![Transcription Center logo](/themes/custom/tc_theme/assets/image/logo.png)
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
152. Grand Hotel des Wagons-Lits, Ltd. Tel. Address: Wagonlits. Code: A.B.C. 5th Edition. Peking, Sept 27th, 1909. Dear Colonel Hecker. In response to my cable request of last Friday, and with their accustomed promptness the "Shanghai Bank" - here so termed -Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation in reality, early this (Monday) morning notified me that they were holding for me the sum of £1.000. sterling. Many thanks for your kind and prompt response to my second call. When calling upon you for the £2.000. I thought that sum would be ample, but I did not then know that I had reached Peking at one of the two best annual times for purchasing fine objects. The Chinese well-to-do people must have money twice a year- First on their New Years day - February 1st, when every chinaman inventories his property, collects all outstanding accounts due him and pays all his debts - for ordinary purchases he pays only annually [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] that is on February 1st. His second requirement is for ready cash with which to celebrate 186