The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-01


about twelve hours. and l take regular
amount OF exercise every day. 1 think my
health Is largely due to my temperance
and TO the regularity OF my habits. l do ev-
cry thing by rule, and plan my work sys-
tematically. | don't worry and sleep we'll 1
required eight hours sleep until / was
thirty years OF age, but NOW l find that
FIVE are sufficient for me. 1 do not exer-
else in the open air. but take walk with
In the yamen every day and limit myself
10 a certain number OF steps" Here Mr..
10. the interpreter. added: His Excel
lency takes five thousand steps in the way
of exercising daily and he finds this exer-
else keeps his muscles in good condition"
] hear other where's that he does not like
10 go out of his palace because of the
pomp which must always attend him. He
is as much Of a curiosity TO the people as
the President of the United States is in
one OF our country towns. The people OF
Tien-Tsin look upon him with as much
awe as they do the Emperor. and when
he tried the other day to take quiet walk
the crowds blocked his way and he had
20 return. Now whenever he goes out he
has 10 take a large body guard of soldiers
with him and he rides in chair with Of
fcials going in front TO clear the way.
I asked As TO his diet. The question was
repeated TO him and his answer. as trans
lated, was: 4 believe that man should be
very careful of his eating. and 1 never
overload my stomach. 1 know by expert
ence what agrees with me and l take moth
ing else The foreign doctors tell me I
ought to eat more heavy meats. but
find that a mixed Chinese and European
-Ift rne hos II N
plenty Of vegetables. / think we'll of beef
Juice and eat considerable of it. / do not
drink much wine and think man is just as
we'll off without it,"
The converse ton here turned TO other
matters. and after referring to the treat
ment OF the Chinese in the United States
the vicerOy spoke rather sarcastically of
the treaty which has lately been concluded
between the two countries. Said he i'm
resonse TO my question as to how he liked
St: Il do not think It gives China all that
she should have but poor treaty is better
than no treaty. As ii was. we had practi-
cally nothing. Now we have something,
and something is always better than moth
ing"
I referred to the future of China, and
asked the Viceroy whether he thought the
country would be developed by Europeans
or by the Chinese. He replied that there
would undoubtedly be a great development
and that railroads would cover China as
with a net He believes that it will eventu-
ally do all it's own manufacturing and that
IN the future it will enter the markets of
the world as a great manufacturing nation.
Already, he told me, the statesmen of the
empire are making experiments of all kinds
In this line, and their cotton factories are
to-day among the reest of the world, and
other vast works planned. He gave me
20 understand, though he did not use these
words. that the motto OF China from now
on would be China for the Chinese" and
minated that the Chnaman could hold his
own against the world as a worker and
manufactures He was very gracious in his
treatment of me- and the interview lasted
Tor nearly an hour. 1t was closed by the
bringing in of three glasses of champagne
after the slipping of which the Viceroy
walked with myself and Mr.. Lo Feng Luh
out to the outer door of the yamen and
shook my hand in American fashion as he
said goodbye.
PERSONAL HABITS.
From further inquiries 1 learned some
thing more of the habits of this wonderful
man. He is. you know, the Gladstone of
the Orient-the grand old man of all al
mond-eyed humanity He does as much
work as Gladstone, and at more than three
score and ten he is Intellectually and phys
tcally sound. He works all day and lies
down at night and sleeps like a baby. He
rises very early, and his first meal is taken
at a. m. This consists Of birds nest soup,
rice congee or rice soup, and a cup of coffee
without milk or sugar. He adds to this one
at the close of the meal. After breakfast
he goes at once TO work. His office is next
TO his bedroom. He finds about bushel
OF dispatches from all over the empire and
the world on his table when he comes in.
He glances over these, rapidly telling his
secretaries how they should be disposed of
Sometimes he jots down note in Chinese
characters upon Them indicating the action
to be taken in regard to them, and at 9TH
ers calls in the men who have charge of the
departments to which they refer, and gives
his orders orally. BY IL o'clock he has
looked through the pile and has passed
upon such others come in. His private
business now commands his attention for a
time. and at u o'clock he is ready for his
luncheon. This is sort of Chinese dinner
and il usually comprises about eight
courses. First there is a soup served in a
little bowl Next some sharks fins, which
he eats with his ivory chopsticks and fol-
lowing those other dishes of meats and
vegetables. ali cooked so we'll that they
nay be picked apart with the chopsticks,
and SO that his teeth have practically moth
ing TO do. After dinner he goes again to his
work. At , O'Clock he takes his three cleo
trical shocks. He is a great believer in
electricity. and thinks that this treatment
has saved his life. He next takes his exer-
else, and during the day when he wants
70 rest his brain he amuses himself in
copying the best specimens of the Chi
nese characters. In other words he writes
the alphabet over and over again. The
Chinese language. however, contains, all
told. something like 10000 characters so
you VIII see he has variety even in his
play. He goes back 10 his work after sup
per. but spends a part of every evening
with his family. His favorite wife died
year or so ago. but his second wife.
woman OF about forty. is still living. and
/ ar, told he manifests no disposition to
take a third. He has now three sons and
Two daughters. and about a dozen grand
eaildren. They play with him, crawl over
him. pull his beard and cue. and tyrannize
over him Just as do their kind in the
humblest families of the empire. His chill
dreu have all had coOd cd ord