Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-23
THE KING OF SIAM AND HIS REALM
He Is an .IntefsstIng Yong Autocrat
and Rules n Queer People.
ran Vranrta-o Chronfcia1

moro absolute power over his subjects than
the Gar. Few men IN this world have as
much to make them feel biz aud lmpor-
tsnt. but for one IN his position ne Is
yery much civilized and fn-de-seice young
nerson. He is small IN person. His head
u crowned with q golden pyramid of
Iewels. rising in circular tiers, diminish
ING as they 60 upward. until they end
in n long. pencil-hke point, which extends
nearly two feet above the forehead OF It's
kinolv owner. His body j. clad in gorgeous
coat and vest, heavily embroidered IN gold
and Jewels, and in place OF pantaloons he
has tine rich brocaded surong OF the
Slamese about ms IONS and WALT. III
oomes down below hls knees OF the front,
and il looks not unlike 4 pair of fancy
knickerbockers. Below these are pair OF
shanely calves in white silk stockings, and
his feet are thrust into jewel covered.
heelless slippers, pointed like the shoe of
tho Turk. The whole makes a costume
brilliant and grand. He IS pleasant
looking fellow. and his ollye-bro@n race is
plump and unwrinkled. lie has beautiful
liquid black eyes, broad, hign. ana
rather full forehead, and short, straight.
black hair. Under his rather short and
half hat nose there is silky black NOUS
tonche. and below this the lips are rather
thick. and the chin plump and well
rounded. HIS hands and feet are well
made. and he is. all told, good specimen
of Slamese beauty. He Is the ninth son OF
Maha Mongkut. the last King of siam. aud
he was picked out of family OF eignty-tonr
cbiIdren 10 be placed upon the throne. He
has thirty-four half-brothers aud forty
nine half-sisters.
Looking OF him it Is hard 10 imagine that
he is the sacred ruler of from 5000, 600 to
10 900 900 of people. and 1t Is hard TOR an
American 70 appreciate his absolute power
and his holy dignity. The people OF the
country are his slaves lie has the right
10 call them into his service either with or
without paw, and Oil men In Siam are
forced 10 give him either the whole or a
mart of their services during the year.
H,s word con throw man INTO chains
or nut him TO death; can deprive
HIM of his property or rob him or
his daughter. All the women OF siam
are supposed to belong to the King.
and no one is forbidden to him except MS
mother He Is supposed to take one OF his
sisters as his Queen, and the nooles OF tue
country offer him their daughters by the
score His court is one of intrigue and his
nobles are glad to have their daughters IN
the harem SO that they may thus the bet
for attain the Kings friendship and power
ful Offices He taxes the people as ne
pleases. and these taxes are so heavy tnat
at times some men have to sell their WlVes
and children as slaves 10 enable tEem 10
nav him. Still his vaults are full OF urea
sure. Siam has no national debt and he has
an income of more than $4,000, COOS year.
Ue can spend tens of thousands OF dollars
in cremating a dead wife or in establishing
petty navy.
PROGRESSIVE.
Still this King Of Siam is tho most pro-
qreesiye the country has ever had. lie
IL far in advance of his people, ana ne Is
doing a great deal 10 ciyiiZe them. Be-
fore his second coronation IN 1873 all ma
tives who approached the King had TO do
so on all tours. They had to raise their
hands in alteration to him and bump thelr
heads on the mats before him. The hlng
did away with all that, and he has intro
duced the American hand-shake into MS
recent,on of foreigners. He gives recep-
tions TO foreigners, and he speaks the
English tongue, though he never does
this when noted foreigners have an au-
dience with HIM. He has brought the
telegraph and the telephone into Bang,
kok; has established street-car llne, ana
lights his harem with electrlc-llghts.
The King of Siam IS buddhist, ana he
was for some time a Buddhist priest. as Is
the custom with all men in Siam. EVER
one is expected at some time TO enter the
! priesthood and this royal monarch, WIN
his millions Of treasure, his scores OF
wives. and his Sl0,0O,OO0 a year. once
I shaved his head and nomlnally gave NJ
his crown and his harem to wear q yelloW
cotton scarf about his waist and to 60
fasting and praying. The Slamese priests
are picturesque. as well as deyout. Inc
priesthood - useful 10 married men. "A
man can be divorced whenever he likes by
ento-lr,g tbs pr,Cs.hoai fcI r'ontL cr 80.
Mobiles do not require any such tormallty.
The great event in the lite of Slamese
Is The function of having his hair cut
This is sometimes great event III inc
life of an American young man also. On
the top of Siamese bsby'a head a CERTAIN
| lock of hair IS preserved. All the rest OF
! the head Is shaved, but this lock Is kep'
sacred until he reaches tho age when nc
| officially passes from bOyhood to man
hood. Then of comes tho lock. The
celebration attending the hair-cuttlng OF
| the present King lasted three days.
ASSORTMENT OF WIVES.
The King of Siam has a very large assert.
ment OF wives, but he is so high and mighty
| that he must marry nobody beneath MIN
| in rank, his only equals being his OWL
| family. His regular official queen must
| therefore. always be his hall sister. Inc
Queen is not far from 20 years of age, she
rules the harem, aud she Is very
| pretty Siamese girl. Her complexion
= light brown, AMI her oily black
! hair. about two inches long, STANDS
| straight MP, and IS combed backward
| from a fair, open forehead. She ha;
! beautiful ewes, wears diamond earrings
aud has a diamond pendant at her neck
| and her fingers are covered with precious
! stones. she smokes cigarettes. as does
| also the King, and she chew5 the betel
nut. making her teeth as black as Jet and
! her hps stick out. The Siamese say thai
any dog can have white teeth, but that l,
| IA only those who are rich enough 10 anorC
| the be.el-nut VINO can have black ones.
The debtor class OF Sam afford great
contrast to all this gorgeousness. 1hej
are stripped naked. and, chained 10 neaVJ
logs, are compelled TO work as slaves
/ The interest on money Is so high IN SIAN
that when man once gets IN deDt I'M
most he can possibly hope Cor by the hard
eat KIND OF work is TO pay the interest OF
what he owes. This has discouraged IN
dustry and has encouraged the practice o
| allowing women to do the work. Man
being proud aud ambitious, soon tires o
industry INDUCED in for Its own sweet
sake.
The temples and palaces of Siam are
structures of complicated magnlhcence.
Witnesses in the courts are tortured IL
| very ingenious ways. Certain classes are
| nTOnlOitcU lFOm ltSlll1 luHs ihV1 ii1N'~''
drunkards, gamblers. virgins, executloners
bsggars, and persons who cannot READ
When they whip man they stretch az
skin from his head 10 his heels to maxi
the blows effective.
The sacred white elephant for which
Siam Is famous. If he ever did amount u
anything, has gone all TO pieces. ne Is a
present a NANCY. scraggy, wild-eyed cres
ture. with nothing white about him bu
his ears, which seem TO have leprosy; IN
| keepers are dirty. he is not bound witt
golden chains, and the only thing aoou
him is his temper.
A PERENNIAL PIE.
It Was Gorgeous Mystery, which Eve
O. NnA IfnrnYaI