The Evening Herald

EARL LI GETS A SHOCK
The Chinese
Statesman
Monkeyed with Electricity.

IT RESULTED IN A GOOD SCARE
Further Than That No Harm Was Done to
the Nation's Guest—The Distinguished
Statesman Continues
His Quest for
Knowledge by Asking Questions.

NIAGARA FALLS, Sept. 7.—The special
train bearing Li Hung Chang and his
party arrived here at noon yesterday. Rain
was falling at the time and the visitors
dampened their silk blouses and gold lace
somewhat in the journey to the Cataract
House, where rooms had been engaged.
When the rain ceased carriages were
quickly summoned, and the visitors spent
two hours in inspecting the wonders of
Niagara.

At the electric power house of the Niagara
Falls Power company the distinguished
visitor had his first experience
with American electricity, the result being
as startling as it was unexpected.
With his usual curiosity and desire to investigate
the machinery before him he
pointed at a switch board with his walking
stick. The metal ferule closed a circuit
instantly, and Li's stick was violently
thrown from his grasp. He was naturally
much astonished at the effect of the stick's
contact with the switch board, but fortunately
he suffered no damage but a good
scare. However, he decided that he had
seen enough, and he went to his room,
where he remained until bed time.

Saturday night Li and his party passed
their first night in an American sleeping
car. Before this novelty they enjoyed
dinner in a dining car. This meal, which
was especially prepared by the Pennsylvania
railroad dining car people, was quite
elaborate. The menu card was decorated
with the American and Chinese flags intertwined,
and a fac simile of the autograph
of Earl Li, done in yellow.

After eating a rather hearty supper Li
sent for George W. Boyd, assistant general
passenger agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad
company, who piloted the train over
the lines of his company, and spent about
two hours questioning him about railroads.
He had a map of the United States
before him, and once he branched off to
the war of the rebellion, asking the name
of the states that seceded from the Union.
Li asked particularly about the battles in
which Grant participated, and all of them
were indicated on the map for his benefit.
The deep interest Li shows in railroad
matters convinces those who have paid attention
to the subject that his principal
object in visiting this country is to study
American railway construction and management,
with a view to the adoption of
some of the features in a proposed general
extension of the Chinese railway system.
In fact, the viceroy intimated that he is
negotiating for the services of an American
civil engineer, who, if he accepts the
offer made him, will go to China in the
near future and take charge of the railway
extension scheme now being outlined.
Li says there are only about 200
miles of single track railroad in China at
present.

At Li's request no effort has been made
at fast running, an even speed of about
thirty miles an hour being maintained.
Even on the train the earl's body guard
slept outside the door of his state room.

At Canandaigua the train left the Pennsylvania
line and passed on to the tracks
of the New York Central. At Rochester
General Passenger Agent George H.
Daniels, of the New York Central, and
Edson J. Weeks, his chief assistant,
boarded the train. These gentlemen were
presented to Li and then he settled himself
comfortably in his arm chair in the
observation compartment of his car and
with Mr. Boyd and Mr. Daniels on either
side and Interpreter Marks at his elbow
indulged in his favorite pastime of cross
questioning for nearly three hours.

After ascertaining Mr. Daniels' age and
salary he inquired how much President
Depew received, and was astonished to
learn that his salary is equal to that of
the president of the United States. Li
said that if he had some money he would
invest it in American railway stocks. He
declared he was "too poor, and could not
raise $10,000." This statement from the
man popularly regarded as the richest
person in the world caused a smile.

The run to this point was without special
incident. General Manager J. M.
Toucey, of the New York Central, was at
the station to meet the party, and after Li
paused long enough to ask him his age and
salary the procession started for the hotel.

Li Hung Chang is not a teetotaler. He
drinks a single glass of claret with his
dinner, and at bedtime takes a small
quantity of Chinese wine, famed for its
medicinal value. His secretaries declare
that he cannot understand English at all.
He has learned the words "How do you
do?" and always greets his visitors with
this sentence.

At 9 o'clock this morning the start for
Canada was made. Sir Henry G. Joly de
Lotbiniere welcomed the travelers on behalf
of the Canadian government, and
General Ruger ceased his official connection
with the viceroy as the representative
of President Cleveland.