Show nhu MAIL va le letters aters are transported in tho flonory kingdom v dun duit alad ml irnia manage the pout poat apo jre na ller indent efficient service bardill var dill It S 11 robbery ak A gov 1 nt 43 3 stoin stem to ile ie 11 na n a report just published by the te e department samuel gracey tod ted states consul at Foo choo tin ra tells now how the nc mail mal is ls carried in flowery kingdom china Chinall has agnot not established government post offices a postal system for the masses of people with all her adoption of dem err ways but private enterprise it tended upon to render 11 leasy easy between various parts of the pire ire this private tran transmission mission of il is conducted through what are led ed letter shops sloops no stamps are arc d 1 but the chop or sign of the per of the letter aletter shop is always cei upon the envelope u tilis this country when the govern nt t 1 bishes to send a communication beloz C es s it in an all envelope marl marked zed cial or public free and it goes auh the mail as other letters ex t that no postage is paid in ili china aerial erial edicts and other oilier official cona com are carried from city to v and provin provine e to province by couri i generally they make the trip ot but in case of great haste they i provided horses at convenient ay y stations official letters or dis elies ches are thus conveyed in eases cases of urgency gency i two hundred or two hun 1 land and fifty miles a lay day in districts ero ere transmission of official coni com is frequent each station ster is required to keep on hand m ten to twenty horses or donkeys 1 the local representative of the erllin eminent is held bield responsible nible for all ays that occur these official court couri who correspond to our star route il carriers are not allowed to carry vate di pa telles or letters their options being restricted to the trans siou of government 13 he public is served by the letter Ps a carrier system organized by vate enterprise transmitting the il from one station to another con fracol says bays at the treaty ports the er cr shops are used by natives native only in the interior or at places not hed by the foreign postal arrange at t they are employed by foreign as well though tilou gli chiefly by missions es these speak well of the i for its security lie he says but y do nt consider it all that could desm in respect to quiel quickness criess of ci tt it somewhat resembles our w mess iness as it transmits par orate crate size and weight it is t 1 s es s two decided advantages r 0 i Nv western estern system insurance it t lo los boand and monthly settlement of ants ts all the letters and parcels le ent may be registered and in store a letter is mailed or delivered he carrier its contents are arc displayed I 1 1 the keeper of the letter shop then lis is his is it 11 chop or sign so that its qt it of origin may be determined ee linay melinay eel may be transmitted in the same er the charge for carrying being cresenta 6 0 of their declared value i 3 shopkeeper gives a receipt apt for the ter er or package and he thus becomes Pon sible for its safe delivery or its urn to the sender with seal un in iii ioma J P arts 0 of tho the empire I 1 cOrl consul sill says about two t ny o thirds of pense of jf tia transmission sion is I 1 y sen sender der y the W remainder 1 bein being 9 lecter from y the i fa receive v deiv 0 cn r athus tile T P Proc cecur ureda i ed a gaffie st entire loas chit koi ceist customers i 0 m rt e rs 0 anda 1 a tile 14 h N vf sender i omo VP at his letter will convoy with dispatch native 1 V 4 ka 1 f 1 V ints who arc regular customers biners pa P 0 aee colin tr IV 10 ani and maky their settlements mont montt monthly lily ly in some soine oi of the larr larger rr cities and lowns the letter shops shop are numerous hut but in iii many remote vill villages ages 0 there are arc non M t aa in shanghai there are arch nearly two hun hundred tred some of the shops employ solicitors who go from lioti house c to working up trade competition in macy cities being b strong 11 in tale northern provinces the shopkeepers in imitate the government and employ a slem of mounted carriers her I 1 lorl cs or donea done 3 are 11 used ed the re rc I 1 lay ayi r ak aj mt about t f f i miles apart lach coa ril r or 11 men r air is with seventy or ar chi cla ii 1 pounds igind of mail matter and tra trail ca bout five miles milesa an ii hour much r t 11 t an n the government can carriers ors por for horl ort dla distances ance and in central centra and outa cru china the alie ines travels trave IS on oll foot at a rapid gait V lien ll 11 th r arrne arrives at a station lie ile hands over alic mail to a freh carrier ille ih starts tart at once tays ays con consul ml cracey ir acoy no matir aliat may inay he be flit hoir of the alie day or night and re mcardle ardle s of winds I ind rain heat or cold lie continues the ja hoinsky 11 y until lie ile too lias ed hi service crice cr ice and handed the alie parcel over to ft a third d MCI mese ncr and thus it readies it its destination thi pony express alilce that which va in ine rt across cros the vi western plains elahi of the united forty years ago is sometimes subject to interruption by highwaymen but the chiae e have bave a vay of compounding such villa villainy irly and thus protecting their postal service the hie robber bands of each district collect blackmail from the shopkeepers and for regular sums paid they not only do not molest the messengers themselves but they agree to keep heep other marauders from cooing Coing so large linns engaged 41 1 in the carrying business and a nd in transporting tran sporting aveless ti by carts between given points are in the habit of contracting with the brigands brigande bri gands for the safe passage 0 of their goods a and aad ad clISt customers Omers thus lus comments the consul the evil of mail or express rob bei beay y corn common moi enough in muro more civilized countries is recognized as a s probable arid and duly provided for although of course not legal this practice is quite common and is not f fax a removed froni from the custom of some other nations in licensing social evil that cannot be entirely suppressed |