The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-15
tings and furniture.
 The Humorous Side.


 But the exploit was not without it's numerous side. An English speaking buccaneer, for instance, sympathizing with the thirsty engineer whom he was controlling, revolver in hand, asked the engineer if he would like whiskey and soda; and, leaving a fel- low pirate in charge of the engine room. went to the pantry and brought back wi1iskey bottle and one of beer, explaining that he could not find soda water.
 Among the pirates were some who understood the navigation of steam ships and others who knew how to run the engines. One, indeed, told the engineers in English that he knew more about a marine engine than they did. F When the ship reached Bias Bay and the collections made by the pi- rates were being put aboard the junks,- the English speaking engineer among the robbers ordered the Norwegians | to draw the fires and remove certain necessary valves, thereby making it impossible to restart the ship for sew eraI hours. It was some hours after i the junks sailed away that the Chinese passengers ventured up on deck and unbound the officers, and some hours more before the vessel was in condi- tion to proceed at low. speed back to Hong Kong. A reward was offered for infornla- ton leading to. arrests, but it seems unlikely, owing to the disordered state 1 of the province, that the robbers will allow themselves to be trapped. Piracy l has such a hold in these waters that the Chinese government is powerless to exterminate it. I No Funds Available.
 I The. governor is hard pressed for 1 funds to pay a sufficient number of I troops to prevent another rebellion Eagainst the authority of the Picking
 government Over $15,00O.000 of pa- per money has been issued. with no I reserve of bullion behind it. This paper l now stands at less than half it's nom I inal value, as a result there are serious prospects of trouble on this account
 There is also danger to be guarded | against in the so-called modern stu
 dents, most of whom have been tIlrne ed l out of office by Lung Chi-Kwang and
 Lii Kai-Shen, the military and civil | governors, who are loyal to Yuan Shi- I Kai; for it was found that the Chinese l of modern education, who came into I office during the -MancIu revolu- l ton, had other forms of government ;s than that which President Yuan has
 put into operation in this and other {. provinces
 Americans have been involved ir two cases of river piracy recently IT
 the case of the Standard Oil Com ,1 pany, n1isfortunes befell the pirates
 They boarded an oil junk bound fo1 an interior town. and overpowered the
 crew, but a Chinese river gunboa l happened upon the scene and in turI took the pirates by surprise. As is the custom in such cases the pirates were
 put to death without trial on the seen, of their exploit.
 Less lucky were a party of mission aries who were proceeding from Can ton, after a holiday, back to thei : mission in the interior. The natfv' : sai1boat in which they traVeled wa l boarded one night and eVerythin, ei taken from them but sufficient cloth r ing to cover their bodies. Even tn v shoes of the ladies were taken. thougl el old Chinese shoes were given one wI1 : asked for a pair.