for Development Fnone Our Own Comesronene Talla, Shansi, Jan. 15.
Since, the birth' of the "Republic Shans! has been a neglected province, 430 far as railway construction is con: cerned. Fortunately this is no longer the ease, The year 1034 marked a turing point in the history of rally ways in Shansi.
On December 15 the Chengtal Railway inaugurated passenger service on its branch Tine between Yutzo and Taiku, a distance of twenty-five miles; Dut for more than a month previous trains had been running as far the Wu Ma River, two miles from the Taiku Station, this two-mile stretch being covered by motor-buses chartered by the railway.
The Chengtai Line now operates two trains a day each way between Taiku and Yutze, and one train each way between Talia and Taiyuan. All make close connections with main-line trains. On the present schedule on can reach Yitze in an hour and a quarier and Taiyuan in a little over two hours, while the trip to or from Poking requires less than twenty-four hours. Two steel. rails connecting 'Taiku with the outside world remove fa sense of isolation, and' enable one laugh at rain and snow which form erly prevented travel for dave time.
Passenger traffic over the branch me was at first very light; but, since trains began running from the Talk Station, business has been picking up. There is also evidence of increasing freight trame—grain moving out and coal coming in. Yang Chuan coal (the best in Shansi) now sells on the coal market as cheaply as_poorer grades hauled by cart from Taiyuan hhslen, But the coal dealers all complain of shortage of rolling stock. None have surplus coal on hand; consequently, as soon as a carload arrives bby Fall, buyers flock in with wheelbarrows and carts, fighting for enough fuel to keep the Lame fires burning.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.