Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-05-27
Bv PERRY A. BOOKER
Y2C, U. S. N.

Quite some time ago | wrote al
article for your paper ODE published
so that the people of Fitzgerald nigh
know that my travels abroad hav
reached many foreign ports.
Several times since then have fel
inspired to write again, but did no
for want of news that might be in
teresting. Still / have seen many
new things which if you could gel
facts of lam sure could be able tt
write a very interesting story.
have witnessed old and new inven
tons, old and new customs, a wet
country where the alcoholic spirits
flow freely and dry country where
the alcoholic spirits are forbidden, but
Just failed to write.
This morning | want to tell you
about one of the oldest countries in
the world. You may have heard
some of the things i am going to say,
but of some you have not and are
really interesting.
have chosen for my subject,
China" still | could write on Japan,
the Philippine Islands, Guam of the
Marianas Island Group, Honolulu of
the Hawaiian Group and of the Pana-
ma Canal.
The Chinese people as a whole are
continuously fighting among them
selves, such as they have been doing
for centuries They never seem to
advance in civilization and it will
probably be many more generations
before they speaking of the Chinese
as whole, wake up to the fact that
they are about the only country
which has not taken over civilization
at its present standard.
The Chinese are very industrious
and more superstitious than any 9th
er race | know of. While they work
especially the coolies, who do all the
manual labor, because the use of ma
chinery in that country is very little
known, they sing continuously lin the
Chinese dialect) to keep the devil
away. They believe that if you do
opposite to the devils wishes he will
not come around, therefore they are
happy when they are at work and can
sing
Farming in this country is done
by hand, such as they were doing
centuries ago. Even as they were
doing in the "Stone Age" The oxen
are used in the fields with the crude
old wooden pillow, as they have been
doing for ages.
"A TRIP TO SoOCHOW, CHINA"
On the 9th of April, 1926, after
receiving special liberty from the
ship and duties, which at that time
was Postmaster of the U. S. S.
Chaumont, a navy transport, which
was then lying anchored to bouys in
the Whangpooriver "a branch tribu-
tary of the huge Yangtze River) at
Shanghai, China two other friends
tJohn f. w, Howe, boy citizen of
Fitzgerald, who is attached to this
vessel, and has the duties of a ship
filter, and a civi lservice employee,
Mr.. r. H. Stem, and / left the ship
at very early hour, about $50 a. m.
We had to first go to the Navy Y.
NJ. G. A, where Howe and | shifted
our navy uniforms and put on civilian
clothes. When this difficult task was
over we had light breakfast in the
~" restaurant, which consisted of
toast, eggs, fried potatoes and coffee,
and was soon on our way.
Before we caught a street car to
the Shanghai and Marking railway
station we had to exchange our
American currency for Mex (the
Chinese currency. Exchange was at
that time $1.95 Mexican currency,
Chinese) for $1.O0 american cur
rency).
We arrived at the railway station
at about 500 a. m. Not knowing at
what time our train would leave we
purchased first class passenger tick
cts and had porter to direct us to
the train we were to take. l might
say here that in China a swell as
other countries, they have the class
distinction. First class, which in
cludes the ones more educated and
higher in politics, etc. The second
class, who are not so well advanced
in civil affairs, but able to dress we'll
and last but not least, the third class
which take in the people not at all
concerned in civil affairs and also the
coolies who are not financially sit
uated so as they can associate with
any other class.
When we had reached our train
and seated in our cabin, for the train
we were on and I suppose they are
all alike, was divided into cabins for
the first class, coaches, such as we
have in America, for the second class
and coaches, such as our American
box-cars with seats along the side,
for the third class. We were notified
by the steward that our train would
not leave until $50 a. m.
Since we were already seated and
comfortable we just sat there and
talked. Our friend, Mr.. R H. Stien,
who was much older than either