Pochow, Jan. 15.
Since I last wrote nothing of a serious or startling nature has taken place in our immediate region, but in an adjoining county north-east, Hsia, some weeks ago, brigands went into the city early one night, apparently with the intention of releasing some scores of their fellows-in-crime from the gaol. The official hastily fled and they released prisoners, killing a few men who opposed them and taking the horses belonging to the yamen, but doing no damage to the citizens. One report says that the official's wife and daughter were captured, while another says they ran with him, On the whole the contrast through this region to this time last year is most marked. The people seem to be moving along in peace and quiet, though all foodstuffs are much higher than last year. Grain is a little lower than two months ago and great quantities are being bought and much of the cheaper grain sent down the river to where more serious conditions prevail. Report says that many thousands in the adjoining country of Yungcheng are without food even now.
Mr. Connell, of the Asiatic Petro-lenin Ca. was in our city a few days recently studying business conditions. He says the opening of the railroad soon from Kaifeng to Hsuchow fu will seriously affect the business of Pochow, as I had supposed it would. This road, we hear, may be running trains in a few months, The writer has just travelled between Puchow and Kaifeng—360 li-and finds a full wheat crop in and looking exceedingly promising. All other ground is already ploughed. At one point an innkeeper remarked that the prospect now was that by summer they might have twenty cash bread.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.