Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
A WEALTHY COLONY
England's Profitable Investment in
Hong Kong.
PHASES OF LIFE ON THE ISLAND
Victoria is One of the Leading
Ports of the World.
HOW 1T IS GOV FER n ED
PHASES OF LIFE ON THE ISLAND
HOW 1T IS VERN ED
Copyright. 1901. by Frank G. carpenter.)

Copyright. 1901. by Frank G. Carpenter.)
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONG KONG. December 10. 1900.
Hong Kong Is the little Chinese giant Of
John Bulls colonial creations If Uncle
Sam can do ) well with the Philippines he
will have the greatest empire Of the far
east, and will control the trade Of the west
ern Pacific. This rocky little island is so
small that you can walk around it in day.
1t is only eleven miles long and on the av-
| erage about three miles wide. When John
Bull got 1t 1t was so barren that weeds
would not grow upon 1t. 1t was infested by
pirates, and It's only inhabitants were a few
| fishermen, who lived in huts on the shores.
| The Chinese laughed as they gave it away.
| This was less than sixty years ago. Now
| Hong Kong is one of the chief ports Of the
world. The British empire has only three
which surpass it. Eight million tons of
shipping enter it's harbor every year. and
| it's annual trade amounts to two hundred
and fifty million gold dollars. Fifty thou
sand Chinese vessels visit it every twelve
months. and it has great steamers con-
| Meeting it with North America, Australia
| and Europe and all parts of the Pacific and
| Indian oceans. You may count fifty ocean
| steamers ut anchor at one time in its har
| Dor, and it Is perhaps the busiest port of
| the world.
Just now there is a big German
| steamer at the docks loading for Eu-
| rope. One of the French mail has just left
for Saigon and Singapore, on its way to
English mails, left today for Shanghai.
! Hong Kong has five lines of steamers con-
meeting it with Vancouver, Seattle, Port
land and San Francisco, and it will soon
have one to San Diego. There are many
ships which go regularly from here to Ma
| Mia, aid two lines which visit Manila on
their way to Australia. The fare to Manila
is $50 gold: to San Francisco, 5000. and to
Europe, $500 and upward.
The City of Victoria.
The world knows this port as Hong Kong.
I and You frequently see mention of the city
of Hong Kong. There is no such thing.
Hong Kong is merely the name Of the
island and colony: the name of the city and
port is Victoria. 1t was so named when the
land was taken over by the English in 1913
in honor of Queen Victoria, who granted
the charter. Victoria is a beautiful city and
a curious one If you will imagine noun
tains. $500 feet high. rising upward at an
angle of about forty-five degrees from
hill-locked harbor. you will have an idea of
its site. The city runs around the shore
and rises il. terraces up the sides of the
mountains to a distance of 400 feet Thus
far it is soidly built. Beyond are scattered
residences of the Well-to-do English clear
to the top of the peak. Running up through
the houses and extending to the great hotel
on the peak You see two black iron tracks.
These belong to the Peak tramway, which
carries passengers up and down every few
moments during the day.
Big Buildings.
The business end of Victoria is at the
foot of the hills. Much Of it is on land re-
GAINED from the sea. Great stone docks
wall out the water and the mountain has
been cut down to fill In and form foun-
dation for magnificent buildings. The central
part of the city would do credit to London
or New York. There is not a finer bank
building in the world, 1 venture, than that
of the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank. The
Hong Kong Club cost $35000O and the
Hong Kong Hotel would be big hotel any
where. Back Of these buildings are many
fine residences. They rise out of the trees
along streets which are so shaded that you