The late rice crops, despite gloomy forebodings, are very good on the whole, though some parts of the district have been hit badly, particularly in the Sienku area where the Grought has wrought much havoc. Tu the southern districts things are better. Rice has gone up tremendously in price though, and things are very trying for the classes who have to buy rice. Doctors in the Wenling and south Linghal districts are very much upset at a new kind of oppocition, which is taking away most of the patients in the district, and as trade is already -very bad because of the large number of men acting as "doctors" they are feeling much aggrieved. The cause of this new! menace to trade is a young man of about 35 years of age who supposedly has miraculous powers of healing, and who lives ina small village across the river from the port of /Haimen. Daily thousands flock to him and drink the boiled water which is the only "medicine" he uses, but thie thas all to pass through a bow! which fg said to have belonged to one of the wise men of old. Ten loads of water daily are used to provide for all sick people who drink it or have others carry it to them. This w: seems to have ihe power of healing conly those who come from distances 'a: local people drinking it are in no way affected. Though the doctors complain bitterly, the boatmen who ferry the patients across the river, often 300 in one day, are gleeful having earned over $160 in the last week or two. Truly "It's an ill wind that blows nobody good!"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.