It is always interesting to watch the growth of a new treaty port. A year ago, we were all waiting to see when this city would be actually opened to foreiga trade. After protracted delay, the site of the new concession was agreed upon and the regulations were formally decided. The latter months of 1896 saw a Japanese Consul and 2 Commissioner of Customs established here, living in the city. With the opening of the new year, 1897, came the faller establishment of the Gustoms Service. Other officers came and took each his place. A Postmaster appeared on the scene: a Post Office, connected with the Imperial Chinese Customs Service, was opened. The messengers deliver all incoming mails with commendable promptitude. But theCustoins P. O. is outside of the city, inconveniently distant from most of the foreign residents. In order to remedy this inconvenience, the Commissioner of Customs placed a letter-box at his own door to receive outgoing mails. But Soochow is a very large city. It contains a population of at least 350,000 souls. Some of the more progressive of the merchants and literary men saw the great advantage and convenience of having a branch office near the busiest part of the city. The Commissioner of Customs took hold ofthe matter in a practical way, a foreigner was appointed ter, a house was found in the neighbourhood in which it was desirable to establish the new office, and carpenters are now busy preparing the premises for the reception and distribution of mails.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.