The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-22
THE KING or SIAM AND HIS REALM.
He 10 an Interesting Young Autocrat, and
Ruies . Queer People.


Trnn he Sra Fsanci,oo Caronic'..
The King OF Siam Is q monarch who has
more absolute power over his subjects than
the Gar. Few men in this world have as much
to make them feel big and important. but for
one in his position he is very much civilized
and Nm ds-siecte young person. He Is small n
person. His head is crowned with . golden
pyramid OF Jewels. rising in circular tiers. d.
shing as they go upward. until they end
Hearty ,MS feet The sG OF it, kings
and Vest. heavily e!hbroidered in gold and
Ifien dreaded saronF. 81 the samese about
his loins and waist. II comes down beloW his
pair air. Of fancy Enickerbockers. Below these
stockings, and his feet are thrust into. jewel
covered. heelless slippers. pointed like the
tune brilliant and grand. He 10 pleasant
HSmp and has
liquid black eyes. q broad. high. and rather
TN s rather and G:ss
lipss nre rather thick; and the chin rlump and
siameae Geauty. lie is tho ninth son Of Maha
picked out Of a family of eighty:foHr children
to be placed upon the throne. He has thirty
four hali brothers and hni sisters
1oOO0OOO Of people. and it is hard for an
and his holy dignity. Tho people OF the coun-
Try are his slaves: He has the right to call
pas and mo- ali eeli in siam Hs are forced give
seTsiees "v during I the year His word can
ToS h him Of his daSsI.e,: All The Women q
and no one is forbidden to him except his
mother He is snpnosed to take one Of his
sse,s as his and the 1osles OF the
score His court is one Of intrigue. and the
MOBILES are glad to have their daughters in the
the Kings friendship and powerful oiIices He
taxes the people as he pleases. and these taxes
to a"t To
enable them to nay him; Still. his vaults are
full! OF treasure. siam has no national debt.
900 year, He can spond tens Of thousands
Of dollars In crematinE dead wife or In es-
ss ,ss fKsi ns e y Siam 1. tn. most pro
gressive the country has eve; had. He is far
In ad G Of Hi pe9Gps and he il doing
coron alton in 1873 ali natives who approached
the King had to do SO on all tours. They had
bump their heads on tho mats before him.
Tho King did away with all that. and he has
reception Of foreigners. He gives receptions
tongue. though he never does this when noted
foreigners have m audience with him. He has
brought the telegraph and the telephone into
Bangkok. has established q street-car line
The King OF Sinm is Buddhist. md he was
for some time a buddhist priest. as is the Gus
tom Tish all men IN p SIAM Every enc
and this royal monarch; with his millions Of
treasure. his scores OF wives. and his $4,000
inally gave up his crown and his harem to
wear yellow cotton scarf about his waist and
q go na Well The ns
priesthood is useful to married men. man
can be divorced whenever he likes by entering
Tho sreat, event in the lie Of a sIamese is the
times great event in the life Of an American
SD hs h ss ss sa lex @ bn 3
IL kept sacred until he reaches the age when
he officially PASSES from boyhood to manhood.
tending the hair cutting OF the present King
lasted three days
mighty that he must marry nobody beneath
hm in rrns his Sny s9rr1 5sns his own
therefore. always be his half sister. The
Queen is not far from - years OF age: shc
ese, girl. Her complexion 10 a light brown.
and her oily black hair about two inches long;
rom sr open foreheas She has bsausn
eyes. wears diamond earrings and has dia-
mond pendant at her neck. and her fingers are
covered with precious stones. She smokes
cigarettes. rs does also the King. and she
chews the betel nut. making her teeth as black
as Jet and her lips stick out, The Sinmese say
that any dog can have white teeth. but that Il
Is only those who are rich enough to afford the
betel nut who can have black ones.
The debtor class OF siam afford a great con-
trast TO all this gorgeousness The are stripped
naked. and. chained to heavy logs. are COM
PEELED to work as slaves. The interest on
money Is so high In Siam that when man
once gets in debt the most he can possibly
hope for by the hardest Kind OF work Is to pay
the interest on what he owes. This has dis
practice Of allowing women TO do the work.
Of industry INDUCED in for It's own sweet sake.
tures OF compllcateA magnitcence.
ingenious wnys. Certain classes are prohibit
gamblers, virgins: execntioners. becGars; and
man they stretch his skin from his head to his
heels to make the blows effective.
The sacred white elephant for which Siam 10
famous, II he ever did amount to anything. has
gone all to pieces, He Is ut present q NANCY.
scraggy wild-eyed creature. with nothing white
about him but his ears. which seem to have
lenrosy; His keepers are dirty. he Is not bound
with golden chains and the only thing royal
about him Is his bad temper.