The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-10-26

lated. the dead Chinese I'm their hun
dreds, i'm their thousands. stretched
from bank to bank, a moving river of
the dead. In the spr.nB OF 1901 another
friend OF mine was travelling in Man
churia. lie was accompanied by his
Chinese "comprador." When they left
the railway line and struck across
country IN carts, the land became sud-
denly dead, each village as they enc
tered 1t was deserted. Signs of life,
recent life were there i'm plenty, loaves
of bread in the ovens, pigs IN the.
yards, fires in the houses, but no peo-
pie, not sign of man, woman, or
child He had come on business, to
buy pigs bristles and in order to buy
it was necessary to ind someone to
sell, but no one was there. The first
day they wondered, the second they
consulted, and then the "comprador"
said he had plan. Would the master
stay a long way outside the next viii
lage quite hidden, and let him go on
alone? The master could and did. The
'comprador" went on by himself AZ
ter while he returned smiling, and
they drove into a populated village in
triumph. The explanation was simple.
but sufficient. The Russians had occu-
pied Manchuria for a year. and the
Chinese were acquainted with their
rule. Seeing a white man coming to-
wards the village, they naturally ms
TOOK him for Russian, and fled, man,
woman and child, leaving all their
earthly possessions behind them, hop
ing perhaps that h would be content
with look and leave life alone.
After several weeks of travels and
adventure, my friend completed his
business and started back, leaving his
purchases-Worth large sum of mon
ey-piled together in Chinese village,
covered with a tarpaulin and guarded
only by a Chinese Waterman. whom he
had hired for the purpose. | should
mention that all this while he had car
ried about with him the necessary
money in silver dollars. He was trav-
cling alone, among the Chinese with a
Chlnese servant, and he said it was on
ly While he was on the railway, and
under the special escort of a guard OF
Russian soldiers that he had anv fear
for his money or his life. Once hack
IN siberia, he went to the manager of
the railway to inquire about the trans
portatlon OF his purchases: and the
RUSSIAN manager of the Russian rail-
way advised him las friend not to
have the goods sent by rail. because
they would probably be stolen. So thew
came by boat, by Chinese boat, and NOT
SO much as dollars worth was miss
ing.
Vladivostock is a Russian town. If
Is not inhabited by criminals, whether
polltlcal or otherwise, but the Govern
Ihent oHnclads,' soldiers, merchants and
coolies. And the same conditions of
life and trade which exist there will
no doubt repeat themselves in Man
churia, when Russia has Civilized"
the Chinese into a state of complete
supJecuon. BY the grace of the Car.
foreigners are allowed to live and trade
IN NIad1Vostock, but the Governor can
ueport any person or persons he thinks
mt at twenty-four hours notice no
reasons given. This power which is
absolute, has some curious results and
proves a large source of income to the
Governor. L was much surprised one
evening at the serious effect produced
by what l thought an item of mere
local gossip: 1.-The Governor had been
losing heavily at cards" But | alter
Gu my OPINION little while after when
a Russian official came into the office
and remarked, in substance. If NOT in
actual words. You're Jones and Co.
Ali" turning to a list in his hand.
THE Governor is Rising a subscrip-
down for 1000 roubles. Pay up" The
money was paid and promptly. But
the bust has not yet arrived
After all, the Governors actions are
Understandable. No Russian official
receives an adequate salary, and he is
therefore forced to make it up in brides
or blackmail-in exactly the same man
ner as the uncivilized Chinese official
cannot deport foreign settlers at TWEEN
ty-four hours notice, no reasons given,
without involving his country in diff
culties with the Embassy of the for
eigner.
The whole question of peaceful, not
to say successful, life in Siberia is one
of knowing how to bride; and failure
is equally simple: you may not bride
enough, or you may bride the wrong
person.
1t should also be borne in mind.
though a matter of less importance,
that the pay of n Russian soldier is As
kopeks about 10hd. every two months.
And as he is not in q position, like mis-
officers, to increase h s income by brib-
cry, he does it mostly by stealing. The
common soldier is treated like brute,
and he seems, inGeed, nothing but a
human animal. 1 Travelled for some
days on board the same bout With one
of the regiments of the Manchurian
army. The soldiers occupied the main
deck. Twice every day they were fed.
Several large tin footbaths, containing
a thin watery-b brown porridge mess,
were brought on to the deck and set
down at intervals. The men crowdt d
round these in companies, sitting on
their launches; each one was provided
with a wooden spoon. / have seen
many a litter of pigs fed with more
well, with more civilization.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is Rus
sian, very much Russian, and columns
have been written about its value, COM
mercial and otherwise. 1t is guaran-
teed by the Russian Government, who
pay all deficits, consequently the Rus
sian officials do not trouble to work It
for profit They prefer loss, it is
less bother. 1t is necessary to beg and
implore, and of course to bride in or
der to induce them to carry goods at
all. And their charges are not only ex-
orbitant but very capricious. Trucks
taken from A to cost ten roubles,
from to A twenty, although in the
first case the trucks were loaded and
in the second empty. And the business
methods of the Trans Siberian may be
gagged from the following example. A
box containing some bottles of beer
was sent along a few "versts" of the
line. The ticket was unfortunately lost.
When the Chinese boy" went to claim
the box, which was lying there before
1T l..