Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-01
fsnecial corrsspondence.l }

Especial Correspondence
~ HANGHAI. 1s09-During the past
fcw months have travelled over
~ most of the new railways CT
China The empire has on the
Iron boots of modern progress. and it
IS laying out roads in every dire tito l.
II has already more than 1000 miles
In operation. and double that In course
CT projection and construction. Tn :
systems already under way viii give
easy access 10 all the big cities. and
with the additions which are bound to
como. they Will eventually gridror the
country.
Today the Chinese have the poorest
railway facilities of all the great ma
lions Their empire is larger than the
United States, and II has four times our
population. Nevertheless, it's railways
compare with ours In the ratio of about
one mile to so. We have now nlmoss
100000 miles of railways. When China
is In as full swing she will need $4,000
miles, and her iron track mileage Will
not stop at 100000.
ON THE MANCHURIAN RAILWAYS
began my railway travel In China
on the chief Manchurian system.
landed at Dalny and went north to
Mukden. The trip was over the road
built by the Russians and rcmodelGd
by the Japanese. 1t is 11S0 miles long
and goes north to Harbin, where IT
connects with the Trans Siberian sys-
tenn. taking passengers from palny To
london In 16 days. This road came 20
Japan Mt the close OF it's war with
Russia. 1t Is now financed and rscs-
ated by the Japanese and is n living
evidence of their ability as practical
railway managers. Its tracks have 5se.t
entirely relaid. and that with American
steel New bridges have been put up
using materials ordered from The
United States. and the rolling stock is
mostly American. The express trains
have Pullman cars. lighted by electric
,ty, and the travel is as comforts bic
as anywhere in the world. The road IS
we'll financiered. The gross receipts
last year were about $500 900. and rs
net earnings were 1-6 per cent on the
common stock. The chief officers Of
the road are Japanese. but the pres
ent policy is to use Chinese for all sub
ordinate positions 1t is found lint
they are cheaper and more experiencM
They speak the language of the coun-
Try and do better in handling the traf-
fic.
THE NEW ROAD TO KIRIN
A branch of this Manchurlan railway
Is to Kir1n, which lies north of Mukden
so or 100 miles to tho eastward. Kirin |
has 100000 population. 1t is surrounded
by rich agricultural country and is n |
great lumber center. The new road |
has been financed by a combination Of |
Chinese and japanese capitalists. au1 |
Japan Is lending most of the money. |
The civil enginocrs are taken from both |
nations, but tho road Will be Chinese. |
In addition to this line preparations |
are making for constructing a stand |
ard gage road to Antung, on the oo--
ders of Korea, and there connecting |
with tho Korean railway system. |
There is already a two-foot track run
ming over this route. This will be torn
up. and where the new road line is laid
tho Trans-SibcTian trains Will be shifted
10 1t and will go directly to Antung
There they will be fcrried over the
river then go on down tho roads already
built through Korea to Fusan, within
u nights ride OF Japan. This will bring
Toxic into railroad communication with
FROM MUKDEN TO PEKIN.
l stopped some time at Mukden, and
thence went by express to Shanhai-
twan. T1entsin and Pekin- The depot
of Mulkden are indescrIbably
bad. There are no arrangements for
oagSdSe ana passengers must stand out |
N the rain while waiting for the trains,
The cars were crowded and l had diff
iculty In getting accommodations.
There was no sleeper. and the passen-
gers for Tientsn and Pekin were
forced to SIT up all night To AVOID
his l stopped off at ShanhaIkwan.
where the road goes through the Great
Wall, and took the day train on the
morning
The road from Mukden to Shanhni-
Swan Is wei built and fairly well man
lged. The conductors and trainmea |
Ire Chinese. as are also the station |
masters and laborers. Tho district
through which we went Is infested by
and we had soldiers on tn,
;ars as we'll as at the stations. Land
ng at Shanhaikwan. we were in China |
proper. and from thence on to Tien-
SIN we rode over the first railroad sue
.essfully operated on Chinese soil.
CHINA'S FIRST RAILROAD
The first track ever laid in this coun-
ry was a little stretch of IL miles.
from Shanghai to the port of Is
Woosung, on the Yangtse-Kiang. 1t
vas constructed in 1876 by q British |
ar cost of 100000. and was
operated but a few weeks. The native |
officials were opposed to railroads and |