A Aispatch from Foochow reports that at a great fire in the city of Chicnnin, Fukien province, on the 18th instant, lusting two days, over one thousand houses were burnt down, accompanied by the loss of several lives, The Party Wall ofa native house on Haining Road fell down yesterday morning owing to the continuous rains avd crushed a one-storeyed native bui next door. Forct tunately the principal roof beam of the one-storeyed house fell in such a way that it supported the larger portion of the deb: so that two natives in the smaller builli escaped with only a few rather severe confusions. The curious part of the catas-Urophe was that n large snake, the body of which was as thick as a man's arm and about ten feet in length was discovered, to have made its home inside the wall, where also several old skins formerly shed also currie into view. The reptile was subsequently killed by bystanders. The Chinese story of the discovery of the snake is that, being an evil thing, fraught with disaster to the inmates of the larger house, Heaven took pity on them, and wishing to reward the inmates for some good deed done, either by them or by an ancestor of theirs brought about the collapse of the wall so that the author of the intended evil to the family should be brought to light and slaughtered.
The Proper Wa:
Owing to the recent division of the Kiangnan Arsenal into independent departments, that is to say, the dockyard under one management and the gun foundry, small aruis factory and Lunghua powder works, under another, the officials of the latter department, who previously bad charge of the whole, actuated, it is said, by jealousy at the new regime, have been making matters most unpleasant by trying to get control. of everything they can lay hands on. The obstruction has be such that it is stated complaint had to be made to H.E. Viceroy Chen Fa, at Nauking, with the result that his Excellency has decided to combine the two once more and place them under expert control, $0 as to got the most good out of the institution in the most economical manner, It is stated in mandarin circles that Viceroy Chou has decided to place the whole Arsenal, including the dockyard, under the control of the officers of the latter, that is to say Admiral Sth and his colleague Captain Woo, also of the Imperial Chinese Navy. The Lunghua powder works, however, are, it is said, to be under a separate management, that of Taotai Lin Ch'ing-fen. The combination, we understand, will be put into force as soon asa favourable reply is received from Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai, who has been consulted on the subject by Viveroy Chou Fu.
Bist August, Mr. Chang Chi-chih, officially known as Chang Eh' Chuangyuan, or Optimus of the Docto: or Metropolitan, Examinations of 1894 now holding the post of a Councillor of the Shangpu and Director-in-Chief of the Deep Sea Fishing Ca., according to a otter from South Tungchou, the place of his birth, is not at all popaler among hi fellow-townsman, owing to his bredi tion for obtaining control of the mo lucrative businesses and the fertile lands in that vicinity. Starting from indigent circumstancos—his father was a candy bawker—ho did not get to the summit of his, and every Chinese student's, ambition—tho standing of Optim until past the mature age of forty. To show why the literary rank of Chuangyuan is largely sought so for and coveted by every Chinese stu ent, we may state that a man whil in the last stage of poverty may, the moment he becomes a Chuangyuan become almost immediately a wealthy man and take the first seat of honour amongst his fellow citizens. For instance, the chihhsion or district magistrate of the city which produces a Clivangyuan is rewarded by promotion to higher rank and is awarded at least ton "marks of morit"in his official record by the Throne for it is understood that it was "his benevolent administration of the laws and fatherly caro of the people under him that has brought the everlasting honour of producing a Chnangyuan upon the district over which the chibhsion is magistrate." In return for this, the moment news is received that a protege {all the inhabitants of a district ace considered proteges of the chihsien) has been made Chuangyuan, the house of this fortunate personage, if poor, is rebuilt on a fittingly grand scale at the expense of the chihsien and presents in money and in kind begin to pour into the lap of the family of the successful aspirant to the first literary honours. Furthermore, prior to the completion of the new Chuangyuan-Ni, or Chuangyaan residence, the family, if poor, are invited to remove into some commodious house in the vicinity and they may, if they like, actually live on their fellow-residents and the chihsien of the city. All this because the favour of their new Chuangyuan, who is still in Peking, must be obtained, so that he may not haud up a complaint to the Peking authorities against anyone in his native oily against whom he my have a grudge of some sort, For as a matbur of fact a new Chuangyuan of the old regime is a power for the time being, and may got anything he desires, even feom the Governor of his own province, while the bloom of his honours is yet fresh.
There are just now many uncomplimentary remarks being made in Shanghai in regard to Mr. Chuangyuan Chang Chrien's action concerning the task of protecting merchants from loss" arising from the present boycott, which ho has been lately deputed to undertake by the Shavgpu.
The Tibetan Treaty, According to the Nanfangpao," ("South China Daily Journal") Me. Li Ching-mei, the youngest son of the late Marquis Li Hung-chang, has been rocommonded to the Throne to succeed H.
Tang Shao-yi to confer with the In Government with reference to the Tibetan Treaty. Mr. Li Ching-mei has the rank of a Metropolitan official of the third grade.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.