Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-27
THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
VII-RAILROAD EXTENSION.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Discussion of railroads in China in
wolves a recital of past and present con-
struction and history. and an outline of
gigantic plans now afoot which would
change the face of the country. At the
present time there are less than 6ooo
miles of railways In all of China. Sun
Vat Sen. the famous Chinese reformer.
hopes to be instrumental in building
fully 10000 miles of line within the next
ten years. and in this great undertaking
he has the hearty support of the republic
can government Many observers think
this distinguished citizen OF the world has
hitched his new wagon to star entirely
beyond human reach. On the other hand,
his earlier visions. once seemingly I'M
possible have become realities while he
is in his prime. and he is still working
with the same steady purpose that has
characterized all his endeavors Almost
any reasonable accomplishment now seems
possible for China in view of the success
full revolution of 1911-12 and the new era
which 1t is ushering in.
Railroading began in China in the year
1875 with small. narrow-gause hne
from Shanghai to Wusung. distance OF
twenty miles. 1t was dismal failure.
and would be poor augury Tor TINS
phase of modern commerclahsm In Oio
Cathay were it not. in its very unusual
ending so typical of that period, 1n4Such
great contrast to the alert spirit or new
China. The very things that the Chinese
abhorred and resisted few years ago
they now clamor for the loudest
*
This pioneer railroad in China was III
tended for freight and passengers from
the sea UP to
Line Boycotted Shanghai 1t was
Following Death. and was built
without any particular objection or conf
mendation from the Chinese government.
The road did well for few months until
a Chinese was killed by an accident on
the line The natives then boycotted the
road and demanded punishment for the
foreign devils" An arrangement was
effected whereby the line should be man
aged by the foreign experts. under the
direction OF high Chinese officials. for
one year, after which a definite adjust
ment would be made.
The foreigners saw to it that the Of
ficials were not unpaid for their interest
in the project, and naturally calculated
that q years revenues from this new
source would induce the mandarins to
permit the line to run, in consideration
for which all due and proper reward
would doubtless have been paid. Regard
less of profits. however, at the end OF the
year the track and rails were torn up,
and with the rolling stock shipped to
remote part of the already sufficiently re-
mote island of FormoSa, and there al
lowed TO bleach and rot on the beach. To
cap their deed these high Chinese Off
Gals RACED the Shanghai depot to the
ground and on the spot erected a temple
to the queen of heaven. in order that the
ground so lately polluted by foreign witch
craft might again become sacred. This
dismal fate of western ambition to pro-
vide means to China for the development
and transportation of it's great potential
resources discouraged all other attempts
of the same nature for several years.
= =
Slowly. however, a handful of the en-
pires leading men began to see the neces-
sty of railroads.
Ii Hung Chang The idea took
Friend of Railroad. of ' the CELEBRATED
Lii Hung Chang in 1856. then viceroy OF
Chilli. that he caused line to be built
for the moving of coal from the Kaiping
mines to Taku bar, at the mouth of the
Peiho river, a distance of possibly thirty
miles. II was dOubly remarkable, in view
of the wTeckng of the first railroad. that
this little coal line was made possible by
a Chinese and was controlled by the gov
eminent. Two years later native mer-
chants company was organized by i'm
perial. sanction to extend the line thirty
miles to Tientsin. In 1907 another eighty
miles led the iron horse to the outside of
Peking's tartar wall. The entire line is
now link in the Imperial Northern rail-
ways.
Chang Chih-tung. viceroy of Canton, also
believed in railroads, and had a vision of
a great trunk line which would cross
China from Canton at the southern tip
to ancient SZechuan province. distance
of nearly 1900 miles. He memorialzed
the throne to such good effect that he
was transferred to be yiceroy of HOnan
and Hupeh. with headquarters at Han
kow. and ordered to build his railroad.
The line is being built now by degrees
In order to push along construction and
make the project entirely Chinese, Vice
roy Chang put up the Hanyang steel mills
at Hankow. Owing to unskiled labor
inaptitude with foreign machinery and
other causes. the cost OF turning out steel
rails at Hanyang proved to be greater
than the price of foreign rails shipped
over and laid Gown at HankOw. Ii is
understood that 100000 was lost i'm this
venture. but the mills are still running
with some success.
x
In due time came the Canton X owloon
Hankow line
Other Railroads Germany's
Follow in Due Time. ioau in 'ne
Shantung and the Mancfurian system i'm
connection with Russias great trans
siberian railways. Some of these roads
are still uncompleted. The usual method
has been that of foreign financial back
ing and foreign direction under the more
or less curSory inspection of Chinese Of
hcials. Very strange accounts of frenzied
finance and official corruption, ignorance
and untfitness are wrapped up in the his
tory of some of these lines. This came to