Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-16
RAILWAYS IN CHINA
Popular Attitude More
Friendly Than Formerly.
HOSTILE IN PLACES
CONTRACTOR BLAMED FOB IN
JUSTICE TO THE PEASANTS.
Lines Have to BE Run Over Graves
How the Magistrates
Are Squared"
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
BELLINGHAM. Wash, August 16, 1904.
Including the branches of the TRANSIT
herian railway IT, Chinese territory, there
are now about 1870 miles of railway in
operation IL. the Celestial empire, with
about 200 miles under actual construction.
Concessions have been granted for about
5000 miles under which nothing has yet
been done. and surveys have been made
for about 5000 miles additional. No matter
how the war between Japan and Russia may
ED. China will push ahead. and within the
next quarter Of a century will be the
scene of the greatest activity of any coun-
try on earth in mining. railway construc-
ton and other material development.
AS already indicated in previous letters,
the progressive element of the population is
in power, and the movement 1t is directing
gains impetus every day. The reaction in
favor of modern ideas since the Boxer
trouble is manifesting itself in every part
OF the empire in variety of FORMS and
strange things are occurring these days
Which the wiseSt men would have declared
impossible five years ago. The empress
dowager has emerged from the traditional
seclusion of the Chinese sovereigns and by
the change in her habits has confessed that
the person of the Son Of Heaven Is no long
e. too sacred to be looked upon She has
had her portrait painted and sent to st.
Louis for barbarians and foreign devils to
stare at. and (mirable dictuD ten automo-
biles have been purchased for the use of
the imperial household. Bicycles have been
common around the Forbidden City for sew
eral years. and the empress dowager has
actually ridden in a foreign carriage.
These, however, are merely Straws show
ing the direction In which the wind is
blowing and it is becoming a very strong
wind. Among a class of people who alb
horred everything foreign no longer than
five years ago there is now an active rival
ry as to which shall be the first to adopt
the latest fashions and inventions and to
be the nearest up to date"
In other words China is awakening from
the slumber of centuries and the ruling
classes of the people, the officials and man
darins and men with money and education,
resources they have been trampling under
their feet and are reaching out for modern
means and methods to turn them into
money. OF course they cannot do anything
without railway facilities, for China is
vast area broken by mountain ranges and
divided by great streams.
Upon those streams and the canals which
intersect them there has always been an
er ormous traffic carried on by junks.
steamers and f1atboats.
Trade With Hankow.
For example. 5000 vessels cleared from
the port of Hankow during the year 1908
with total tonns ge of $3.50 .938 tons. OF
these 2,743 We're steamers of 1884, 1877 tons.
and 1884 were Chinese junks of 800 ,633
tens. You will be interested to know the
Eationalities of these steamers, which were
fnllOwS.