The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-02
ASIA'S BIGGEST Bust.
NESS CITY.
icopyright, 1904, BY Frank G. carpenter.)


CANTON, China.
Canton is the biggest city OF the AsiatIc
continent. 1t is the industrial center Of
this side OF the globe, and the day may
come when It will sutpass any city of the
world in size. London has almost reach
ed its maximum; New York is in its
prime, but Canton, which IS older than
either, seems 10 be at rs very beginning.
for it has been born again. Throughout
the ages it has grown into city OF two
and one-half millions through business
OF wheelbarrows, boats and manual work
II is now to have steam, electricity and all
labor saving inventions. II IS to be the
end of the great trunk line originated by
she late Calvin s. Briee and other Ameri-
cans, which shall cross China from Pckin
10 Hanlsow and thence come here. tapping
the industries OF hundreds of millions.
The canton OF today has not a railroad
Of any kind In the future it will have
IS many tracks as Chicago, and the cars
will shoot out from here to Tonbing, Yum
nan, Burmah and all parts OF the Chinese
empire II has thousands Of little fac
tories now. In the future 1t viii have
more steam mills than Philadelphia. more
fouudries than Pittsburg and more cot
ton mills than Massachusetts
a CELESTIAL BEEHIVE.
have spent many weeks in Canton
Curing my several visits to Asia. The
immeusity Of the city grows upon me- It
IS = vast hive IN which every human bee
is at work Chicago covers about the
whole OF Cook county Canton proper is
surrounded by walls only six miles in cir
conference. The walls are thirty feet
high and are battered and worn They
now embrace only the older parts of the
city Modern Canton hl5 long since over
flowed them and il now extends Tor miles
up and down the Pearl river. II covers the
banks, and IL has even gone ont and built
houses on the water itself
CHINESE WATER RATS.
The boat population here IS enormous.
Tuere are more people living on the water
81 Canton than at any single place in the
world. You could take the floating popu-
Iation Of Venice aud lose it in the floating
population of this city China has mote
boats than al the rest OK the world put t1.
Eethcr. and Canton has more Than amy
other part OF China, There are hundred.
Of thousands OF people here oha are born
live and die upon boats There arc thou
sands Of babies who are always within si,
inches Of drowning ! have visited many
OF tae boat homes sculliug along from on,
little floating halrc goo another crtauu.
conformation among both parents and chill
dren by oiutirg my camera at them. On
some OF the boats babies were playing. o.,
some they were squallnr and on some talk
ing meal from their mothers Many 20
thc small children bad barrels or floats o
wood tied to their backs.
These are life preservers TO keep then
from sinking when they fall In the water
Other little ones were tied hy ropes 10 IN
boats hut az q rule the children sprawIc
about free. They lodged this way and an.
as my boat moved toward them, divin
down into the hold or hiding behind a sa
or mast to keep out Of the way Of n
camera. This morning / pointed the r.
strument At four little bows playing on n
wharf Each had q barrel on his back
was about 20 press the button when one
Them spicd NC and gave a veil vhcrrup.
che quartet r1nprrcd away carrying the
barrels flying hrhuI them 1s thew ran.
] mad the Chinese here drciicdly uhic
20 being photographed When Uuh'ari
Smith was 40 charge Of oar consulate I
offered ha chair bearers ap cents a0ie,
81 hey would hold him Sup iu fba r.uul
chair while DE had photograph 5lv
They Indignantly refused aar off the- .
ing Huh Smith whether o.. thwglt m
such a fool as TO stand mo that picture a
the rest of his lie lifting up th- Amerca
consul for twenty cents had 70 rimH
photograph made tho other dp Ne GO
me a dollar
CANTON IS CHICAGO.
From the wharves I won't ~, ;,t, u