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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1910)
i ( ) lit TIIE OMAHA SUXDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 13, 1910. D How John Bull Holds the Commercial Gateway to the Chinese Empire M lEET? 7 It jv. it TIT ) if ; yyy. f- . . , . .' ; n yiTZLf"" t p. AT!'- .-'!J; ' mt' i- HONCrKONG TELEPHONE SERVICE. THE B0Y3 ARE CHINESE MDTHf &IRIS ARE EURASIANS I CAN RIDE ABOUTALl DAY AT I0CTS PER HOUR i 1 J H United (Copyright. 1910. by Frank O. Carpenter.) iONOKOXG-(Special Correspond ence of The Bee.) The booming cities of the world are now on this side of the Pacific. The awakening of Asia is bringing 'in capital from Knmi.. .-.i - nuu tiia Mates, and the whol. rnnti.... r.m t0.,!!!V' PrUn ,nto ,,fe- Yokohama not w uW -,M 1 w It. Toklo is now bigger than Chicago, Osaka will rank Hh Philadelphia, and Shanghai U ahead Oo n here at the southern end of China has now a population of 400.000 and It prorn- woild. It belongs to the BriUsh. It had hey took hold of It seventy year. ago. It . J".? f t,W reat port ot world and the people here claim that It has more .v......8S luu ijverpool or London. Island lies close to the mainland, and with the peninsula of Kowloon It has a harbor of ten square miles, filled with shipping and craft of all kinds. The boat population numbers 40.0UOO, and you com? to the island through a swarm of sam pans, worked by women, who stand " up and skull their boats much like the gon doliers of Venice. Some of them have babies fastened to their backs, and the little ones bob up and down as theli mothers bend to their oars. .The babies are held on by squares of cloth tied, on by straps around the waists and necks ul the mothers. The bare legs of the little ones stick out In front. ... - City of Plareon Holes. Coming into Hongkong the mountainous Island towers high above you, the upward slopes covered with green. The shores are lined with building five or six stories high, with galleries running along their ri t 0 V r CI 5 5IRFRE0ERICK D. LUGARDj THE &0V. OP MONGKONCT, MONG-KONO'S POLO CLUB. TOUR GUAM PI ON PLAYERS are baby carriages on wheels, with bare-flight to watch the night crowd as it passed, legged, bare-headed coolies as horses. It was a cosmopolitan one such as you will They will -carry you anywhere In Hong- see nowhere except In Hongkong. There fcor.g ror about 3 cents of our money a were red-turbaned. black-bearciMl Rikh no- Within the last year a railrnnrf h. k fronts storv above irtorv. The railKHiui trP- and 'r 30 cents they will go on the licemen guardlner the traffic. British nl started at the suburb of Kowloon on tha are divided Into, sections, - and the shoreatrot ,or an.hour.you may hire one for a diers In uniform who belong to the garri ...... ...,u. mis is being built to Canton. 8oem t0 wsJ,,B1 with white pigeon-holes ad It will givs Hongkong rail conned rllng from the edge of the water. At tho uons with that city and all Interior China taot ar warehouses and exporting es The road in known as the Canton-Knwin tabllshments, which take care of the ship- canton It joins the trunk "" norm to Hankow, tha con cession for which was given to the Amer icans but sold back to China. The Chinese ure now building that road, and when It Is completed there will be a through freight and passenger service from Peking to Hong kong and the whole of the empire will be tributary to . this port. Canton Itself has a population of over 2.000,000. Hankow and ts .later cities are still larger, and that trunk road will tap a population fully as treat .as that of the United States. Several other railroad systems now building will connect with it and this city will then be the southern gateway to China by rail as well as by sea. ' ping. Above them are offices and mercan tile parts of the olty, and still further back, climbing the hill, the many white, cream and rose colored pigeon-holed structures which form, the residences. The. buildings extend from the sea up the mountain for a half day for a quarter, and twelve hours for a' dollar In silver, which means about 15 cents gold.' Some cf the streets ire so steep that the jlnriklshaa cannot go up them. In some places sedan chairs, car ried on the shoulders of the men, are for hire. The Hongkong chair of this kind IS .made of wicker. It Is a box with a chair inside It, and a soft dicker back, against wl Ich one leans as he rides. It has arms It 1, not world llongrkona or Today. a question whether Honekon win soon ,urpM- the otner ports o( id in the amount of its ' .hinnin- noH handles about 300,000,000 worth of freight a year, and more than 11,000,000 tons of goods come in and go out of Its harbor very twelve months. This freight is c.r i led upon about M.OOO different vessel.. The most of them ar. Chinese, but the, all a o great steamers from Kurope and the La ted State... There ar, five dlfferen Ind 1?? IIonkon "h America! and more tna that whc. ko Jou can get a ship her. any day for Europe by way of Sue. canal, and there re regular services to the PhlUpplne" Australia, the Dutch East Indie, and n eVtr7 P'nt ,n th Pclfl "d Indian ocean. The port la fre. and an enormous mount of freight 1. transhipped to the other countries and Islands nearby. . ... r,1,.r .erviee by way of Hong- also Important. By changing you can reach iinmi ..... .. from this place. There are vessel, which leave nightly for Canton and almost every dy for Shanghai. The far. to Canton Is " and to Shanghai $60. It costs 70 to ana tne.tlm. Is five days. . - .-.iiuuni win tuke you to - io jou may go to Saigon in Lochln.n.ina. li . ,lly two na to Mniu. while one may have a passage to Melbourne, Australia, for 170. There ro steamer, once or twle.'a week for ho AmerUa,, continent. Tl4 time Is less than a month, and th eost 1. $.'5 gold. The di.ta.ue to t-'an Fran.-I-co U VkZ 1"nV"- l" ""'HPUr, about 1.500. It Is 80U miles from ,t-. lo silal)B. Hal. l.tOO to Kobe, W. tilM B,J0 lo Vok. haina and about luo ii,M. ,nolt. lo vla(il. vostok. at the ealLlil viXli ot Trans. Siberian railroad. Hongkong is distance of a thousand feet or more at an ,or the e,bws, and to these elastic pole angle of almost 45 degrees. Streets have been cut out around the hill, making the whole a series of terraces, and these are bisected at right angles by other highways and by a cog railroad which leads to the hotels on the peak. The business parts of Hongkong woald be fine anywhere. The Hongkong club cost $350,000, and the Hongkong and Shanghai bank has as fine offices as any financial Institution of the United States. A new aocut as big around as your - wrist an-.l eighteen feet long are fastened. Inside the poles, in front and behind, stand the two beerers, bareheaded, yellow-skinned cool ies with their plg-talls tied around their heads. They rest Jhe two poles on their shoulders and trot along single file. The passengers are often heavy Britishers or fleshy Chinese, and the poles rub the skin of the shoulders, or make it callous so mat It grows as thick as your heel. The postofflce is now going ud. and there are usual rat for thefe chairs Is about 4 CentD'nuli... Than fl. great buildups rising on that part of the lrlp- na 1 can rme out all day In one kong boats harbor whl.n has been reclaimed from the tea. Th material In granite and the mortar s c'. led to the masons by women who are paid about 10 cents a day. Brick and stone and all. sorts of building materials are freighted about In the same way. Each woman has on her shoulders a, pole with a basket fastened to either end- of It, and the baskets are filled with bricks or stones. A good lusty girl will carry 100. pounds at one load, and bare-armed and bare-legged she grunts as she tolls her way up the hill. There are children carrying smaller bur den, who do similar work and who are still more meanly paid. Chloeao Cheap Labor. Indeed, everything Is cheap in Hong kd.g. The city Is governed by the Brit ish and public transportation Is regulated by law. The town Is so steep that It Is almost Impossible to get about excent for 10 cents an hour. The men are anxious to work, and when I raise my hand three or four sets of bearers come up on the trot and fight for my custom. Hongkong- mt Mghl. I took a tramp about Hongkong last night to see how the city looks after dark. It It not as wide open as Chicago, New York. Paris or London, although I am told that all sorts of wickedness goes on In the narrow alleys which climb up the hills. Last night everything was quiet. The great buildings were as dark hm a pocket, and the pigeon-hole balconies appeared to be dead eyes In the rays of the electric lamps. A gloom covered the mountains back of the town, the green woods turning to blue In the darkness and the house lights shining like stars below the clouds which enveloped the peak. I walked along Queen's road to the Clock In chair, or Jlnriklshas. The jlnriklshaa Tower and stopped there under the electric son, and sailors In different dress of a half dozen nations. Tho navies , of the world come to Hongkong and their cadets and marines may be seen any night on the streets. There were many East Indians clad In their calicoes, brown-skinned Ma lays from the Philippines and. Borneo. Japanese Just off the vessels, and Euro peans from all parts of the west. Sampan women In wide calico trousers and cotton chemises moved along here and there on bare feet, and rich Chinese merchants took up the greater part of the sidewalk with their silk gowns and cloth boots. Tlie mid-streets were filled with coolies, and over the roadway passed an endless proces sion of rlckashas and chairs. .One long line of the latter was filled with English young men and women going to a dance of the Centipede club. This club has fifty members; and 'hence 100 legs all of which delight to trip along In the barn dance and were also I'arsee girls with" white shawls over their faces, riding about with their lovers, and black skinned Klings half clad In white cotton. By and by It began to rain and tho water came down In sheets. It drenched the Sam pan girls so that their chemises clung to their skins, outlining their persons. The sailors ran for shelter and the street po licemen put on raincoats and caps over their, turbans. The rickasha men and chair-bearers dragged out coats of palm leaves and covered their heads with hats of rattan a big as umbrellas. The latter were painted bright blue, the palm leaves looked like feathers, and as they trotted along inside the shafts they seemed to be yellow-legged birds, with blue topknots harnessed to the chairs and carriages. n Shopping; la Hongkong;. This is a good place to shop. The travel Is so great that curio dealers and other merchants from all over the enst have opened stores here and they offer the most beautiful goods of the orient. There are many East Indians who sell embroideries, silver and carpets, and Chinese who dis play all the wealth of Canton. The . sil verware Is beautiful and cheap. It Is made of coin sllvtr and., is decorated with dragons and other exquisite carvings. I bought a solid tea set the other day the metal of which alone weighed .$50, that many coins being placed in one bowl of the scales, while the pitcher, sugar bowl ' elmers stav and teapot were on the other. The price of the set was $100 In silver, the extra $C0 representing the workmanship. . Fifty dollars In silver Is less than $25 gold, and out of that came the profit of the dealer and the wages of the artist, who had spent a month or more in the carving. The same tea set would sell for twice as much In the United States. Among the other beautiful things sold here sre blackwod furniture, richly carved; ladies' dresses of grass cloth, dec orated witlj, the -most exquisite embroid ery; chairs and sofas of wicker work cov ered with linen fiber, as well as rare por celains and bamboo ware. Table linens are especially cheap, and embroidered center pieces and dollies of, grass cloth. are not at all costly. Much fine Jewelry Is sold, including some set with pearls and precious stones. Articles In Jado are a specialty of China, and the best of them bring high prices. All gold Jewelry'ls made twenty two or more carats fine. It Is so soft that it wears away easily, but It Is always worth Its weight In gold. Cloak, of Peking;. Embroidered coats, like those used for opera cloaks at home, are sold here, but the best place to buy 'such things Is in Peking, and that from the palaces. Th. supplies furnished free to the Imperial family and court are enormous, and the eunuchs sell the surplus to merchants and peddlars, so that one has a chance now and then to buy for a song'a cloak which has been worn by a princess. Such garments are brought in bales to the for eign hotels of Peking and displayed there for sale. Some of the coats may be a bit soiled, but many are new, and there are chances for big bargains. The same Is true of furs of all kinds, from subles to squirrel, the prices in most eases being fa); below those of the United States. This is especially true at the present time, on account of the deaths In the Imperial family, by which the officials have had to dispense with the wearing of all furs not of the white or mourning color. Hongkong Moortn. I happen to be here at. the time of the races. The chief stores and business of fices are all closed, and the banks have not been opened for three days. There Is no chance to get money on saints' days, race days or any other holidays. When there Is a cricket or foot ball match every financial Institution shuts Its doors and the clerks go out to play or look on. These Britishers of the far east are fond of amusements, and they believe In the college boy's motto: . "When fun and duty clash, let duty go to smash." " - They have their clubs at every port. I found them In all the leading Japanese cities, and also In Tientsin, Peking and at the other places in China where for- Shanghai Is a city of clubs. and Its British and German club houses are among the finest of the far east. The races of that place aro national events which bring crowds from the country about. They are participated In by gen tleman Jockeys who train their own ponies. Hongkong vies with' Shanghai as a club center. It has a dozen or more of such Institutions. The Hongkong club house Is ous kinds situated down by the sea. It is a magnl- i fleent building, which compares well with Hlmllar houses In NcV York and Chicago. The Germans have a club here. The Portuguese meet togetjher In Shelley street, and the Japanese club has a build ing on the lee House road. There are a number of recreation clubs. One Is made up of the government clerks, another Is the- Ladies' Tennis club and other, are devoted to cricket, foot ball and golf. There are chess clubs, polo clubs and yacht clubs, the latter holding regattas every December. The Jockey club, have their biggest races in February, and In addition to these there are annual ath- letlc meets between the resident and the soldiers of the garrison, as well as swim ming matchec.and boat races. Hongkong has a Philharmonic society and an ama teur dramatic club. It has also large Chi nese theaters which are open day and night IntcllecJoaJ Center. Hongkong Is psychically alive. It has .English and Chinese dallies and weeklies, it has colleges and schools and churches galore. There Is an Episcopal catherdal which was built In 1842. a church known as 'St. Peter's, erected long ago for th. seamen at West Point, and Protestant and Roman Catholic churches and chapels. The Catholics have also a cathedral. The Jews have a synagogue, the Mohamme dans have two mosques and the Sikhs a temple, where they worship their gods. There are also convents, orphanages and foundling asylums, as well as hospital and other charitable Institutions of varl- Altogether, the town- la alive. FRANK G. CARPENTER. Quaint Features of Life p hum Switching; the School. RINC1PAL W. D. HATHAWAY of the Clark school, Seventh ward, Washington, Pa., is be lieved to be the champion boy trouncer of the world. His rec ord: Boys trounced, 100; boys untrounced, one; time consumed, two hours nd thirty minutes; switches worn out, twenty-two. ' All that prevented Principal Hathaway from having a clear record, so to speak, was the fact that when he reached the one hundred and first subject of the trouneefest he was almost tuckered out, and the subject, a 17-year-old husky. In a fit of playfulness, threw the principal gently on the floor and sat upon him. Early In the week Principal Hathaway notified the pupils then must bo no more snowballing on the school premises. When the order was disregarded he supplied him self with a bundle of switches and assem bled the snowballers, and the greatest ex- A Bangkok, ErHWASUi AtfprJoHN" A.CflErlGHTON crown colons-. It i. ceded to Great Hrllal,, by fliina In 1M1 ll has grown ett-adily time then, and it nun niiMiury UnJ naval nrst-cla-is Importance, u 8 in I.., , ti... .. ... ...a v nuuiiroii, comprising iiii- m-ha'ih hi all, and it iiua ktutlon of headiiuar- an troops. i is iu.i;J by a goenur, appointed bv tha l.i. of England, and the man now In ciuigD Is Sir l iileikk I). I.ugard, who ii.i.uu iilinisclf t.tmous as governor of Ni fccn.i. if ir Frederick receives a salary of m..iwo a year, und has a cabinet and legislative council to help hint, two of vu.om are Chinese. Ilotv llvaakonif Looks. ' Iiut Ut u take a look at the human ide of Hie Uhui.l. This little block of land is aiurounded by Mater. It I. only a lull ol liavalt, achlxt and granite washed uy tilt ca. If a glunt could stand It oil be whirled around like top. to email that a railroad ttaiu con. a rUii .round It In loa than an hour, uul It and in a peak 1,100 feel high. Th. iVl it might I MBH" Memory of ) -vT .,,-?'! j V ! TV I ,M n "KT t U?VVkVS: ' AT FOUNDERS DA BANQUET FEtBB. 7, 1910 V VIP.W n-PTUT" BANQUET HALL BY CILtlCHIOK TACU1TY hlbltion of switch wielding In the history of corporal punishment was on, , Some of the boys were inclined to take the matter as a Joke, but when Principal llathaway's switches cleaved the air, es pecially In tha earlier minutes of hi. record-breaking go, the amusement In th situation diminished witheach succeeding cleave. Thl. llf'rEni All. Joslah Brown, a farmer a mile north of " Chinchilla, Pa., relates a peculiar exper ience. Mr. Brown owned a cow with a spotted calf. The calf was so peculiarly murked that Mrs. Brown asked for tha skin to be made Into a rug. Mr. Brown complied with her request and the calfskin rug was placed in front of the fireplace. A few nights afterward the cow became melancholy at the continued absence of her calf and broke out of the barn In search for her lost offspring. She wan dered up the front walk and saw, through the window, tho skin of her calf lying In front of the fireplace. She quietly unfastened the door with her horns and in the morning Mrs. Brown found her lying beside tho rug In the front parlor. and Ihr Dww"('aiuo Back. Iandy, a Newfoundland dog belonging I Nathaniel Wheelen of Clinton, N. J., re turned to his mauler today a wallet con taining $107 and valuable paper, that had. been stolen from Wheeler-, bedroom ten days ao. The wallet had not been opened. It was believed Uie wallet had been stolen by a sneuk thief. Mr. Wheeler says h now thinks that Dandy stole It for spite, having received a beating about the time tha wallet disappeared. "This morning I played with Dandy quit, a little," said Mr. Wbeeler today, "and I remarked: 'If you had been around. Dandy, the thief would nob have got my wallet, would he' Almost instantly the dog ran out of the house and in about an hour he returned and placed the wallet at my feet." Haiti. iUhUulcksands. ut fori the skillful use of a lariat by Deputy Sheriff Tremble of San Bernardino, Cal., Thomas P.ppln, hi. wife and three children would be lying dead under th quicksands of th Meadow valley wash. Tho Pepplns In driving to their ranch at tempted to ford a harmless-looking stream. In a moment, the two horse, drawing th vehicle were caught In th. drift of qulok tanda The struggling beasts were quickly swallowed, and the wagon and 1U human occupants were following rapidly when Tremble rode up. He uncoiled bis lasso, threw it to Peppen, who fastened the rope about his wife's waist. She was drawn to safely and th others quickly followed. I'eppin was th last to leave, and as be jumped from th seat of th yahlol It disappeared beneath th and,