iron horse of the foreigner? Millions of coolies earn a living
by carrying merchandise in baskets or wheeling it in barrows
at five cents a day. A single railroad train does the work of a
thousand coolies, and thus deprives them of their means of
support. Myriads of farmers grew the beans and peanuts out
of which illuminating oil was made. But since American
kerosene was introduced in 1864, its use has become well-nigh
universal, and the families who depended upon the bean-oil and
peanut-oil market are starving. Cotton clothing is generally
worn in China, except by the better classes, and China
formerly made her own cotton cloth. Now American manufacturers
can sell cotton in China cheaper than the Chinese can
make it themselves.

All this is, of course, inevitable. It is indeed for the best interests
of the people of China themselves, but it enables us to
understand why so many of the Chinese resent the introduction
of foreign goods. That much of this business is passing into
the hands of the Chinese themselves does not help the matter,
for the people know that the goods are foreign, and that the
foreigners are responsible for their introduction.

Nor are racial prejudices and vested interests the only foes
which the railway has to encounter in China. As we have
seen, the Chinese, while not very religious, are very superstitious.
They people the earth and air with spirits, who, in their
judgment, have baleful power over man. Before these spirits
they tremble in terror, and no inconsiderable part of their
time and labour is devoted to outwitting them, for the Chinese
do not worship the spirits, except to propitiate and deceive