Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05
NIrlt 10 tRo NIceror.

VISIT 20 the NtcerOy.
II was through a letter from MIR. James
Wilson, our secretary OF agriculture, whose
fame has gone all over the world, that
was able to meet this distinguished Chi
nese and to secure from him a letter of
good win to the people Of the United
States My audience was arranged by
our consul az Hankow, Mr.. william II.
Martin. II was in a steam launch that
we crossed the Yangtse- Kiang. and landed
under the walls Of Wuchang. Our way
for two or three miles was up the mighty
river. past the business houses of the
foreign settlements Of Hankow. We took
ship I'm the Japanese concession, and
steamed by the German quarter with its
fine banks and the branch offices OF the
North German Lloyd and the Hamburg
American. We next passed the immense
brick tea factory owned by the Russians,
and then went on beyond the great ex-
porting houses of the Americans, French
and British. After that we skirted the
native city OF Hankow, which is bigger
than Boston. seeing the people looking
like gigantic blue ants as they climbed
up the steps from the river to the streets
which line the bluff
During the voyage our captain steered
us through shipping such as can be seen
nowhere outside OF China There were
ocean liners which had come up the
Yangtsc- -Klang for tea: Chinese, Japanese,
British and French river steamers, and
hundreds Of great Chinese junks, with
smaller craft Of all sizes. As we passed
the Han river which flows into the
YanEtse between Hanlow and Han Yang
we looked up through a long thicket of
masts Of such craft at anchor. enabling
us 10 believe the statement that China
all no n
world put together.
on the opposite side Of the Han we could
sec the immense steel works OF the vice
roy and the smokestacks of his arseuals.
These were in the city of Han Yang,
whose houses covor the north bank OF the
Yangtsc as Ear as the eye can reach. 1t
was at this point that I'VE crossed over
to the walled city Of Wuohang on the
opposite side OF the Yangtse. The city
stands high over the river, and we came
10 anchor at one of the granite stairways
which lead up to the bund.
In state Through Wuchang.
Tho viceroy had fixed the hour of our
coming, and had sent two OF his carriages
20 bring US to the palace. One would have
sufficed for the consul and myself. for
neither is fat; but it was more courteous
20 send two, and so two we had. Each
carriage had its liveried cOachman and
footman, and each was preceded by two
officials on horseback. who wore crystal
buttons as big around as a walnut on the
top of their caps and carried long whips
to clear the common people out of the
way Our carriages we're of the kind
which the anti-foreign Chinese call devil
carts" They we're Tubber-tired coupes
imported from Europe They were lphol-
stored I'm fine Russia leather and equipped
with little mirrors that the passengers
may prlmp themselves as they 60
Our way to the palace was through the
busiest parts Of the city, and we saw
everywhere the signs Of Chinas awak m
ing. The streets had been wideneL In
most places they were clean and well
drained and / saw stone sutter5 along
the sides OF the chief business avenues.
Uniformed policemen with clubs stood at
every corner to handle the crowd, and
every now and then we passed soldiers,
His excellency Chen Kwei-Eung has an
army half as large as that Of the United
states, and It is equipped with foreign
guns and has been drilled in foreign style.
We went by a large drill grounds and
barracks, on the banks OF the river, and
farther on were guarded by troops in blue
uniforms AS we neared the palace we
saw more and more soldiers and found
companies OF them on guard in the vari-
Gus courts.