On the Peking-Hankow train, Aug. 29.
If I were writing this for some sensational journal, and if I were to suggest a heading for it. I would suggest this 'Hold up on the Hankow Peking Railroad." To be sure, such a heading would' be misleading, but true nevertheless. When one buys a first-class ticket. and notifies the stationmaster two days in advance to make reservations for one, and then boards the train to find all the select places occupied by officers and soldiers, it is trying, to say the Joost. To pay for first class and then finally be obliged to crowd into a dirty second-class coach surely is a hold-up. When a man is travelling alone ho may be able to overlook such treatment in China, but it seems much worse when one is travelling with his family.
Wo are reading a great deal in these days about foreign troops guarding the railroads of China, and as is to be expected China is objecting very strenuously. She thinks she is quite capable of guarding the trains. Judging from the number of soldiers on this train it would seem we were well taken care of. The trouble is that the soldiers and officers occupy all the best berths and seats. They seem to avoid third class, evidently objecting to the ancient Chinese classification which places them at the foot of the list. Since the military are occupying first and second class, the time seems to have come when civilians will have to cast- their lot with those far less objectionable passengers, who for financial or other reasons choose third class.
Recently while on this same line a soldier boarded the train. Judging from his appearance he was petty officer. Of course he held no ticket. Just before he got to his destination he changed to fine civilian clothes. I could not but wonder whether he had not borrowed the military garb so that he might avoid paying the railroad fare.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.