The long drought has broken at last. in fell on January 20 and, the wind shifting to the north, it was followed by a fail of snow and the weather became bitterly cold. The rainfall was not considerable but has been sufficient to lay the dust and restore hopes of a harvest which had almost been despaired of.
Business is reported to be very bad and there is not much movement of cargo. It is feared that some of the large merchants in Chungking may not be able stand the strain of settling accounts at the New Year. Even small business men are feeling the pinch. The price of food is so high that there is not much money to spare for other things.
General Wang, Commander-in-Chief of the Upper Yangtze Defences, recently held a memorial service for his brother with an imposing procession through the strata, General Yang Sen has now left Ichang and is said to have gone overland to join his troops at Kienshih, but whether that means that he is ready to try conclusions with the Szechuanese has not been divulged. He has now been appointed Commander of the 16th Division of the Northern Army, and has issued a proclamation in his new rank.
Two disastrous fires occurred here on Januafy 18 and 19 when two or three hundred families
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.