The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-07-17
rms st>rs~.Htvksw r. ~

rh~ rro-' ipfoTtsn, ~vsl-.c~ ~ prnsr~--
In ,hina since tho chs. q Tho hos~r ou'-
hr~as . tho Imperial -iie'. iu-' ,.-'E-d,
authsftyins ~ lm~.ican- China Develop
nsni Company - h~sin tho buildins ~ the
Canton. Hsnsow RailruaL fhr road would
probably have l-en IN operation before NV
n u had no, t~,.n Or ihr Boxer rebslllon.
me cpnstrirtnn ~ ne railroad AS
Ssnctions' IN iSe>, whom a d.crce Wa' '--'i"h
declaring ,ha, N. Csnton- Hanko~ line
would To- . trunk nilrpld vh"-e building
~as specially desired hy THO Government.
t-cau- u would hclu go hrlns Tho southern
prpvincr- INTO clo-~ touch vth the crntral
authorities At Pck,n and or'c-ine all on
ctAl- along the line ,o promoi" IN every
wAv tho cuustruc',on ~ the Rad
There are thrr- trade routes which for
c-nturic, have Crnn~c'ed south Chlna
With The north Tho mos, important 81
,hese IL tho central route between ,ahtoh
and Hsnkow. It's superiority being dne to
the hotter inland navigation which " al
fords n N" fact that its northern end
IL conv-nirn,ly situated Tor communications
With the most uopulou- part 81 north 'hinA
" !. known A. Tho Iheling route, " was
along this highway that the survey was
mNIf ana nsfe Nn' Ftllfntu wiz w 'N'
The route may L. traced on any farN
good map 81 China. let u- follow Il from
south To north 4 map ~ China shows
the Pei-kisng North River emp'yirg into
the --a rear Canton. Eoa,s ascend as
far a. the important CITY Of Shho-'hau.
where they enter it, western tributary
the wu-shwei. and con'inu. on this 1N'r
In small boats TO ia. town 81 Ji-chang In
the mids, 81 the mountains. This ends a."
nAvirsble route on the ~h-fowing rivers.
and the watsr-parting To the north-fowirs
streams mus, 10 crossed on land.
Centuries ago the Chinese Government
built a paved highway leading through
the Ch"ling PAS over the r%'ornta.ns 10
Cheng-chau. at the head ~ navigation on
the lei River. This paved highway IL
only about thirty miles IN length. NJ the
northern end freight IL again loaded uion
boats. noa,.d down IN" lei to the large
Slang River. into which u emptics. and
thence direct To The inng-sc
This great north and south route IN China
has always carried tho largest trafnc 81
the three routes No one knows when IL
was established or when the short land
highway ovcr the mountains was paved.
but they ae probably coevnl with the
ca l,esr exchanges Of commodities trtween
tho Nangtse Valley and the region 81 the
China Sea. An enormous trafic has passed
over i, during the ,..o or morn years Of
itr existence hut is importance has tsen
much diminished since the Ynngtsr was
opened 10 steam navigation in ism. for
/, wa. found to 10 cheaper TO ship goods
be, ween central China and Canton hy way
Of tho OCEAN and the langtse than hy the
more direct route
The railroad. therefore. in the main IL -
follow tho valleys q two large riVerS, one
flowing north and the other south. The
valleys 81 two 81 th-ir tributaries pass
through tho mountains that form the water
parting trt vrpn th"-" two riV"r systems
7, was decided bv tho results oi the survey
under Nj Parsons that the railroad should
for the most par coincide with the old
Cheling route
Human province. one ~ the richest 81 III"
empire IN natural resources, has a popu-
lation about one-fourth a. great a. that
Of the United States Here IN one Of III"
s~reate., 81 tho Chinese coal fields with an
enormous tonnage Of different varieties
Of coal. the quantity ~ which canno' he
determined until u IL systematically "S-
plored with n diamond drill Tho railroad
will also pas. through some ~ IN" largest
interior cities - China
According - IN" dispatches from China
the work ~ construction IL Ia begin i'm
m.diatelv A. Canton and IL il the intention
20 complete u in Two YEAR, Tn" company
has nov on hand 5000 on with which 30
begin huilding. and sto.UHGo gold bonds
of tho Chimes. Government secured nv IN"
railroad property. are 20 b" issued IN com
pl.,a and equip tho road II will ultimately
connect with the road that was huilt hefor"
The Boxer iu%surrcction from Pekin To som"
distance beyond Pao.ting ~ and which
will H. extended 10 Hsnkov Thus. in time,
dire, rail communications will unit" pekin
with Canton through Hankow