Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-04-11
WIRE INSULTED
BY JAPANESE
Guy Thornton Relates Interest
ing Incidents of His Trip.
Hone KONG, CHINA, Dec. II, '06.

Miss Daisy Thornton,
Dear Sis: Do you know I've
written so much lately on a little or
nothing that I hardly known how to
start another letter. This is a holi-
day week and we don't do any I'M
necessary work.
Hong Kong seems to be a poor place
to get curios, SO I'll have to wait
until we get to Yokohama
Went ashore yesterday to see the
town and climb Victoria's Peak.
When we hit the dock there were
about nine hundred and ninety nine
rickashaws waiting for US. The
chinks fought over us like dogs over
a bone, and we had to run to get
away from them. After walking
around the shops awhile we started
up the Peak.
We took the tramway which goes
about half way up, but walked the
rest of the way. Some of the fellows
rode up on the sedan chairs, which
are carried by two chinks who have
legs unusually well muscled from
climbing the peak dozens of times
day. Their calves are very large and
the muscles stand out on them in
punches. They take long stride like
a camel and although we came down
as fast as we could walk, the fellows
hNr1 md
jingle" The peak is 1923 feet high
and nearly straight up and gives a
beautiful view of Hong Kong and
harbor and surrounding islands.
On account of the air being light it
was some minutes before we could get
our breath enough to talk.
Hong Kong is beautiful place to
view from afar as it is composed
chiefly of government buildings, such
as barracks, postotfice, hospitals, pub
lie gardens and the like. Also hotels,
banks and other public buildings
owned by Englishmen.
They are conspicuous for their large
arch windows, which set in white
stone building erected on the pre-
cipitious side of a mountain makes
very pretty picture.
Chinese architecture is but fake.
Their buildings are greasy, dirty and
smell like the "last rose of summer"
What there is of Hong Kong is built
by English money, the chinks doing
the work.
My worst pest was the rickashaw
chinks. They were everywhere,
millions of them, so anxious for us to
ride that several times we were
threatened with destruction by their
antics. They have remarkable wind
and will run for miles without a
pause and without getting winded.
After each ride they always wanted a
dollar, but ten cents and bang on
the head works wonders toward
lowering the price.
They have very narrow streets.
Only one wide one has q street car
line. The shops and stores are all
Chinese and sell mostly silk and
jewellery | did not find out where
all the people lived as | did not see
any dwelling houses, every house was
a shop. At night the streets and
shops were all lit up with Chinese
lanterns, such as you buy in the state
for lawn party decorations.
| was in a silk store owned by some
Hindoos, and after jewing him down
from seventy cents to thirty cents on
d silk embroidered handkerchief |
bought it, and the next day opened it
aboard ship and all the wrapper con-
tanned was shredded paper used for
packing. Then they had the laugh
on me. l did not feel very cheap,
however, as the Hindoos are the
trickiest people in the world, while
I'm nothing but an honest Yank.
We reported aboard ship at twelve
O'Clock "clean and sober" and were
glad to get back to civilization.
Money spent to convert the Chinese
is worse than wasted as you might
as well convert pack of apes. They
are Christians as long as the money
comes, but when it stops they throw
their babies in the river and eat rats.
They have an evil Josh" God
who lives in the water and so they
never battle. They live on the water
in Sampans and as they breed fast
the supertluous babies are thrown in
the river. | wouldn't believe this
until j saw their little bloated bodies
floating past the ship. If man falls
overheard not one of them dare rescue
him, for fear of displeasing the Josh"
A wrinkled Chinese woman has
less intelligent look and more closely
resembles the ape than does a smart
young chimpanzee. They hang about