Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-25

and candies, and other dainties were
brought in during the audience.
was able to meet Sheng Kung Pao
by an Introduction from DR.. John G.
Ferguson. an American who Is high In
the confidence OF the leading Chinese
officials, He was for a long time and
is now, one OF the confidential foreign
B advisers OF Cheng, and he has been as
! sociated In II similar capacity with the
, yiceroys OF Marking and Wuchang. He
! accompanied me to the palace and per-
/ formed the ceremony of introduction.
after which he left me with Shen2 and
the interpreter.
| TETE-A-TETE WITH A CHINESE
MILLIONAIRE
| We had but n short time to wait His
| eNccllcncy came in through q side door
! and as DR.. Ferguson presented me he
reached out his hand TO shook mine in
American fashion. He used the right
nand, giving me n strong grip with his
long yellow fingers. AS he did 50 he
looked me straight In the face and his
bright black eyes seemed to be search
ing my soul Indeed his eyes were so
keen that the remainder. of his per-
sonality was thrown into the back
ground and 1t was some time before
] took in the details. Then / observed
that the eyes belonged to- an old Chi
nese, of medium height and STOPPING
shoulders. They shonc out of a sallow
complexion, over high cheekbones and
from rather thin face. His cxcellcncy
was dressed In q long gown of blue
SILK. He had black silk hat on his
head, the rim of which was turned
up all around and out of the back of
which extended broad waving feath-
er. He wore white turnover collar
and his coat had buttons OF gold
Tho
greeted me. He led me across the
room and motioned me to sit down at
the table, giving me q chair at his left
which Is the seat of honor in China. AS |
We sat there, our elbows almost touch |
ing. he rested his left hand on the table |
and, as he became interested in the !
talk, now and then tapped the board |
with his nails, As he did so could not |
keep my eyes off his hand The nails |
on tho last three fngers-that is. on
all of the fingers except the index fin
Ger-were at least three inches long,
and the thumb nail stood out like a
spoon. When not tapping his excel
lency's hand. resting on the nails, had
the tips of the fingers raised above the
table itself to the height of an ordin-
ary glass tumbler and the wrist was
well up off the table. The finger nails
were as white as ivory, and 1t struck
ter to keep them so clean
CHINA'S STEEL INDUSTRY.
The conversation opened with the
discussion of the Hanyang steel works.
which 1 told his excellency 1 had lust
visited. 1 asked him how they were
doing He replied that they wero
steadily Increasing in efficiency and in
tneir ability to turn out modern rails |
structural steel and other such ma
terlals He said that the company had
already exported pig iron to America,
and that 1t could, II II would now sell
iron there In competition with the
united states steel trust at a profit
He said that the day would como when
China would produce all its own steel.
and that every province would event,
ually have its own factories and foun-
dries. ShenS expects much from japan
as purchaser of Chinese iron and |
steel, and he considers our Pacific coast
q legitimate tributary OF the Industrial
China of tho future.
asked him as to his iron mines He
replied that the supply Of ore is almost |
and is finer than that OF
most parts of the world 1t is as pure
as the famed iron of Sweden, and fs
much more easily won. As to the coal
he Is now using, this makes fine coke.
and China has been exporting coke to
japan. His eXcellency believes that
China has all the materials to make It
q great manufacturing country. and
that It's people are naturally fitted to
be the chief Industrial nation of Asia.
OHINA'S RAILROAD ERA.
I here referred to the new railroads
which China has projected, and asked