Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-17
UNCLE SAM AND SIAM.
Information About the Country and Its
Chances for Americans From the New
Legation at Washington.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.

Malay peninsula to the Strait Of Malac-
ca. We have road from Bangkok TO
Paknam, on the Menam river, ana al
together we are gradually becoming
railroad country"
Where does Siam get its railroad
materials?"
80 far most Of them have come from
England" was the reply. There Is ~
reason why the United States should
not supply its share. Our country IS
such that we need many bridges ana
you Americans are now doing much III
furnishing bridges for the world. see
no reason why you should not compete
as TO our locomotives and other rolling
stock and in even taking contracts for
the construction OF the roads
BANGKOK AND ITS ELECTRIC
CARS.
"Do you use much electricity in
Slam"
I'VE have % electric plants in Bang
kok alone. We have one incandescent
electric light plant which furnishes
1900 lights 1t originally belonged TO
the English Brush company and is
used for lighting the kings palace and
for the use OF the public. II was one
time operated by an American engineer
named Bennett, and an American syn
dlcate, but was later on sold to a Dam
ish company. which now manages II,
The most Of It's supplies were purchased
from Europe, but some from America,
"The Danish company now owns the
electric railroads. Ii has tramway
seven and one-half miles long In opera
ton and track of three and half
miles more Is under construction. 1t
advertlses that ii will supply electric
power throughout the city and 1t ex-
poets to run n line OF automobiles In
connection with its street cars. In adj
dltion TO this there are private plants
the equipment of which IL largely
American. You can now reach almost
any part of the city or suburbs by
street cars"
BONGKOK AND IT'S FLOATING
HOUSES.
"Glve me some idea OF Bangkok, Mr..
LOTUS. our people think the town Is
made up Of houses floating on the
water"
That Is 80 only to a limited extent"
was the reply. 1.-THE city lies on the
Menam river, extending for miles up
and down both sides of IT, There Is
large boat population and perhaps 10000
people who actually live I'm houses an
chOred to posts in the river so that they
rise and fall with the tide. Many of
these houses are OF large size, They
are built upon RATS and are very COM
Portable homes. They constitute, how
ever, but a small part Of Bangkok.
The city has million people. II has
many magnificent homes and fine pub
lie buildings. The palaces Of the king
are Of great extent ana In many re-
spects are as fine as the great buildings
Of Europe
''rhe city Is a beautiful one. 1t Is cut
up by canals, and about % years ago
these canals were the streets All traf-
flc was carried on In boats, and boats
took the place Of wagons and carriages.
There are still about Is miles Of canals
in Bangkok, but bridges have been
built over them, paved streets have
been laid, and you can now drive alfost
anywhere in carriage. Ten years ago
there were only about nine miles OF
paved streets. Now there are over 50
miles, and new streets are being opened
makers might do q good business in
supplying the bridges. The old ones Of
iron and wood are being replaced by
modern ones of iron and steel. The
king himself builds one steel bridge
every year out OF his private funds as
a gift to the city The bridge Is open
TO the public, with special ceremonies,
on his birthday. At present the most
Of our bridge building materials come
from England"
A WATERWORKS CONTRACT.
81 see that our consul general Ham
ilton King says that Bangkok is un-
healthy from lack of waterworks.'
THAT matter is being remedied,' re-
piled Mr. Lotus. "The government Is
now investigating the subject, and
within a short time we will have a new
waterworks and sewerage system.
don't know where the supplies will
come from. II takes an enormous
amount Of pipe for a city so scattered
as Bangkok. and whether we shall i'm
port IT or make 1t ourselves is ques-
tlon. our people are skillful in hand
ling clay. and It may be that the pipes
viii be OF pottery, or we may establish
boundaries TO make them. We are try
ing to develop the country in every
way, and can afford to spend more If
thereby We can found home industry:
SLAMS NEW CANAL SYSTEM.
1--WE are improving our country
greatly by digging canals and by open
ing up irrigated lands 1t seems strange
TO speak OF Irrigation In a land as well
watered as Siam. but there are large
tracts that have been brought under
In this way. The vast
plain Of southern Slam, which has some
If the richest soil in the world, has been
opened up by canals. The greater part
OF 1t was a jungle until within the last
fifty years, when canals began TO be
dug. We have now canals from river
to river, and the canals serve as the
highways Of the country. In addition
to the government works there are