The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-03
A LONELY NIGHT.
Editor Howe Spends Hours
Watching Lighthouse at Sea.
Last Look at China From the
Deck of the 'sSimla.s
MONEY SYSTEM BAD.
Discounts Are Very Costly as
Well as movement.
Boon Companion a Traveller Who
Hates Missionaries.
MONEY SYSTEM BAD.

Monday. December Is.
I neglected to mention in its proper
place than when we entered the harbor
at Hong Kong last Friday we passed
within a few hundred feet of three Rus
sian war vessels lying at anchor. They
are sneaking home. by slow stages.
There is a good deal of gossip at Manila
about the three Russian warships late
~ interned there. American naval off
GERS say the ships were not in bad con
dition, and that they still had a fight in
them. Citizens of Manila also say that
the Russian offices were dissipated,
worthless lot, and had plenty of money;
they kept a. large cash deposit at the
Army and Navy club, and spent it free
~. The interned Russian ships left
Manila few days before I arrived
there.
1 have also neglected to say that the
Mex financial sytem prevails in the
Philippines, a dollar being known as a
peso, and worth so cents. The American
government has issued paper money for
the Islands, the bills being about two
thirds the size of our greenbacks. On
one side of the bills is a picture of Nc
klnley, on the other a picture of a ma
tive patriot whose name 1 have forgot
ten, although I became quite familiar
with his face, and made a pilgrimage to
his tomb. The Mex. silver dollar is
worth about as much as our silver dol
lar, but in reality it is worth only half
as much, owing to our gold basis.
At Shanghai. there is an institution
known as the Chartered Bank of India,
Australia, China and Japan, with
branches all over the Orient. 1t issues
paper money at Shanghai, and at the
Hong Kong branch, the bank discounts
its own bills five per cent You meet
with discounts everywhere; one traveller
told me that he went into a bank to get
a hundred dollar bill changed and was
charged two per cent for the accommo-
dalton. Tradesmen also discount your
money, as one currency is used in
Shanghai, another in Hong Kong, an
other in Manila, and so on. As soon as
a traveller arrives in a city, he is com
PEELED to go to a bank, and get a supply
of the money in use locally. If he has
any left from the last city visited, he is
compelled to stand a discount in order
to get it changed. If 1 lived in the
Orient, and could not be a bishop, 1
should certainly strive to be a banker.
I believe L have. stated that Hong
Kong, although without a railroad, is
the greatest shipping port in the world.
1t has d mail line of ships to every
known country except South America.
Last night there was a heavy rain,
but today has been warm and bright,
with d comparatively smooth sea. No
one has been sick, so far as have heard.
There are about 20 first class passengers
on the "Simla," and possibly half that
number of second class. 1t turns out
that one of the four American boys ac-
cOmpanying tutor, was sent away for
a purpose: on arriving al Hong Kong,
the boy learned that his father, a wild
over, had married second wife. /
heard the boy talking about the affair
in the smoking room today.
Two of the other passengers are Yam
kee old maids travelling together. On
coming on board, they found another
woman in their state room. and they
grumbled until they got her out. They
know the power of the kick and are
very near to the disagreeabIe line. But
every traveller at sea grumbles back.
On one side of the Philippines when
three are placed in a state room, the
third being accommodated very indif-
ferently on the lounge. The steamship
companies all advertise only two pas
sengers in a state ROOM" but they all
put in a third when there is a rush. Tt
is one of the many discomforts passen-
gers are compelled to stand.
The citizen of Missouri who is not
having a good time. and who yesterday
wrote con- plant to the st. Louis
C4lObe-Democrat occupies a room across
the hall from mine, and he frequently
comes in and grumbles. He leaves the
"Sinla" at Singapore. and goes to Ba-
tavia.
"I don't want to go to Batavia he
said to me this morning. but if
don't. when I return home, people will
say I missed the best thing out her e.
So I am going to Batavia, although
know nothing about it, care nothing
about it. and, hate the name of it.
came on this trip. anyway, Just to
please the nejghbors. They kept tell
ing me of the delights of foreign trav-
ell: and here am, as miserable as
can be. My stomach feels as though
had swallowed a decayed oyster; and I
can't get rid of it. I shall see a lot
of new temples in India, but I don't
care for them: they are nothing more
than monuments erected in memory of
fools: I'd rather see something new, and
sensible These people over here have
nothing to show except what fools their
fathers, ard grandfathers, We're
When I return home, I shall pretend