water,
and that way is good enough for people
with whom time does not count Railroad
lines in the north, connecting Pekin with
coast points at Tongku and Shanha-
kwan, with an extension to Niu-Chwang,
whose operation was indefinitely deferred
by last years outbreak, and a line from
/ here to Woo-sung, fourteen miles away,
constitute the only Chinese equipment
down the Liao-tung peninsula to Port
Arthur. is a Russian property, and so far
has been devoted to military use. Should
it become a commercial line it will be as
branch of the Siberian system The
distance traversed by routes strictly Gil
nese does not exceed 400 miles.
Germans are laying rails in Shan-tung
province. near Kiao-chou, but the pros
pect points to military use for some time.
This enterprise may become a considera-
bic one, because Germany looks upon
ShanS-tung AS it's special field in China.
Should England cater to that sentiment
and cement good relations by turning
over Wei-haiwei to the Germans, the
road would no DOUBT be extended to Wei
.hal-Wei, and possibly to Chee-foo, be-
coming 200 miles long or more. The
road from Pekin to IIankow is further
advanced than any other railroad en-
terprise that may still be classed as "a
scheme, having been surveyed Rails
We're laid for a short distance out of
Pekin. and some embankment work be-
came fairly advanced at the other end
when the trouble began. The Belgian
engineers fixed the gauge at five feet,
which is Russian thus indicating at least
a view to some relation with the Siberian
line.
There is nothing yet except paper to
show progress with the American enter,
| prise for road from Canton to Han
Kow. Various other plans calculated to
| shorten time of travel by construction
! from here to NingPo and Hangchow, on
| the south. and Soo-chow on the south and
Chln-klang and Marking on the west and
north are IN the same condition, except
Tor little digging which unearthed on
i the outskirts of the settlement a sandal
wood coffin that had been buried for 400
! years and came out in good order 1t
lies now in an open lot near the French
! camp. where relic clippers and the wet
season threaten to put it's quality of en-
! durance to supreme tests.
NATIVES POOR TRAVELLERS.
OF course the purpose of railways is to
facll1tate foreign trade. They would new
er be built on Chinese initiative. The
native is not by instinct traveller. Few
Chlnese go outside Of their provinces or
/ nave the slightest wish to do so. Rail-
; ROADS strike them as SO much of a nuiS-
! ance that in the official concessions or
! IN nearly all Of them, a clause provides
that the track shall not be laid within
/ Two miles of town. Hence the station
! at Pek1n is three miles outside the South
GATE and along the route usually traV-
! eIed between Tien-tsin and Pekin the
railway embankment is out OF sight half
! the time. Since travel is provincial and
! time never has value, the natives are
! content to go about in their boats at
| two or three miles an hour. Even the
! steam toWs that carry water trains do
not exceed six miles an hour
waterway. it is doubtful if it fne ca rldeg
more m traff1c than the Grand canal, which
Is S ST, a great thoroughfare from
! winch radiate countless waterways, com
pIeteIy traversing the country. IT. T.
/ wade, who knows this and the adjoining
provinces better doubtless than any one
J else, having Travelled over them for for
! ~ years, and having prepared the onIv
detailed map of them, says that between
Ih As and Soo-chow, sixty miles Or
t less. apart, and both on the Grand canal,
! Nearly all of the land is fiat in the
I olstr1ct bounded by Shanghai, HangchoW
| and Soo-chow Since there can be no
! thought OF abandoning the WATERWAYS
bridges over them must be built high
enough to permit boats to pass under
mere are too many boats in motion to
MAKE drawbridges feasible. The water
traln trip to HangchoW, $50 miles takes
thlrty-SlX hours, and that to Soo-choW,
elshty miles, may be made between late
IN the afternoon and the next morning
MHen natlVe wishes to go from Shang-
pal to Soo-chow he can get a berth in
some part of the train for 80 cents. or
| the equivalent of about Is cents in Ameri
can money There is always ample &C
conmodat1on at this rate How a rail-
ROAD IS to be built over such a country
other than on stills, or how it is to be-
come a paying investment, has not been
yet inquired out for the information of the
! public. - ~
UP THE YANG-TSE VALLEY.
A road projected to Shoo-chow direct
and then on to Marking, following the
Yang-tse, presents physical difficulties
not unlike those mentioned, but at Nam
KING II might meet extensions of cross
ana lat1tud1nal roads, which are neces-
| sery to bring within reasonable CONNER
cal reach the vast mineral and other
wealth OF the interior There would be
! no use In making Marking a terminus
for. only river steamers can go there
J and exports would need to be transhipped
at Woo-sung. Both the Belgian and
A a 1'7a1S schemes apply to territory that
! is Wen Watered, but which also abounds
IN highlands, some OF it being noun
| famous. Goods for export from those
ssectlons take weeks to reach this port
from the starting point. Railroads would
prlng them here in as many days.
by the fastest means now available tho
| trip to Hankow, 700 miles, lasts seven
Gays Inen goods or passengers must
wait steamer to Icbang, from which
| they are transferred to Households for
the further westward passage At this
| stage the rapids and gorges are met
| sometimes they cannot be passed Under
! the most favorable conditions the triD
/ from here to Chunking, 1850 miles, lasts
| about six weeks There is a tremendous.
| ly fine territory in Szechuan awaiting de-
| velopment. An English company Which
mas concessions there reports 1t exceed
! 1ngly rich In oil, coal and iron "A
French railroad is projected into the
| southern part of SZechuan and a road
may come UP from MandaIay, but neither
! goes anywhere near Chunking
commercial interests In this part of
China will not be thoroughly served until
the Yang-tse valley is penetrated to its
westward end. The far interior can be-
come satisfactorily accessible to trade
only by railroad lines. Since neither hep
nor encouragement may be expected from
native agency, the transportation prob
lem will fuse into the political settlement.
and 1t can be worked out only under
oHclal protection extended in coed faith.
When the Chinese see what it does for
them they will become it's ardent sup
/ porterS, as they are of some OF the other
then it must be impressed upon them aJ
a reform from which they cannot hope
to escape.