I4th Dec. 'A Few words about the railways in the North of China may not be uninteresting to Shanghai readers, who when they speak of them at all, generally do so a5)
they were mere coal-carrying contrivances for the use of the Kaiping mines. This is, however, far from being the case, and the recent trip of a Shanghai resident conveys to us the news of an amount of progress which we were unprepared for. The line from Tientsin to Tongku and from thence to Tong Shan was the pioneer of the now rapidly growing railway. There were of course numerous and serious difficulties in overcoming the objections of the natives, but, upon the whole, the engineering obstacles were not great, as this portion of the line passes over an almost level and uninteresting plain, very similar to that which surrounds Shanghai, bit as the train, carrying a large number of Ast, 2nd and 8rd class passengers in suitable cars and with its string of goods trucks, rushes along, it carries us to a more interesting country beyond.
At tongshan we see the winding gear of the Kaiping Coal Mines, the cement burning kilns, and the chimneys and. workshops of the China Railway Company. Ihe kind courtesy of Mr. Churchward, and the unbounded hospitality, even to strangers, of every foreigner in those somewhat solitary places enable us to see and appreciate the details of work unknown even in progressive Shanghai. In the workshops of Tong Shan locomotives are repaired and overhauled, goods trucks built, and passenger cars constructed, and the foundry, workshops, and hum of machinery prove that work is being carried on upon a larger scale than the extent of line over which we have yet travelled would warrant. The country now, however, becomes hilly and towards the head of the line it assumes much the appearance of Chefoo and its surrounding scenery. From Congshan to Kuyeh westall travel under the auspices of the China Railway Company, but at this station, once the terminus, we change into one of the Imperial railivay trains, which with its wide and handsome cars, on the Pullman principle, its comfortable seats, its small coupe and lavatory, teaches us the improvements made upon the earlier carriages.
From Kuyen to Lanchow the line is now practically open' to passenger traffic, although some portions are not yet ballasted, but through the thoughtful consideration of Mr. Cox we are enabled to-travel over the temporary "bridge across the river Lan and "proceed a further 5} miles to the head of the line over which we are the first passengers; here the patlyes are using a small portable railway laid upon an incline, upon which aft. illing their small iron tip cars at. a cutting, they wait in along line until we are close to them, and then with a rush and a spring on to the cars they race the engine with the glee of children, only laughing the more heartily when the cars run into one another. On returning to Lanchow we see the biggest of the engineering works on the new line in the bridge across the Lan Ho, which when-completed will be 2,174 feet between abutments. © his is now showing signs of approaching definite form, as some of the solid and handsome stone piers stand ready to receive the girders, whilst in other places huge caissons are being steadily dredged downward and filled with concrete as the foundation ior the remaining blocks of masonry. Mr. Cox isin charge of this interesting and extensive work, and with the aid of but few foreign employees and a large native staff is rapidly and successfully pushing on the work; whilst in the sheds and workshops adjoining another large staff of native mechanics," nearly all local men, with good machinery and apphanoes are rivetting up girders and executing the necessary work in connection with the bridge and railway line, so that in a short time the once solitary river Lan, which for centuries has refused to allow passage to the residents on its banks during the time of flood, will have added to its roar, the rush of a train and the scream of the locomotive. The temporary pile bridge will soon be partially dismantled and some portions will be allowed to share the fate of its last year's predecessor and be washed away during the time this mountain torrent is sweeping with immense force round the piers, which will soon bear Western advan-and progress further into the heart of that sleeping giant China. To Mr. Kinder and to his able and courteous assistants will be due the thanks of all foreigners, who are interested in the future of this vast empire.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.