The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-26
cnINl's BOZ EMPEROR.
Great Excitement Among the Ce-
Iestials Over His Marriage


and lie Aftenaa0<s.
peking Letter In xsw Yorx wos5a-
All Picking Is excited to-day ove
the boy eruperors marriage. III.
bride was selected few stays ago, ARK
the Official announcement appeared Ii
the Peking Gasxff< Of yesterday. To
dsy somewhere neaf \ nniIiion Chi
nese tongues are wagging inside o
orAnge-cniored cheeks about the ne~
empress, and the highiy-rouget
danghtsrs Of the ManeAn mobility an
wondering what kind Of D Looking
girl she il, and are ensying both he;
and the fao sisters who have beer
chosen 70 rank ~ che highest OF the
imperial concubines.
The announcement cf the Picking
Gassfse il official II comes from The
innermost recesses OF the forbidden
city. and Il was dictated by the
empress dowager herself. quote /!
In the translation which the Chinese
writer OF our American minister has
prepared for the state department al
Washington. Ii requires only one
page OF the Peking Castle to print IL,
and this means 5 space not longer nor
wider than the back OF long official
cnyelope. IL reads:
Especial sdIcs OF the empress dowager.
..I1se emperor having revsrsntiy sue
eeeded 10 his exalted inheritance and In
crens;nx d4s ~ day In maturity. Il Il Dc
coming that he Should select virtsous
eonssFf 10 assist IL the administration q;
the palace, 70 e6nfFDl the members Of hSs
housshos. aad 70 encourage the emperor
himself IN upright eondHet. Lat, there
fore, Tet No Ma Las daughter OF Deputy
Lieut.. Gen knsi HsiAng, whom We have
slccted for hef dignIsaed and virfuous
character, beeofne empress.
Further edies.
aLef Ta.Tai.a. aged Is years. a daughter
Of Chang HsiI, formerly vice president Of
3 board, become the secondary c0nsGyf OF
the first rank. and Les IaTa<IA, aged II,
also daughter OF Chang Hsli, formerly vice
president OF q board became imperial foI-
esibine Of the second rank.
Respect this.
THE BEAUTIFUL MAscHu STABLES.
Thus IL settled question which has
been agitating the Chinese court for
the past year and which has cost the
families of tie Manchi nebies months
Of trouble, hundreds of thousands Of
cash and an incaicuiable amount of
bitter disappointment. China has been
ruled for more than two centuries BY
Mancharians. Picking has Ia Chinese
peror Is full~blooded Manchu.
II Is prescribed BY the laws OF
the court that he shall wed no
- "A
the past year the distinguished Man
chu papas, having daughters between
the ages OF II and IS, have been re-
qnired TO send them 10 Picking in order
that they sssight be Inspected by the
empress dowaksr with view TO the
selection OF such as seemed good for
the imperial harem. The first inspec-
ton was held last spring. The maid
ems came in by hundreds from Peking
and from other northern parts OF the
empire. They were conveyed In carts
from their homes 20 the palace, and
their delicate frames were iolted like
Jelly through the rats of the Peking
streets on the springiess, heavy, box
like vehicles.
Each girl was dressed in ali the ex-
travagance OF Chinese costume. Her
hair, rich, black and iustrons, was
combed out over bar a foot long at
the back OF her head, so that it stood
out for six inches ON each side. Her
face. originally of a delicate cream.
verging upon the bloom OF large yell
low peach, was oyerlsid with rouge
and paste. and her eyes. coal black
were heightened in color by artificial
means. The Manchu girls are the
most beautiful in China, and an un.
adored maiden with her soulful eyes
looking out of their narrow, almond.
shaped sits is enough to stir the
blood OF the coolest Caucas,
sian. She IL plump and luscious
and she has not the disgusting com,
preston oil foot which is always asso-
ciated with her Chinese sister. There
are no pipe-stem legs and mutilated
feet about the palace of the emperor
OF China, and the empress viii proha.
bly, wear No. shoe.
These hundreds OF mandarins
daughters were Manchas. and they
we're the prcttiest Manchus In China.
Their carts were led through wall
after wall through the great city o!
Picking, aud they arrived at the palace
al 2 o'clock In the morning. Much OF
the work OF the Chinese court is done
In the night, and IL was dark when
they were carried across the little
lake inside the palace grounds, and
they ate their breakfast at 5 a. m.
when the rest OF Picking was still
sleeping. Alter this they were give
q little time for priuiping !.
powdering, and they we're t.iet
tishesed into the presence Of the em
pfess-iowager in groups OF -four anG
I'VE. Each girl carried tablet bear
ing her name and axe. and thee wer,
handed Co the empress. who pui
questions to the yoG..r ladiei
and passed upon their ,eautv. rhs
only men present We're the eour
eanuehs, of whom lwilI speak furthe,
ON. and the unsuccessful candidates
were passed over 20 these with order
that each should be given piece o
Nlycf IN the shape ol shoe. which
weighed exactly one ounce. and b.
sent away. The great majority OF tn,
maidens were discarded az his frs
inspection. he remainder wer,
asked to come again. At the seeons
inspection u closer examination wa
made, and there was further weed
ing out OF the least beautiful inaisiens
AZ this time the unsuccessful candi
dates were each given roll OF sill K
and az the third inspection. which
took place In the latter part OF las
months. the hundreds had been re-
dueed 10 Is. and IL was from thesl
Is that the above three were tinali,
chosen,
A MEMORABLE NEnniSa.
The marriage Is To take place on tn
same day that President Harrison !
tn be inaagurafed, and the prepare
tons for Il have been going ON 70
months. The board3 vi rites an,
ceremonies have decided that
shall be aS economical as possible
hut they agree that il must cost a
least !. hats0 saels. which j. consider
ably over slO,tsa,ns The reyal fac
tories are already at work MAXIM
silke. satins aud other things for
and collections arr being made in var
ious provinces. fhts wedding j.
with one exception, the oall
marriage oE az Emperor II
this way since 1874. The last esapeEo.
rung Tai. was married ia lS5a III
was. like the prvsen, emperor. a 10,
whea he assembled the throne and hi
empress was chosen in the same way
Three DAYS before the wedding he sen
the bride her pAssnix rolses. an.
ordered the priests ca burn incense a
the altar Of heaven as he was ahoss