Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1894-03-15
CHINESE ETIQUETTE.
DELICATE WORK FOR A MoNeoLlAN
MAST Ter OF CEREMONIES.

stoned hy siss Purchase Of Insignias.
Nothing is more complicated than
Chinese etiquette" said DR.. Edward
Bedloe, ex-eonsul to Annoy "A master
of Debrett and Burke IN novice beside
a Celestial master of ceremonies. Never
theless the latter's system is definite, II
elaborate, and he has many official land
marks whereby to shape his course. One
of the most important Of these Is the
button which is worn by every mandarin
on the top OF his hat. Each OF the nine
ranks has its particular button, and the
second degree of the first and second
ranks are also marked by separate but
tons. The official list Is as follows:
First Rank-First degree, light CORAL red
button; second degree, deep coral red button
Second Rank-First degree, Light crimson
button; second degree, dark crimson button.
Third Rank-Both, light clear blue.
Fourth RaRk-Dark prussian blue.
"Fifth-Quartz. glass or crystal,
"Sixth-0paque white.
seventh and Eighth--Gilded, yellow or gold.
"Nint&l-silyer or silver white.
at will be seen that a red button in-
dicates high rank. The rank in general
is personal rather than official. Thus,
for example, a taotatship is an Office of
the third rank, and its button is q light,
clear blue Yet many taotatis, If not q
majority of the class, are decorated with
red buttons. It even happens that peT-
son of the second rank, through natstoEs
tune or political yicissitndes will hold
an e5fice of the fifth or sixth rank. Ia sch
case he would still wear his red button,
and in many official events would be
preceded by an official Of dark blue or
crystal button. For this reason It -
often very difficult to tell the o&ciaa
rank of mandarins by their bpttonH.
Nor is the difficulty lessened by the en-
broidered insignia upon the wearing ap-
parel. This rs more elaborate than the
buttons, but like the latter, does not
discriminate between rank and position,
"fo overcome the difficulty the Chi
nese resort to several expediehts. One il
this card ON which is written fSll state
ment Of the owners rank, degree and
position. Such a card in English might
read Smith, baronet, Judge Of session,
Devon. Another consists of having the
same facts painted upon the LANTERNS
with which all chairs are provided.
These can be read with equal ease day
or night. The third is used for the III
formation of the public and consists 10
having the name aud all titles carved
In large. bold characters on long red
boards, which are carried by coolies.
Mandarins who have received many hon
ors will frequently have as many as 20
of these red boards Where an official
has retired from service be is still en-
titled to piacb these boards at the en-
trance of his residence. A fourth mode
resembles the preceding and applies to
iunl,s or vessels in which mandarin
travels. The characters are written
upon flags, which are fastened to the
mast and elsewhere in lieu of ordinary
bunting. When the present governor
of Formosa left Shanghai on the steamer
Smith, no less Than 50 banners Of this
class were flung to the breeze from the
rnasts aud other parts of the boat.
The embroidered insfanias of rank
and position are placed apon the fFont
and back of official robes. They must
be of the finest workmanship and so wvfbM
executed as to show the design clearly
and accurately. The general design for
a civil officer is bird, and for mill
tafy Official quadruped animal. The
civil list is as follows ranks ana not de-
grees heiag discrimiRated:
"First-A Mantehoorian crane. second-A
golden pheasant. Third-A peacock. Fourth
"A wild goose F'ifth-A silver pheasant
Sixth A yohng cgfst. Sesenth--A quail
Elghth-A Icing tailed Jay Nifth-Ah orioiie.
"The military list runs:
"First-A unicorn. Secord-A lion. Third
A leopard Fo1rtls-A tiger. Ffth-A black
bear. Sixth--A tiger cat SeYsnthJ-A notified
bear. Eighth-A seal. Ninth2A r6fhoceros.
'These insignms have been used from
time immemofial, while the buttons are
creation of the Mantchoo conquerors of
China. 1t is singular fact that both
the lion and the rhinoceros are strangers
to the latter country. The limit OF their
habitat seems to be the Ganges and to
have been so since the tertiafy period.
The knowledge of these animals by the
Chinese was acquired long before the
Christian era, when large fleets of junks,
naval, pirate or commercial, went from
Canton to nearly every port in Hindoo-
stan and often brought back these and
other wild beasts alive.
"A cause Of confusion in the use of
buttons and insignas lies in the ever in
creasing power of wealth 20 secure these
honors by purchase. Originally they
meant pedigree, military heroism, gener-
alship or intellectual abikty, literary
culture or eminent philanthropy Their
ownership indicated distinction of some
kind to high degree. This is SO no long
er. Ambitious officials are permitted to
wear them in high honorary ranks. 10
Canton and Hankow several magistrates
of the seventh rank have purchased the
right and now wear light blue buttons
One, a very rich Cantonese, uncon-
sciously reflects upon the decadence of |
the lines by using as a button magnifi-
cent sapphire worth a kings ransom. /
Even private citizens are allowed to graf |
ify their vanity in this manner. A
wealthy tea faster in Talnsui, whose ed
ucation would not allow him to become
an official of the lowest class, secured the |
privilege of wearing a dark blue button /
by paying heavy sum Of money to the /
powers that be He is said to have paid +
down $4,000 for the bauble. Wash
ington Post.
Al Astuto Policeman.
fNhtcaoyf, n bo .,,.+NgDe a. -.