The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-03

be inaugurated. and the preparations
for it have been going on for months.
The board of rites and ceremonies
have decided that it shall be as econom-
ical as possible, but they agree that it
must cost at least 1000 900 teals, which
is considerably over $10,0OO,OOO. The
royal factories are already at work
making silks, satins and other things
Tor 1t, and collections are being made
IN the various provinces. This wedding
Is, with one exception, the only mar
rlage OF an emperor in this way since
1874. The last Emperor, Tdng Chi. was
married in 1872. He was like the pre-
sent Emperor. boy when he assembled
the throne, and his Empress was chosen
the wedding he sent the bride her
phoenix robes, and ordered the priests
to burn incense at the alter of heaven
az he"waS about to marry Aleuteh. the
good, wise and Virtuous daughter of
Cheng." Presents poured in from every
part OF the capital, and On the day be-
fore the marriage tablet of gold was
sent TO the bride, upon which was en-
graved the edict elevating her to the
throne. The bride is here known as the
phGnix and the emperor is known as
the dragon, and the union is that of the
phoenix and the dragon. A grand pro-
cession escorted the bride to the palace.
A Manohu prince was at its head and
thirty white horses followed behind.
The dowager empress received the
pria1. She stsrrrred from her sedan
chair on to d go:;S3en sa1159,s anu from
that into her home. 1t will be the same
with the marriage of this Emperor, and
the empress will rule the ladies of the
imperial household. The number of
females in the royal harem is not &C
curately known. The Emperor has the
right to seven legal concubines and t.
an unlimited number OF illegal ones.
Every third year after March next he
will review the daughters OF the high
rank Manchu officers over II years of
age, and will chose such as he pleases
for the palaces. Such of his secondary
wives as bear children to him will con-
tinue to remain in the palace. The
others NAV be restored to liberty when
they reach the age of rs years
Aanchu girls consider II great favor
to be taken into the palace, and their
families regard it an honor. They have
no trouble in finding husbands if they
are permitted to come out again, but
while In the palace they associate with
n )ne but the Emperor and his eunuchy.
The eunuchs Of the palace are the
most influential men of the court.
They have been the servants of the
Chinese Emperor as far back as the time
of Christ, and they are mentioned in
Chinese history as existing 1000 B. c.
There are 5000 eunuchs in the imperial
palace at Peking according to a late
report on the subject to the state depart.
ment, and this report states that no
person not of royal blood has the right
to possess or employ eunuchs. It Estates
that princes and princeases of ROYAL
blood, sons and daughters of the EN-
peror may use thirty eunuchs, but that
nephews and younger sons arc restricted
to twenty. Every fifth year each of
certain princes OF China is required to
furnish for the use of the palace eight
young eunuchs, and these princes are
paid about $500 apiece for them. The
eighteen lama priests who supply the
spiritual wants OF the ladies of the i'm :
perial household are eunucha, and the
1900 or 1900 men of this class in the
palace are divided into forty-eight de-
partments. They have each their du-
ties, and those of ordinary rank receive
from 50 to $l2 per month. They make
more, of course, by their percentage on
the sales made to the palace, and some
of them. through official favor, grow
quite wealthy.
'Ghie Ia Qanopiellv an IN thA fa vOri tcs
OF the Empress dowager and the. ieadine
ladies. One of the eunuchs of the
court grew angry a week or SO ago be-
cause a wealthy Chinaman. who lived
not far from the palaces walls, had sent
up a sky rocket. the shaft of which
happened to fall in his yard. He con
cluded to be revsnged, snd taking the
Empress to the top of her palace, hs
showed her this mans residence and
told her that she ought to have il for 6
certain purpose. He persuaded bel
that he was right; and as the Emperor
and empress are supposed to own al
China, notice was sent to this China
, man that he must raise imm edlately an
enormous sum of money or his palac,
would be confiscated by the Empress
He could not raise the money. He die
not want to give up his palace, and il
his despair he hung himself. This wa
about three weeks ago.
The Empress Dowager who, notwith
standing the boy Emperor has ascendet