The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-01-12
HONG KONG, THE GREAT
SEA- PORT OF THE ORIENT
KEY TO VAST TERRITORY OF
cHlNA-sHIPs OF ALL MA
TioNS IN HARBoR.

craft arrive ~ frequently lndl the DIN
of official salutes is almost constantly
echoing from the granite peaks, is next
to the oldest and in many ways
the model foreign owned community
in China" says one of the bulletins
issued by the National Geographic So
ciety in regard to the eastern posses
sions of countries represented at the
Washington conference on limitation
of ornaments.
Contrary to popular belief, there is
no city of Hong Kong" continues the
bulletin. THAT well known name be-
longs to an island of 80 square miles
extent which lies off the south coast
of China, and has been applied as well
to the wonderful harbor between the
island and the mainland The city of
half a million inhabitants which is the
capital of the island and the colony is
officially Victoria. But the name is
seldom heard To the islanders the
beautiful terraced town is merely the
city,
Social Climbs Are Hill Climbs.
The city reveals the stratincation
due to wealth and social position in a
striking way. Aside from a cable
tramWay which carries the visitor to
The Peak, 1900 feet above the gela-
tine pond harbor with its toy ships
from many lands, the common means
of reaching the higher levels is in
chairs carried by two or four coolies.
La.
that twentieth century power can be
used TO some extent, but most of the
streets and stairways which are cut
in the varied facade of the hillside
with its buildings of many types OF
architecture. are open only to foot
traffic. In the steamy heat OF Hong
Kong, hill climbing is not counted as
a sport by Anglo Saxons so that many
of the $4,000 foreigners mount the
steep slopes in chairs carried by yell
low men.
Higher Cost for Fiigher Climb.
However much tie American OBJ
iects to paying cents or more mile
for transportation. such rate is low
compared with that charged by four
chair bearers. and in Hong Kong the
chairmen have advanced their rates
to a degree which would make the
Szeehaun chair coolies regard them as
public utilities profiteers The higher
the climb. the higher the cost; and
the social climbers of Hong Kong fix
their level according to the pocket
books.
along the teeming wharves. where
the local Canton and China coast boats
tie up. the hue and cry of the dock
workers alike proclaim the Chinese. A
restricted portion of the water front
is foreign and here one may observe
the skipper of fleet motor launch
tossing his compatriot sampan oars
men in powerful waves. But on both
sides of this restricted area of modern
buildings and world famed trade
names. the Chinese extend in imposing
masses, Their picturesque shops bear
ornamental sign boards in black aad
gold lettering or horizontally lettered
signs in English bearing cognomens
strange and ambiguous enough to sup
ply jokesmiths of the west with COM
edy for years to come.
Streets Run Into Stairways
Back from the water but parallel |
to it runs Des Voeux road and Queens !
road. the main business thoroughfare |
thanking which is a fairly level section |
of the city, But back a few yards |
steep .stairways close the ends of most |
of the TRAVERSE streets and the hid
den automobile roads twist and turn |
like railway track trying to make the |
grade that tops a continental divide.
Suddenly one realizes that he has
left the region where the Chinese are
Inhabitants and entered the rarified
of superior social world.
Quiet has displaced the babel of
strange voices which cause the bust
ness section to hum and buzz with
life.l The same effect that is accom-
piished in most cities of moving out is
here attained by moving up. The resi-
Dental section looks down upon the
center, which in Hong Kong
is really not a business center at ALL
but a business level
Garden. several churches and numer-
,us educational institutions. including
hong Kong university, whose technical
courses have won It high reputation. I
cine homes, which from the water
eem to rise ghat-like from the lower
evels but which are actually sur
ounded by lovely gardens mark this
ltitude and it is here that the COVER i
Tor of Hong Kong has his official resi-
ence.
Peak of Social Alps. O
But even here there are too many
omes to make any group distinctive
nd it is the governors summer villa. 1
Ugh up on a small plateau near the Ii
OBJ of the peak from which wireless
ignals are sent that is the real height
+ social Alps. Around the island S
here runs a fine motor road p miles a
ong which carries the visitor away C
rom the world-famed harbor and its a
coming salutes. n
Harbor for MANY Nations D.