The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-07-17

popular pets among the river folk.
Their squawking and the loud monOt-
onous chatter of their owners create
bedlam on the river front from early
morning until midnight.
Scenes in the Street.
Two bridges span the canal that
separate Shameen from Canton. The
river trent is disappointing to anyone
expecting to see typical Chinese city.
Filmsy buildings facing the Bund have
given way to modern, many-stOried
structures housing offices of foreign
corporations, and here and there bam-
boo scaffOlding indicates that another
bit of the Orient is passing to add to
Canton's occidental sky line. All these
improvements have been made by men
and women masons and hOdcarriers,
without such modern equipment as
steam ShovelS and cement mixers.
In the street, Chinese with Euro
pean coats and trousers, leather shoes,
and straw and felt hats, rub elbows
with their countrymen in loOse-ftting
oriental garments, cloth footwear, and
skull caps. Now and then a farmer
from the suburbs with his umbrella
like hat mingles with the throng.
But from Shameen and the Bund,
one can throw stone into Canton,
unchanged for many centuries. Here
many of the ancient thoroughfares are
so narrow that one can stand in the
middle and touch the side walls with
the tips of his fingers. Shopkeepers
add to the congestion by signs which
protrude beyond the doOrways.
Kwangtung's leading salt water
port is Swallow, noted for coolies and
embroidery. The coolies go south to
the Straits Settlements, whence they
send home much money and come
themselves when their toll in the
tropics has won them a competence.
Just as the Canton Chinese have i'm
pressed themselves on America, the
Ningpo merchants made their way in
most of the trade marts of China. and
the Shantung coolie became known on
the battlefelds of France, so the Swa-
tow coolie has had his share in the
development of the Straits Settle
ments and more than one has risen to
affluence thereby.
Swallow also produces a peculiar
grass cloth or native linen, made, not
from flax, but from a form of hemp.
Table sets of this material. embroid-
cred in white or contrasting eolOrs,
with storks and dragons and other
fanciful designs, are admired and
priced throughout the world. This in
dustry was started by missionary
as a means of relief during one of the
many disasters from which Swallow
has suffered, and it has attained huge
proportions. Swallow embroidery,
drawn work and grass cloth today
form "best seller" in native shops
from Hongkong to Shanghai
If in China you Overhear a refer
ence to "Swotow Blues" do not con-
clude that the city is going in for
jazz. An important Swallow product
is indigo, and the city has a full share
in making China "the land of the
blue gown"
Heavy Imports at Swallow.
The influx of money from the
straits and the Philippines is so great
that Swallow can always import more
than it exports and ii has been one
of the best markets for foreign goods
to be found on the whole wrinkled
coast Of China.
Sugar is also one of Swallows chief
products and the British and Ameri-
can consulates are situated near the
main refinery on Kakchioh Hong
kong, however, is winning away the
sugar trade from Swallow, which was
once the center of sugar production.
The fields inland from Swallow pro-
duce huge crops of sugarcane and the
Mandarin oranges of the region are
famed through the East.
One of the important ports that hide
here and there along the very irreg-
ular coast line of China, Swallows
misfortune is that of being less pro-
tected from the sea than her neigh
bors to the north and south. Shang-
hal is several miles up the Woosung.
Hangchow, the city of the famous tidal
wave or bore, which resembles the one
in the Bay of Fundy, is far enough
from the sea to escape the force Of
the storm. One ascends for miles be-
tween low-lying banks dotted with ice
houses for preserving fish before COM
ing to Ningpo. Foochow is several
hours run up the Min. Annoy is situ-
ated very much like Swallow but lies
on much higher ground Hongkong
Is on the landward side of the island
Of Victoria and the safety of its har-
Dor is as famous as its beautv