The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-02-15
HOW THE BRITISH HOLD THE
CONNER IAL GATEWAY
OF CHINA.

The Enormous Trade of Possibilities
The New Buildings and How They
Are Made-WOman Labor at 10
Cents a Day-Whcre the Girls Carry
Ericks on Their ShoulderS-Night
Scenes-A Look at the Shops
Sports of tho Far East-HOngkong
Clubs, Etc. Etc.
copyright. 1910, by Frank G. Car
penter.)
HONGKONG.
The BOOMING cities of the world are
now on this side of the Pacific. The
awakening of Asia is bringing In CAPT.
tai from Europe and the United States,
and the whole continent seems to have
sprung into life. Yokohama has
doubled since I last saw it, Toxic is
now bigger han Chicago, Osaka will
rank with Philadelphia and Shanghai
is ahead of Poston or st. Louis. Hong
kong. away down here at the southern
end of China. has now a population of
400. 600, and It promises to be n OF
the greatest cities Of the void. 1t
clones to the Pritish. It had only
two thousand Chinese fishermen in it
when they took hold Of it seventy
years ago. It is now one of the great
ports of the world and the people
here claim that 1t has more tonnage
than Liverpool or London.
Within the past year a railroad has
been started at the 1hurb of KowlooH
on the mainland. This IS being built
to Canton. and 1t will give Hongkong
rail connections with that city and
all interior China. The road is known
as the Canton-KowIoon railway. At
Canton 1t joins the trunk line running
no~th to Hankow. the concession for
which was given to the Americans.
but sold back to China. The Chinese
are now building that road. and when
it ts completed there will he a through
freight and passenger service from Pc
king to Honcknng and the whole of
the emrire will he tributary to this
port. Canton itself has a population
of over two millions. Hankow and
IT'S sister cities are still lager and
that trunk road will tap a population
fully as great as that of the United
States. Several other railroad svs-
TENS now huihinr will %onnect with
It and this city will then be the south
ern gateway to China by rail, as well
as by sea.
The Hongkone Of Today.
It is a question whether Hongkong
will not soon surpass the other ports
of the world IN the amounts of its
shipping. It now handles ABOUT $500.
600 600 worth of freight q year. and
more than IL 900. 600 tons Of goods
come in and o out of it's ha~bOr every
twelve months. This freight Is ca~-
RED upon about so, 600 different vessels
The most of them are Chinese. but
there are also great steamers from
EuroDe AMI the Tnite1 States. There
are FIVE differentlines which connect
Hongkong with America, and more
then that which go to apa You
can get a ship here any day for Eu-
rope by way of the Suez Canal. aof
there are regular services to the Phil
ippires. Australia, the Dutch East
Jrdies. and almost every point in the
Pacific and Indian oceans. The port
is free and AIT enormous amount Of
freight is transhipped to the other
countries and islands nearby.
The passenger service by way OF
Hongkong is also important. BY
changing boats you can reach almost
any point from this place. There are
vessels which leave nightly for Can
ton and almost every day for Shang-
hal. The fare to Canton is IS and
to Shanghai SEQ. It costs $40 to Singa-
pore, and the time is five days. A
like amonnt will take you to Bangkok.
and for SIS you may go to Saigon in
COchin-China. 1t is only two days n
$50 to Manila, while n may have a
passage to Melbourne, Australia, for
s170. There are steamers once or
twice a week for the American con
tinent. The time is less than a
month. and the cost is 1925 In gold.
The distance to San Francisco is over
5000 miles. and to Singapore about
500. It is 500 miles from here t.
SNdfSHdt, 1-fOo To hODc, less IHdII L.
500 to Yokohama, n about 100 miles
more to Vladivostok, at the eastern
end of the Trans-Siberian railroad.
The Crown Colony.
HonekOng is a crown colony. It
was ceded to Great Britain by China
in 1871. It has grown steadily since
then, and 1t is now a military and
naval station for frst-class import
nee. 1t is the headquarters of h
China squadron, comprising about
sixty vessels in all, and it has an i'm
periai garrison of $500 troops. 1t Is
ruled by a governor, appointed by the
King of England. and the man now
in charge is Sir Frederick Z. Lugard,
who made himself famous as governor
or Nigeria Sir Frederick receives a
salary of $4,000 a year. and has a
bin and a Legislative council to
help him, two Of whom are Chinese.