The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-01

S4MS98ff%S&A 4m9G IN 0ale Lak0-Etghty.two
ASSHs88 asSssSSSss Children.
6SS##a many years thsfe were Away
zl i Gr1 M Siam, ~ssiRning n the sam
IMI 6lgassHA Afel king, d actual ruler. and
#Gf = t5eanior kina. q ssind. whose funo
A 81 AN6eo entirely religious In character.
AssFSSa Il 9Gin ~ last two Of three years thi
aG1<pGeNo@ he's bsen abolished, the seint
IN # ~. His place was never filed, 81
nv Rod C~hulalongkorn Occupies I'M
8 1IaBSIalau allons. The royal position is hsred'
SSSSVSsSna NJ king has absolute power
ssa11 ~ pssssnt sovereign u advised
3a} IsS9Tnnlnoulfy u priness and heads of do
a aIIi1lA
a G = speoplo aro ~ Amiable. pleasant-faced
8AtiIn aS6o1f1y face, lazy and weak-minded
N&fAtn4olllRsnk, very leisurely given over &c
UN1114htGlm, WSrlhiping more their mendl'
o1adne prteGts than their idols extremely
2GI1ppoeetiaiou4 consulting oracles concern
~ moOn and stars 10 secure lucky days
1ces III thsir undertakings. Lik the
Cktnsae. nays tho New York Mail and Ex-
UrSee1. tAAy ~ only too often atheists but
unlikeet Aemy worshiping and believing IN
a6tl&tn9 ~ ldlsnsss and lnck.
IAAays nv NOT badly Of, were il not for a
kin9 who consumes most Of their earnings
R1nxaa Sor his Income Of $10,0OO.0OO and
2Sn1Atlity and royal family Of gigantic pro-
p9SS1dons. Still. like England. whilst they
Il 6eGnoan thsss faots. they bow down kiss the
~ mo royal fset" and worship their
sstoos1 cf perfect fest and Justice"
Ihstr king Ii - good ; type Of : nne-
sIo1okinR Hiamsss man as You could find.
MINI eood forehead, dark olive skin. black
y N 81 coarse, olsar eyer. slight mustsche
wv very weak mouth. The last feature
i0s1ho universal defect of the race. =
TAoWomsn arc almost handsome until
1hG1 open thor large mouths and show
theis bstel-atained teeth, and they are such
Akappy psopls. they are always laughing.
\ Hon and women wear the hair short and
bfushed directly back from the forehead.
Internationally, and women. oddly. wear
- olothinc than You would expect of any
na4ion above the equator and the South
Eoastsland1
But You soon grow used to this fact.
Polyeany IL prac.iced still. and it il quite
~ouelouaaty 10 purchase 4 wife, though the
q sNS
bride - : eort Of special dowry. A woman
O11auk 10 to-day nearly always acoompan-
ia ~ hsr slave. although tho king has
abolfshed slavery. Their morals are low,
hut undoubtedly higher than most other
ssmi-civilized nations who have not been
under European government for any length
Bangkok. the picturesque capital of an
Interesting country. rests on the waters of
tho mighty river 1snam, and . large pro.
portion Of her 100000 inhabitants spend
th ss I've y. q .ns s g face { q s sns stream; ,o+,
q dWSninR and vehicle for trading with the
othsr large population which lives either in
funks or In small huts built on RATS of
bamboo. tkst will rise and fall with the
1ides, and may float to-day in one klong. or
panaI and to morrow move on to a better
arc shops, business utensils. beds. family
yItars, and often pots of flowers for decora-
tiOn. Hare q family is born, lives and dies.
Bangkok divideS the honor with several
other places C .aeritinR the name of the
ssvsnice Of the east but it is, like unto the
Adriatic queen. robbed OF her palaces, of
her beauty, her individuality.
No, Bangkok is only like the Italian city
inRSmuch a. the nal are her streets, and
boats, like Rondolas, are her carriages.
There are no palaces whose every line.
whose windows or broken arches, have n
III UI0Eys q Q0OplC Wuuoo UAboAOu6 EA60 anu
fall like their tide, whose history is woven
Into The history of the world.
Blu there are miles of peaked huts, and
Asete 81 boats and RATS in a forest of trop-
ical foliage. with q wild, untamed beauty,
pic~turesQueness all her own.
Ing III the stern. with the same artful, for.
ward push of the oar, SO natural that you
aYpNct to hear the familiar Italian cry OF
1ssl like hailing . ''gondola" in place of t
sssampan."
The city covers eight miles on both sides
- the river banks. and most of the best
houses and watts are at the waters edge
The British American and French consul
Ates are nearly side by side, two miles be,
low the enormous enclosure Of the kipg'I
palace.
n the river opposite the royal palace O
longing to the navy are at anchor. Two o
three are formidable modern boats. bull
on European models; especially one gun
boat built in Hong Kong-the first goo,
warship floating the blue flag with tn
white elephant. They are of no use sxcep
to protect the entrance to the river or +
TAX the princes across the Kraw peninsula
Foreigners are not allowed inside the cen
trail palace gates, but can get a glimpse O
tho monster Franco-SiameEe structure il
which the king lives with his queens an,
Queens and his host OF n%aughsms, or-lad
LIKE M AAb buIeo 4uGeUS, Inc HTS
~ called the queen of the rieht hand, an
81 an estimable lady Of character and edu
cation. Whether all of his eighty-tw
children live in this palace or not J. can no
NY. When / was visiting the place l ga
two Of them, little fellows with white he'll
!. NETS nearly "a large as themselves and eol
anklets; . host of women servants followed
while the people bowed down on their face
~ they passed.
just think of eighty-two children to fee
md eighty-two stockings to hang up a
Christmas!
Here, too, are the sacred royal white ele
plants. which are much more really whit
than / anticipated. but small. Near also i
the royal wat, with its many spires ant
shYines of iniaid mother Of pearl, gold O
silver and brightly colored glazed tiles.
Then an inquisitive stranger can take
look at the outside Of the harem-that's al
he'll rec Of it. When You think that 70
have had enough of royalty 1t is only a ste
& any of the great temple watts, and it
not surprising that a people who suppol
euch a large priesthood should build man
large monasteries for them.
They all resemble in idea the Burmes
building, but vary in design and exten'
Many Of the paRodas have pointed needle
like tops, with glazed porcelain tiles c
bright coiors, and are inlaid with preciou
stones, imitation flowers and figures {
otucco. The capabilities of the artist i
this are %curiously shown. The hideou
figures and glarinR colors are most Offer
atve to ths eye, moro striking than beaut
ful. The roofs of the buildings containip
Aha Onda are fYiple. ono over nrokbar - 49,