The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-12-04
Awakening OF CHINA.
Rapid Development Of the Ma
tons Latent Powers.
ODD PLAN TO PAY WAR INDEMNITY

RRfter OF All Houses Largest
Dockyard In the World to BE Built
at Honglxong.
The rapidity with which the Chinese
are awakening from the somnolence of
centuries and developing their extraor-
binary latent powers is a source of
| amazement to those who have watched
China closely, says Washington dis
patch to the New York Tribune The
empire was brought face to face with
it's deficiencies in the conflict with
Japan and compelled to realize the SUI
| periority of American and European
civilization during the invasion which
followed the Boxer instruction, and
it is today being forced to subordinate
its natural oriental inertia to the grim
necessity of raising an indemnity fund
/ of such magnitude as would bankrupt
most civilized nations.
While testimony to this effect comes
from many sources, seldom has it been
SO well brought out as in recent let
ter addressed to the secretary of agri-
1 culture by David G. Fairchild The
United States official agricultural ex-
! plorer, man Of wide experiences
Writing from Taku, he says:
1.-THE accounts of the ChinaInan's
wonderful ability to imitate have Tot
i been exaggerated, but his reputad want
of inventive ability does not stand Tie
test These conceptions are falsely
colored, either BY thr blind prejudice
Of the transient visitor to China or the
disappointment Of the old white resi-
dent, who fcrgets how moderately the
average workman Of any old ciyiIiza
zion is equipped with inventive powers
Zone among many examples Of their
Ingenuity will serve to illustrate how
false this idea is In Taku, during the
construction recently Of some very
large iron fatboats 81 lighters, with
which to unload or coal the incoming
steamers. the problem Of lowering
these heavy vessels. which had been
constructed on a high framework, be
came a puzzling one Large derriczs
| and expensive steam cranes were dis
cussed. Finally one of the Chinese
| master workmen suggested placing I'M
der the lighters a large number Of eel
umns-cl0Se woven wicker baskets
packed with sand. He explained that
by knocking out the stays the lighter
would be left resting on the baskets
and by the successive puncturing Of
the baskets allowing the sand to run
Eout gradually, the heavy beat could be
made to settle to the desired level.
/ This Inexpensive suggestion of the Chi
nese workman was followed by the
! European constructors, proved a com
plete success and saved both time and
| money"
Mr.. Fairchild cites several instances
! Illustrative of the same point, Refer
ring to the Chinamah's ability to save
money, he notes the recent death Of
a comparatively humble Cinnamon
whose estate was valued at $5,000o00.
Illustrative Of the Development OF the
/ Chinese shipping trade he states that
in 1898 scarcely a single steam launch
/ was owned in Canton, while today
] there are between 800 and 400 mostly
owned and in large part built by Chi
| nese" over eighty having been turned
! out in a single Chinese shipyard last
| year. 1.-THE Hongkong and Wampoo
/ Dock company" he continues, pays
so we'll that it's stock is quoted at $3.50
and all of the laborers are Chinese,
only the managers and craftsmen
] being Europeans. Plans are now in
| progress to build in Hongkong the lar,
gest dockyard in the world, one slip of
| which is to be 900 feet long, or 100 feet
| longer than the largest slip in the new
Krupp yard at Kiel." Apropos Of Chi
nese manufacture of arms and ammn-
milton he says:
IAN officer in the British army as
sures me that the Chinese arsenal at
J Tientsin is manufacturing cannon and
/ small arms which fall very little short
Of being as good as those of European
manufacture and this without even the
supervision Of Europeans.
1.-THE effect ofathe Boxer troubles will
| be farreaching. for the Chinese govern
ment. in order to pay the war indem-
nifty, has levied a tax of the equiva
lent of 5 American cents year on each
rafter on every house in the country.
/ Already the viceroy in Canton is hay
ing great difficulty in collecting taxes,
! and, while people living there say that
| this tax is arousing great deal OF ami
mostly toward foreigners, one Of the
! results Of the war will be to change the
/ ideas of the upper class Chinaman re
! garding western methods and make
him more willing to accept them. For
eigners come in for share in the war
tax and already pay about 5 per cent
! ad valorem duty on practically every
thing imported.
s"The precision Of movement, the con-
centration, the earnestness of applica-
ton and the continual activity Which
are now exerted on the pettiest trifes
cannot fail when employed in the man
| ufacture Of articles which the white
| man wants to have marked infu
ence upon the market supply of such
! goods. Whether you watch the count
less junks or sampani along the water
| ways or jostle Ysith the crowds in the
| no yroyxv fboro,1C oh a tho i'm nrQScio1l