Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-21
pieces Of glass. and producing the Same

pieces OF glass, and producing the same
effect as the glass wall which tiffany
built between the vestibule and the long
corridor OF our White House. The light
shining through this makes 1t look rs
though it was made Of jewels, and the
room is lighted from tho top. This cell
ing is, judge, fifty feet from the floor.
II il vaulted, and the walls below are fres-
coed in gold. Three immense glass chan
deiiers like those OF the East Room OF
the White House hang down from this
ceiling, and these were made for tho
palace OF the Emperor OF Austria, but
were bought by tho King OF Siam. The
floor is OF marble Mosaic and tho
King sits on great chair or ros-
trum at the back. Five steps lead
10 ii, and beside him are the kingly
umbrellas and over him q nine-story
psgoda-like crown OF white and gold.
Around the room there are gold trees
and gold bushes, and the leaves OF
these are Of pure gold, while their trunks
are heavily plated. There were. per
haps, dozen OF these on each side OF
the room, and they ranged from the size
of Christmas tree down to that OF
small currant bush. These ara the
offerings OF the rulers of the various
provinces under the King. They make
these presents OF gold trees every year.
and some of them are worth fortunes.
Not a few were OF silver, and tho silver
trees we're placed on one side Of tho
room, while those OF gold were placed
on the other.
TIE SACRED WHITE ELEPHANTS.
Siam is known as tho land OF the
white elephant. The elephant is the
imperial animal of the country, and you
see his picture upon all OF the flags The
old coins OF the realm have an elephant
upon one side of them. and the white
elephant is here sacred. He is supposed
to be the embodied spirit of some King
or hero, and the people formerly wor-
shipped him, and they do SO to some
extent now. Before going to see the
palace | had read a glowing de-
sctfption of the white elephant
of Siam. | expected TO see his tusks
bound with gold, 10 find golden
chains about his neck, and superb vel
vet coat of purple, fringed with scarlet
and gold, over his snov-white body.
What / did find was four wild-eyed,
strengthening elephants with long
tusks and with skins not much whittier
than those you see in the american cir
Gus. The only white part about them
was their long tapping ears, which
seemed TO be afflicted with the leprosy.
The remainder Of their skins had the
whitcness only of disease, and | was
told, as rule, the white elephants OF
Siam are mao elephants.
These beasts were III dirty stables, and
they were chained by the feet to great
wooden posts. They had dirty keepers,
aud there was no sign of royalty about
them. Their keepers fed them some
grass while we were present, and they
performed some ordinary circus tricks
Tor US. The glory Of the white elephant
has in all probability departed, and the
elephants of the interior Of Siam are
made to work quite as hard as their
brothers oil over the world. One Of the
puuishments OF Siam Is making conyicts
cut the grass for these royal elephants.
One of them killed bis keeper the other
day. and the same holy beast made a
snap at me with his trunk when | en-
tered his stable.