The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-06
LETTER FROM HoNGKoNG.
Mrs. Kate Wheldon Plumb Writes OF
Her Trim in China


Her Trip in China.
Emporia, kan, Sept. 6.@The Ca
zette says: The following letter from
Mrs. Kate Wheldon Plumb, who with
her husband, Preston Plumb is on
her wedding trip IN China. viii inter
est Enporia people. The Plumbs
were al the King Edward hotel at
Hongkong, July 16- Mrs Plumb
writes:
"Our stay in Hongkong will soon be
over, and neither of US will be real
sorry. We are more than glad that
we came to China, but can assure you
that q little of it goes a long way. If
we can ever get these terrible Chinese
odors out of our nostrils we will be
happy. It is all right in Hongkong,
for it is an English city, but the other
places are fearful.
Last Tuesday we went to Canton
and found it a most delightful trip on
the river. It was only seven hours.
with beautiful islands and rice fields
all the way, and occasionally a pazo-
da. We spent two days in Canton
and by the way, that was enough At
first when we saw the river full OF
these Sam pans In which the fami-
lies are born, reared and die, we pit
led the people, but when We got into
the city and saw the wretchedness=
as 1t seemed to us-We decided that
the people on the river were in para
USE compared WIFI lnGID- 10 D6ElU
with, the streets are none of them
more than six feet wide. ard so that
they will be sure not to have any
fresh air or sunlight they have them
covered--so you can imagine the
odors and dampness that they live in.
But perhaps they feel that that is
better than the intense heat that is
| felt outside.
1--WE were much interested IN the
Sam pans-small boats with mat
ting cover on one end, in which whole
families of sometimes three genera
tions, they say, live at one time And
these boats are packed in the river
! like sardines. They tie rags around
| the boy babies waists and fasten them
to the railing, so when they fall over
board, all they do is to pull them
back This is not necessary with the
how-so they say. In fact in some
parts of China they kill them SO as to
| get them out of the way.
''Hongkong is beautiful city, the
residence part being on a high hill
| the top of which is reached by a cog
that it is as cool up there as in the
mountains, while down here In the
| city it may be boiling hot We've hao
great fun riding around in the sedar
chairs. At first we did not like the
/ motion, but now we think 1t is fine
It does seem terrible to have two mer
| carry you around on their shoulders
but as they don't mind. don't sup
pose we should
Everyone has been complaining o,
the heat here-they can not sleep--sC
we think we are fortunate in having E
corner room with good breeze. We
| only have one more day here. FOL
/ Tuesday our boat sails-stopping a
Shanghai and Nagasaki on the way
back to Kobe. where we Will leave
/ it and travel inland in Japan until W.
sail for home about the middle OF Au
gust We are looking forward to the
few weeks in Japan with a great dea
! OF pleasure. for evervone tells US tina
| the parts we are to visit are perfe
delightful.
Today we went by steamer t
Maco. a Portuguese settlement. abou
four hours from here. On account o
the heat we did not do much sigh
seeing but the time we spent on TIL
water We thoroughly enjoyed"