Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 240, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1910 — RAILROAD LIKE TOY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RAILROAD LIKE TOY

LINE BETWEEN ANTUNG AND MUKDEN PICTURESQUE. Built for Military Use, But Foreign Travelers Are Well Treated anti Suffer No Discomfort —Hotels and Food Good. The light railway which connects Antung with Mukden was originally

constructed by the Japanese for military purposes, and, therefore, in order to get there as quickly as possible, it winds around and over the mountains instead of going through them. It was more- expeditious to negotiate the mountains by means of loops and switchbacks than by tunnels, and it has resulted in a picturesque route, with plenty

Of fine Beenery. It Is a narrow-gauge road (29 inches), with miniature, toylike cars just about six feet wide; So that, if the car is full it is difficult to find places for both the travelers’ feet and their luggage. In that respect it is rather inconvenient; but, on the whole, it is not so uncomfortable as one might expect. In many ways, it is really and truly an “accommodation train." Of course, on such a light railway, speed is not expected or obtainable. The distance between Antung and Mukden is less than 200 miles, and it takes two days, with one night’s stop between, to make the journey. Moreover, each day a mountain range has to be negotiated, and for that purpose, for part of the time, the train must be divided into two sections, each of which makes the climb separately. At both Antung and Ttao-hokon, the place where the train stops for the night, hotels with foreign accommodations may be found. Too much cannot be said in praise of the attention and civility shown to foreigners. It seems to be the aim of the officials and employes of the railway to minimize as much as possible the inconveniences. Even the station master himself may come with a tray of tea, condensed milk, sugar and cakes or cookies for the traveler. But the petty inconveniences of. this light railway need not be suffered much longer. All along the line the Chinese coolies are hard at work under Japanese supervision in preparing the broad-gauge roadbed. Temporary towns have sprung up and where formerly not a score of people could be seen there are from 80Q to 2,000 inhabitants. The new line does not follow the old roadbed closely, and especially in the mountain ranges goes through, instead of around, the mountains. There are to be twentyfour or twenty-five tunnels, ranging from 165 to 4,884 feet in length. This will reduce largely the mileage and the number of hours on the way; but it will also detract considerably from the picturesque aspect of the route. In these days the esthetic must be more or less sacrificed to the utilitarian. And, if the International Sleeping Car and Express Train company, or Wagon-Lits, succeeds in its plan proposed to the South Manchurian railway, that the latter allow It (Wagon-Lits) to run its own sleeping and dining car service, both on the Changchun-Darien line and the Changchun-Mukden-Antung line, it will cut down considerably the time between Europe and either Shanghai or Tokyo.