The French Fathers in this Province, scram. Two, at least of their comrades, in the north, have died from plague, standing faithfully by their flocks and administering Extreme Usction to their dying people. They are advised by the doctors to take more care, by being vaccinated and ossing a few simple precautions, and especially, for the cake of the living, to perform their sacred rites in the open air, as it would not add to the sufferings of the patient to have him brought into the open.
Every Protestant Missionary has romaiced at his station, some have postponed their farlonghs, rather than eave at this time. Two Indies with their very small children have gove home. Missionaries in the out of the vay places are able to be of very great tse at this time, especially the medicals; others are able to give advice aod guidance, and, where permitted, do mach to aid the authorities.
The railway men have all stuck to their charges, and, if possible those who ran the more risks than any, excepting the doctore, are the Imperial Post Office staff, every man of whom bes still Keeps the whole going in a most wonderfal may. The foreign members have inspired their ideas of duty into the native staff, who, as for as one can learn, have not needed to be especially nconraged, and with few exceptions have done their work as usual. That, despite the death of carriers from contation, whilst ranning with page, (at wayside ions), the service all over the country has been well maintained, peaks much for the organization and zeal of all conce merican Tobacco Co.'s tremendous business these Three Provinces is largely at a standstill. Their factory here is closed down and their up-country buyers dare not obtain the usual supplies of raw material. Oigarette dealers are ranning short of stocks, and the people are compelled to retare to the good old pipe.
All business is evffering cruelly, and, not the last, the very important' soys bean trade, Feb. 26.
Through trains are again rouping between Tsingtao and Tsinanfo, bat no tickets are sold to or from the infected regions of the province, There may be some risk in this policy, but it seems botter to encourage travel to follow the railway where some degree of inspection is possible, than to scatter it over country roads, where all control is lost.
The quarantine measures announced here some weeks ago are at last going into force, and yesterday there began some attempt at inspection of travellers on the railway, and on the grest road leading from Chefoo, Hwanghsien and Laichoufu through this city to the west. From all I can learn no attempt will be made to detain travellere, unless they are actually and evidently affected by the disease. Two inspection stations have, we understand, been nearly all, it not all, daly vaccinated by Haffkine's boat a mile east of the city."
and one on the great road
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.