Papers (1896-1917) including letters and reminiscences, biographical clipping, comments on World War I, daily weather conditions, postal services between US and China.
This collection consists largely of correspondence (1896-1917) of Edgar Quackenbush (d. 1939), an American tea merchant representing Carter Macy & Co. of New York, N.Y., on business trips to China.
The collection also includes four reminiscences of Edgar Quackenbush and his children, and a short biography of Quackenbush. The items in the collection have been given consecutive page numbers to aid the researcher in locating specific references.
The majority of the collection relates to the personal affairs of the Quackenbush family during their stay in the international settlements in Shanghai and Hankow. Only a little information regarding the tea trade is included, specifically the Russian tea trade (1896, p. 20), the high cost of freight to America from China, and the difficulty in getting tonnage (1916-1917, pp. 72, 116).
Several areas in the correspondence that are emphasized are descriptions of social activities (1896-1917) and travels within China, including Hangchow (early 1900s, 1917, pp. 16-17, 145-147), Nanking (1901-1902, pp. 8-9, 34-35), and Ningpo (1901, pp. 10-12, 27-29). Social life and customs described are a Chinese wedding (1916, pp. 8, 86-87); various modes of travel (donkey, sedan chair, rickshaw, boat, tram, train, steamer); entertainment in the international settlement (1916, 1917); Chinese burials (ca. 1912, p. 15); and Chinese shops (1916-1917).
Correspondence and reminiscences also contain descriptions of Quackenbush's travels outside of China. Included are his trips to Hong Kong (1909, p. 36); Singapore (1909, pp. 37-38); Penang on the Malayan Peninsula (1909, p. 38); Colombo, Ceylon (1909, pp. 39-40); Aden (1909, pp. 41-42); Suez Canal (1909, p. 44); London (1909, pp. 48-49); and by railway through France (1909, pp. 46-47). Correspondence also discusses trips to Japan and includes information on temple architecture in Kamakura (1916, p. 69), village homelife (1900, p. 7), and hotels in Yokohama andMiyanoshita (1916-1917, pp. 69-70, 106-108). Other correspondence describes travels in the Western Hemisphere, including trips to Honolulu, Hawaii (1917, p. 104); California (1916, pp. 65-66); the Grand Canyon; and a train trip through Wyoming (1917, pp. 101-102).
Chinese politics and international affairs are also discussed. Included are references to Manchu City (the Forbidden City) in Nanking (1901, pp. 34-35) and the provisional government also in Nanking (ca. 1912, pp. 13-19); the Boxer Rebellion (1900, pp. 5, 7, 26); the Chinese Revolution (1911-1912, pp. 13-19); examination halls and processes used to test prospective government appointees (1901, pp. 34-35); the location and appearance of the U.S. and Russian consular offices in China (1916, pp. 84-85); difficulties between China and Japan (1914-1915, pp. 61, 63); and the rise of the Emperor to power and his subsequent abdication in favor of the Republic (1917, pp. 125, 127).
Evidence of religious activities in China centers around numerous descriptions of American missionaries (1901, 1916-1917, pp. 10, 15-19, 146-147, 157-159), discussion of the Buddhist religion, and descriptions of Buddhist temples, including a temple in Hangchow (1917, p. 146), a Buddhist monastery, and a service in Snowy Valley near Ningpo (1901, pp. 10-12, 27-29). Also described is a comparison between Buddhism and Roman Catholicism (1901, p. 29).
Correspondence includes comments about World War I (1916-1917). Included are descriptions of England's defense of national treasures from German Zeppelin bombs (1916, p. 68); steamer travel to China with German submarines positioned off the Pacific coast of the United States (1917, pp. 103-105); contradictory news regarding the Allies (1916, p. 84); British censorship of U.S. mail in China (1916, pp. 84, 89-91); mention of measures needed regarding Mexico (1916, pp. 81, 142); comments on American influence upon China in severing diplomatic relations with Germany (1917, p. 124); and comments pertaining to China's declaration of war against Austria and Germany and its effects on German citizens and property in China (1917, pp. 133, 140-141, 154). Difficulties between the Germans and Japanese (1916, p. 77) and the defense of Tsingtao by the Germans and its capture by the Japanese is also mentioned (1914, p. 61).
The collection also includes comments pertaining to U.S. ships in China: the USS MONACY (1900, p. 5), a sidewheel steamer that was moved from Shanghai to Tiestin for use against the Boxer Rebellion uprising; the USS SARATOGA and the USS RAINBOW, both of which were brought to Shanghai to protect U.S. citizens (ca. 1912, p. 13); and the USS CINCINNATI (1917, p. 154) that left Shanghai to help the Russian steamer, POLTAVA, which had struck a reef.
Daily weather conditions, including sand storms and typhoons, are noted frequently throughout the correspondence and references are also made to disasters resulting from adverse weather conditions. Included are references to famine and the Bailie colonization scheme for coping with it(ca. 1912, p. 17); and drought precipitating rice and bean crop failures (1917, p. 113).
Miscellaneous topics covered include postal service between China and the United States (1896, 1909, 1916, 1917); mention of several shipwrecks in the late 1890s and 1917 (1909), 1917, pp. 41, 154); an epidemic of scarlet fever (ca. 1901, p. 6); and a Christian Science "absent treatment" for healing (1916, p. 76). Also mentioned are missionary-run hospitals for lepers and consumptive patients in Hangchow (1917, p. 147).
Gift of Charles Hill
Processed by L. Turner, November 1992
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.