The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-03-07

on what we term frontier work and
believe me, it is at times hard work
and also very trying. In some places
we have to do all our travelling by
house boats and Of course this Is not
bad in the summer, time except for
the mosquitoes which are as big as
horse fiies, but in the winter time 1t
is very cold and very disagreeable.
In the winter as well as in the summer
the boat is propelled by the coolies
working on board. On the top of the
boat q pole is erected and at the top
of this a line is made fast; this is
then taken ashore and the men pull
the boat from town to town. By this
method one is able to make about 6O
to 70 Lii in one day. But in the win
ter the progress is very slow because
of the ice that has to be broken by a
gang of coolies in front OF your Doat,
and if you are lucky and have good
gang of coolies you will make pos
sibly 1 or 2 Ii in one day.
Progress at this speed compels one
to be on a trip for weeks at time
and when your food is exhausted you
are compelled to live on Chinese food
and this does not settle very we'll on
a foreigners stomach, and besides the
food is very dirty and has been wash
ed in river water which has the same
color as the old Boyer river at home.
But the mode of travel on land is
very hard. One travels by cars and
wheelbarrows. The wheelbarrows
are so made that two persons can
ride, and are propelled by two coolies,
s,, nd .hphIn1
The roads in China are like our
trails out west at home. And | can
tell you they are not at all smooth, but
on the contrary they are full OF holes
and stones and over these you must
travel Ii after Lii all day long, bump
ing up and down like a ship in rough
weather. One Ii is equal to l-3 OF
our mile.
But after you have made one or two
of these trips you become accustomed
to the life and one begins to like It
When I came up here | weighed l3s
pounds and now weigh 1865 pounds
so you see it agrees with me. NOW
travelling by what they call Peklne
carts are a great deal worse for they
are built so heavy and are so narrow
that when you sit down in one OF these
vehicles you clasp your hands arounc
your knees and ride all day and alst
sleep in this position. And, belieyt
me, when you have ridden all day il
one of these things you are glad U
get out and stretch your legs arte
reaching village at night.
But ones troubles are just begu
when he reaches a village. Here h
must find a hotel, and they are notl
ing but inns made of sticks plastere
over with mud and they general
L.. A.ssss s:x sen4 no ye
A to- close them and In the Wfhtei 1t
sure cold sleeping on the Gard col
.Imother earth. And in the sum mer 70
4 have to SIT up nights to keep the dus
off of you so that your staff can fin
you in the morning. Some life, what
But one consolation, when travelinI
in this manner you-do not have 10
of stock to look after, for these trip
are only inspection trips. The Chi
nese statesmen travel with all th'
stock and sell cigarettes in towns al
along the way until we reach the ent
of our trip and then l go out will
them to see that they work the tow
properly. Co.
| Now as to the places in which W.
live on the land. The house We llvt
in on the land are built by the Chi
nese under the supervision Of for
eigner. These houses are owned b!
our dealers and are rented from them
The reason for this is that foreigner!
or foreign firms are not allowed t.
rent or build on Chinese property
This is true throughout China. Thu
houses are very nice and are furnish
ed by the company the same way ou
good homes in the United States arr
furnished. So you see when we ge
back to heaquarters after being on
ten days or two weeks trip we ar
pretty thankful to the company AM
to God for being SO good as to furnisl
us with such good home. -F r,:
Hoping you and your readers will
be interested in this little article AM
that it will induce some of the youn!
men to seek positions in China, ha, ha
I Your old friend,
| w. w. Temple,
Travelling Rep. B. A. T. Co. Ltd.