Tsangchow, July 19.
The notorious 26th Division of Chihli_ troops, commanded by Major-Gen. Tsao Ying, younger brother of the super-Tuchun of this Province, is living up to its sinister reputation of utterly ignoring the rights of the public and making life a burden to all who are unfortunate enough.to live in the vicinity. Those who have occasion to travel on the T. P. Railway between Tientsin and Techow, as well as the long suffering station staff along this route, are' having their patience sorely tried, and the discomforts of a train journey in the abnormal heat are intensified by the antics of hordes of truculent soldiers, who crowd the second-class carriages of the mail trains both up and down the line. It is reported that the bulk of this Division is in camp at Machang, half-way between Tientsin and Tsangchow, but a tuan is stationed Techow, which accounts for the present extraordinary state of affairs. The soldiers appear to indulge in unlimited periods of leave, and, regarding this section of the railway as their private property, spend their days in spells of hectic joy-riding, to the utter disorganization of regular passenger traffic, and the serious detriment of: traffic receipts.
True to his type, the Chinese coolie, once in a military uniform, is a law to himself and regards himself superior to all the rules and regulations that govern the conveniences of civilization for ordinary mortals. For some weeks after the recent fighting ceased, the Railway authorities, pandering to the annoyance of the military war lords, provided reserved second-class cars for soldiers travelling up and down the line, but latterly this special privilege has been withdrawn. Now the braves spread themselves in the most comfortable cars, commandeering the best seats and crowding out all legitimate passengers, who are graciously permitted to stand in the passages, or sit in precarious positions outside on the platform. The irony of the situation is that the public have paid for their seats, while this undisciplined rabble loftily ignores the ticket inspectors on their rounds; in fact, the Railway officials know what to expect if they presume to challenge even a private on the train, or at the station where he alights.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.